Elisabeth Gifford

Scotland, 1860. Reverend Alexander Ferguson, naive and newly-ordained, takes up his new parish, a poor, isolated patch on the Hebridean island of Harris. His time on the island will irrevocably change the course of his life, but the white house on the edge of the dunes keeps its silence long after Alexander departs. It will be more than a century before the Sea House reluctantly gives up its secrets. Ruth and Michael buy the grand but dilapidated building and begin to turn it into a home for the family they hope to have. Their dreams are marred by a shocking discovery. The tiny bones of a baby are buried beneath the house; the child's fragile legs are fused together - a mermaid child. Who buried the bones? And why? Ruth needs to solve the mystery of her new home - but the answers to her questions may lie in her own past. Based on a real nineteenth-century letter to The Times in which a Scottish clergyman claimed to have seen a mermaid, Secrets of the Sea House is an epic, sweeping tale of loss and love, hope and redemption, and how we heal ourselves with the stories we tell.

Gorgeously written and devastatingKate Riordan One of the best novels Ive readGill PaulDesperately romanticKatie Fforde*A family secret. A lost love. A life-changing journey to the Arctic . . .* Caroline Gillan and her new husband Alasdair have moved back to Kelly Castle, his family estate in the wilds of Scotland. Stuck caring for their baby and trying to avoid her inscrutable mother-in-law, Caroline feels adrift and alone.But while sorting through old papers, Caroline stumbles across a family secret which changes everything. There is one Gillan bride who has disappeared from history. No photos or records of her exist. The only certainty is that she had a legitimate child: Alasdairs grandmother.As Caroline unearths a story of love and adventure that stretches as far as the Arctic circle, her curiosity about the missing bride turns into an obsession. And when a body is found in the grounds of the castle, Caroline begins an investigation which could alter the course of her life forever . . .From the wilds of Scotland to the glaciers of the Arctic, A Woman Made of Snow is a mesmerising tale of how one womans past might hold the key to anothers future. *Praise for Elisabeth Giffords gorgeously atmospheric, uplifting novels: CompellingSarah Maine Gorgeous, melancholyThe TimesA glorious novel. You wont be able to put it down for a minuteSuellen DaintyAn undeniably haunting love storySunday TimesA moving story, beautifully told Tim Pear

***Shortlisted For Historical Writers Associations Debut Crown For Best First Historical Novel***Scotland, 1860. Reverend Alexander Ferguson, naive and newly-ordained, takes up his new parish, a poor, isolated patch on the Hebridean island of Harris. His time on the island will irrevocably change the course of his life, but the white house on the edge of the dunes keeps its silence long after Alexander departs. It will be more than a century before the Sea House reluctantly gives up its secrets. Ruth and Michael buy the grand but dilapidated building and begin to turn it into a home for the family they hope to have. But their dreams are marred by a shocking discovery. The tiny bones of a baby are buried beneath the house; the childs fragile legs are fused together - a mermaid child. Who buried the bones? And why? Ruth needs to solve the mystery of her new home - but the answers to her questions may lie in her own past. Based on a real nineteenth-century letter to The Times in which a Scottish clergyman claimed to have seen a mermaid, Secrets of the Sea House is an epic, sweeping tale of loss and love, hope and redemption, and how we heal ourselves with the stories we tell.

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE RNA HISTORICAL ROMANCE AWARD**LONGLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE*Desperately romantic, lyrically written and with a fascinating plot Katie Fforde Chrissie Gillies comes from the last ever community to live on the beautiful, isolated Scottish island of St Kilda. Evacuated in 1930, she will never forget her life there, nor the man she loved and lost who visited one fateful summer a few years before. Fred Lawson has been captured, beaten and imprisoned in Nazi-controlled France. Making a desperate escape across occupied territory, one thought sustains him: find Chrissie, the woman he should never have left behind on that desolate, glorious isle. The Lost Lights of St Kilda is a sweeping love story that crosses oceans and decades, and a testament to the extraordinary power of hope in the darkest of times. A gorgeous, melancholy love storyThe TimesAn undeniably haunting love storySunday Times

Secrets of the Sea House Scotland, 1860. Reverend Alexander Ferguson, naive and newly ordained, takes up his new parish, a poor, isolated patch on the Hebridean island of Harris. His time on the island will irrevocably change the course of his life, but the white house on the edge of the dunes keeps its silence long after Alexander departs. Secrets of the Sea House is an epic, sweeping tale of loss and love, hope and redemption, and how we heal ourselves with the stories we tell.Return to Fourwinds At Fourwinds they gather: Alice and Ralph, Patricia and Peter, to celebrate the marriage of their children. But the bride is nowhere to be seen. What could have caused Sarah to vanish? As both families search for the answer, the past floods through the corridors of the old house. Return to Fourwinds is a sweeping, lyrical story of the things we choose to tell and the secrets that we keep.

Uplifting ... extraordinary Andrew TaylorExtremely powerfulThe TimesVivid, utterly inspiring.TelegraphYou do not leave a sick child alone to face the dark... Warsaw, 1940. The Jewish ghetto is under the Nazis brutal control. Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children slowly starve within the walls.But while all around is darkness, one man brings hope, caring for the ever-increasing number of destitute orphans in the face of unimaginable conditions. And, torn apart as the noose tightens around the ghetto, how will one young couples love survive the terrible tests of wartime?Half a million people lived in the Warsaw ghetto. Less than one percent survived to tell their story. This novel is based on the true accounts of Misha and Sophia, and on the life of one of Polands greatest men, Dr Janusz Korczak.

