Set in a fading family estate nestled within the Chiltern Hills, this is the story of two summers, sixty years apart, woven together to reveal one dramatic family story.
The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell is a historical fiction novel that weaves together themes of love, loss, family secrets, and self-discovery. The story is set in a crumbling English manor, Cloudesley, and moves between two timelines: the present and the past.
In the present, Maggie, the granddaughter of Lillian Oberon, returns to Cloudesley to care for her ailing grandmother. As she uncovers the house's secrets, the narrative shifts to Lillian’s past, revealing her tumultuous marriage to a wealthy, controlling man and her affair with an artist who comes to paint a magnificent mural in Cloudesley.
The novel beautifully captures the emotional struggles of its characters, the burden of hidden truths, and the consequences of choices made in the name of love. Richell’s lyrical writing brings the setting and characters to life, with Cloudesley itself serving as a metaphor for the tangled emotions and histories of the people who live there.
Published on by eBooks
Categories: Fiction Historical