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 When Constance Barrington dies, she leaves behind a wealthy estate and a complex family network, all of whom gather to hear her last will and testament. What follows is a great shock. Constance - possessed of a long memory and a spiteful disposition - has altered her will shortly before her death. The new provisions are far from fair- some benefit hugely and others barely at all. Constance's granddaughter, Louise, is bequeathed the copyright for her late grandfather's novels (barely remembered, long-since out of print and valuable only as a reminder of the man she loved). It is a paltry inheritance and one that comes to symbolise the inequity at the heart of the Barrington family. Soon, old family feuds and long-hidden resentments come to the surface - and with them, secrets begin to emerge. But it is through Louise's inheritance – those dusty, long-forgotten books - that the most startling revelation comes to light, bringing with it a very different future for her and the rest of the family. Orion Hardback - ISBN 0752872583 Available from Amazon.co.uk in Hardback and Paperback
REVIEWS "A Hidden Life by Adele Geras shows that the romantic novel is alive and well. It has a vindictive family will, affairs galore, long-lost relations appearing out of the woodwork and, above all, the good characters being rewarded and the morally suspect getting their just desserts.” Rodney Troubridge, The Bookseller “Realistic and intriguing, a really lovely read. Adele Geras is one of my favourite writers. A Hidden Life is among her best.” Katie Fforde “I think its one of her best yet - a family saga in which a will sets the cat among the pigeons, providing a very satisfying read from conflict to resolution.” Publishing News “This is Adele Geras at her best: a family drama, secrets from the past, romance, complicated relationships. A great story, very skilfully told.” Good Book Guide "It is honest, acutely observed writing which has relationships spot on. I was reminded very much of Mary Wesley's novels...great stuff." Scott Pack, The Friday Project “This book is a great read…it has some nifty twists and turns and an ending which leaves you feeling that there is something right with the world after all.” Daily Express “Always a joy to read, Geras conjures up potent family dramas with a degree of perception and wit that lifts her novels to another level.” Australian Women's Weekly. Suzannah (known as Zannah) and Adrian are planning to marry in May, the loveliest time of year. Zannah has always wanted a beautiful, traditional wedding and feels she missed out the first time round when she married Cal, father of her daughter Isis. Now that tense moment - one that happens before every wedding - has come: the two families are to meet. Will the gathering go smoothly? Will they like each other - the slightly bohemian Gratrixes from Cheshire and the wealthy Ashtons from the Home Counties? The meeting will take place on neutral territory, at a lunch party in the home of Zannah's Great-aunt Charlotte in London. A mood of festivity and celebration prevails. Adrian's stepfather, Gray Ashton, arrives a little late by which time everyone has assembled. When he enters the room, Joss Gratrix, Zannah's mother, turns frighteningly pale and hurries away from the party, leaving Zannah and her sister to wonder why on earth this man should have such a devastating effect on their mother. The stage is set for a captivating tale. Drama, conflict, shifts of allegiance and sulks; revelations, quarrels, reconciliations and romance - Made in Heaven has them all as the various generations of two families plus several outsiders move forward towards the inevitable Big Day. Not everyone will get what they want. Not all marriages are made in heaven... Orion - ISBN 075287246x Available from Amazon in hardback and paperback
Hester Fielding was once the leading ballerina of her day. Her life is the stuff of drama: a bleak Yorkshire childhood transformed by the discovery of her amazing gifts as a dancer; a dangerous love affair that could only lead to heartbreak; and a secret that would topple her from her pinnacle of fame if it ever came out. Now Hester has returned to Yorkshire, to Wychwood, where each Christmas, a new ballet is performed on Twelfth Night. This year, the brilliant young choreographer Hugo Carradine has been invited to direct the production. Hugo has assembled a starry group of dancers. Claudia Drake is Hugo’s lover and the ballet’s star - every inch a prima ballerina in style, but is she just a little past her best? Silver McConnell is ten years younger and an outstanding talent, some say the next Hester Fielding. Then there’s Nick Neary: gorgeous and bi-sexual, and observing them all is Claudia’s teenage daughter, Alison, who’s sick to death of dancers and would rather be anywhere but here. Just before the company descends on Wychwood, Hester receives a phone call that brings back memories to haunt her. As the dancers prepare for the opening night, and loyalties shift and tempers flare and tension builds to breaking point, the past comes crashing into the present in ways that Hester could never have predicted. Orion Hardback ISBN 075285156x Available from Amazon.co.uk in hardback and paperback Click here to visit The Book Pl@ce and purchase a signed copy.