''You do not leave a sick child alone to face the dark and you do not leave a child at a time like this.'' Warsaw, 1940. The Jewish ghetto is under the Nazis'' brutal control. Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children slowly starve within the walls. But while all around is darkness, one man brings hope, caring for the ever-increasing number of destitute orphans in the face of unimaginable conditions. And, torn apart as the noose tightens around the ghetto, how will one young couple''s love survive the terrible tests of wartime? Half a million people lived in the Warsaw ghetto. Less than one percent survived to tell their story. This novel is based on the true story of that young couple, and on the life of one of Poland''s greatest men,

***Shortlisted Author For Historical Writers Associations Debut Crown For Best First Historical Novel***What will it cost to hide your deepest secrets from those you love most? At Fourwinds they gather: Alice and Ralph, Patricia and Peter, to celebrate the marriage of their children. But the bride is nowhere to be seen.What could have caused Sarah to vanish? As both families search for the answer, the past floods through the corridors of the old house. What secret has Ralph been keeping from his wife? What is it about Alices wartime encounter with Peter that has haunted her ever since? Return to Fourwinds is a sweeping, lyrical story of the things we choose to tell and the secrets that we keep.

AS COMPELLING AS ANY OF DU MAURIERS OWN WORKSSUNDAY TIMESShe wrote her stories in his shadow. Now Daphnes past is catching up with her... In a beautiful house in the wilds of Cornwall, Daphne du Maurier is on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Tangled in a self-destructive love affair that threatens to unravel her marriage, she is also distracted by worry for the family friend whose shadow looms over her childhood: J. M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan. Daphne tries to escape into writing her new book, but the line between fiction and reality blurs dangerously when her own characters start manifesting before her eyes - in particular a woman called Rebecca who looks suspiciously like her husbands alluring ex-girlfriend. Daphne must confront the dark truth that lurks beneath the fantasy of Peter Pan and the secret life that has plagued her since she found fame. Unless she can solve these mysteries and reckon with who she truly is as an artist, her next great work may be lost to history . . .Fascinating Elizabeth BuchanElegant and immersive Essie FoxGlorious Jane Johnson

AS COMPELLING AS ANY OF DU MAURIER S OWN WORKS SUNDAY TIMES She wrote her stories in his shadow Now Daphne s past is catching up with her In a beautiful house in the wilds of Cornwall Daphne du Maurier is on the brink of a nervous breakdown Tangled in a self destructive love affair that threatens to unravel her marriage she is also distracted by worry for the family friend whose shadow looms over her childhood J M Barrie author of Peter Pan Daphne tries to escape into writing her new book but the line between fiction and reality blurs dangerously when her own characters start manifesting before her eyes in particular a woman called Rebecca who looks suspiciously like her husband s alluring ex girlfriend Daphne must confront the dark truth that lurks beneath the fantasy of Peter Pan and the secret life that has plagued her since she found fame Unless she can solve these mysteries and reckon with who she truly is as an artist her next great work may be lost to history Fascinating Elizabeth Buchan Elegant and immersive Essie Fox Glorious Jane Johnson

Ambientada en el gueto de Varsovia durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial.Elisabeth Gifford nos sumerge en una historia profundamente conmovedora, inspirada en el caso real del médico que protegió con su vida a doscientos huerfanos judios condenados al exterminio.Profundamente enamorados y a punto de casarse, los estudiantes Misha y Sofia tratan de huir de Varsovia y una muerte segura. Sin embargo, su huida es un fracaso y, obligados a confinarse en el gueto judio, trataran de ayudar en la medida de sus posibilidades al mentor de Misha, el doctor Janusz Korczak, que intenta mantener a salvo a los doscientos niños que tiene a su cuidado en el orfanato que regenta.Conforme la oscuridad se cierne sobre todos ellos, Misha y Sofia ven como sus posibilidades se agotan y no tienen mas remedio que separar sus destinos. ¿Volveran a encontrarse algun dia?Mientras tanto, el doctor Korczak debe afrontar un terrible futuro si quiere seguir protegiendo a sus muchachos.Reseñas: Una historia que deberia contarse y contarse sin descanso. Muy poderosa.The Times Vivida, estremecedora, inspiradora.The Daily Telegraph Escrita con sosegada y heroica determinacion.The Daily Mail

Ambientada en el gueto de Varsovia durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Elisabeth Gifford nos sumerge en una historia profundamente conmovedora, inspirada en el caso real del médico que protegió con su vida a doscientos huerfanos judios condenados al exterminio. Profundamente enamorados y a punto de casarse, los estudiantes Misha y Sofia tratan de huir de Varsovia y una muerte segura. Sin embargo, su huida es un fracaso y, obligados a confinarse en el gueto judio, trataran de ayudar en la medida de sus posibilidades al mentor de Misha, el doctor Janusz Korczak, que intenta mantener a salvo a los doscientos niños que tiene a su cuidado en el orfanato que regenta. Conforme la oscuridad se cierne sobre todos ellos, Misha y Sofia ven como sus posibilidades se agotan y no tienen mas remedio que separar sus destinos. ¿Volveran a encontrarse algun dia? Mientras tanto, el doctor Korczak debe afrontar un terrible futuro si quiere seguir protegiendo a sus muchachos.Reseñas:Una historia que deberia contarse y contarse sin descanso. Muy poderosa.The Times Vivida, estremecedora, inspiradora.The Daily Telegraph Escrita con sosegada y heroica determinacion.The Daily Mail