"The best kind of comfort reading, this romantic novel blots out all the everyday stresses....Geras's novel constantly surprises us with twists.' The Good Book Guide (Editor's Choice. Feb.2005) "What can you write about a novel that is not only full of memorable and captivating characters but also has an enthralling storyline and is exquisitely written? This novel is like a successful souffle. It is light, easily digested, tasty, satisfying and it deserves to be a bestseller." Myfanwy Cook in The Historical Novels Review. "Geras's many stories for children are wonderful and now she brings her finely observed gifts to adult readers with an extra emotional punch." Jan Lee in The Oxford Times "A highly enjoyable read for a night in front of the fire." Mslexia "The author's warm writing style and her skills with her characters will keep you reading with pleasure. Her first novel, Facing the Light, was deserved bestseller and this will surely join it." Choice "A spellbinding saga" Company.
An extended family gathers in late August to celebrate the seventy-fifth birthday of its formidable matriarch, Leonora. She is the daughter of the famous Edwardian painter, Ethan Walsh, whose paintings are kept at the family home, Willow Court in Wiltshire.At Leonora's house party will be her two daughters, Gwen and Rilla whom she raised alone after she was widowed in her late twenties; Rilla's stepdaughter, Beth; and Gwen's husband and three children with their spouses and lovers. One outsider joins the group: Sean Everard, a television director who is making a documentary about the life and work of Ethan Walsh. All families have their dark side and Leonora's is no exception. By the time the guests have left and the marquee is dismantled and everyone goes their separate ways, two shocking past events have come to light, to rock complacency and change forever the lives of Leonora and her daughters. Orion hardback. Also to be published in twelve other countries. See Newsletter Number One for more about the writing of this book. Available from March 2003 from Amazon.co.uk in Hardback and from March 2004 in Paperback [Rollover Hardback cover image to see Paperback cover] Thomas Dunne Books Hardback edition available from Amazon.com in April 2004. Facing the Light is also due to be published as an audio
book.
"A real lose-yourself-in-it book, Facing the Light has everything.....a not-to-be-missed treat." Penny Vincenzi in Escape Fiction club catalogue.
"Each chapter peels back layers of riveting family history ... an enthralling and beautifully written mystery ... maintains the sense of suspense through each spellbinding page. Exciting and moving in equal measure, it is destined to become a classic." Good Book Guide "Here Geras has, at nearly 60, proven that she too can pen a novel in which the principal actors are all grown up...Thankfully, Geras has not seen fit to jettison the techniques mastered in years of writing for a more demanding young audience. Plot and moral message ring crystal clear, and her adult characters, like teenage protagonists, feel the need to come of age; although they grow and change by grasping the nature of the past rather than by figuring out the present" Helen Falconer, The Guardian "An enjoyable and entertaining read from an accomplished storyteller" Time Out "The evident enjoyment and ease with which the author manipulates her material will give a lot of pleasure. Sympathetic and experienced, she knows just how to balance character with story and how to lure readers into her web." Elizabeth Buchan, Sunday Times. "Geras certainly knows how to create a storm of tension in a rose-painted fine china teacup....her readers will feel they've joined in search of answers to a host of intriguing, irresistible questions." Madeleine Kingsley, Jewish Chronicle. "Facing the Light holds the reader's attention to the last sentence. I couldn't put the book down... All very skilfully and subtly done." Anne Torode, newBOOKSmag
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