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The Hidden Letters
- Author
- Lorna Cook
- Narrator
- Emma Powell
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 2 March 2023
- Run Time
- 8 hours 48 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
What to expect
On the eve of a world war, a forbidden love will blossom in the garden of a stately home, where one young woman will make a choice that will change her life forever…
‘An emotional story of love and strength’ – LIZ FENWICK
‘Beautiful … Had me utterly captivated’ – JENNY ASHCROFT
As the storm clouds of war gather, Cordelia seeks refuge in the grounds of her family estate.
Handsome landscaper Isaac has recently arrived to tend to the gardens, and the connection between him and Cordelia is as immediate as it is forbidden.
Isaac begins to secretly teach her how to cultivate the gardens, so when he and all the young men are called away to war, Cordelia takes over.
From the battlefields of Europe, Isaac sends her letters, that give her hope for their future in peacetime.
But when these messages abruptly cease, Cordelia must face up to the worst and take her future – and the fate of the garden they both loved – into her own hands…
An epic, sweeping tale of love, war and the strength of the human spirit. Fans of Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton will be absolutely gripped by this historical page-turner.
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Authors love The Hidden Letters :‘A beautiful emotional story of love and strength’ Liz Fenwick, author of The River Between Us
‘Lorna Cook has had me utterly captivated with her latest. The Hidden Letters has it all – heartbreak and redemption, intense love and desperate loss. It's the type of book that first made me fall in love with reading, I adored every sumptuous, atmospheric page, and can't recommend it highly enough.’ Jenny Ashcroft, author of Under the Golden Sun
‘A beautiful, evocative story of love and coping with loss that kept me turning the pages late into the night. A triumph!’ Rachel Burton, author of The Secrets of Summer House
‘Magnificent. Broke my heart and put it back together again’ Amanda Geard, author of The Midnight House
‘Kept me guessing right up to the last poignant page, I found it difficult to put down and impossible to stop thinking about when I did’ Iona Grey, author of The Glittering Hour
‘Lorna Cook’s lyrical novel transports us back to the last golden summer of innocence. Against the backdrop of a garden so beautifully depicted that I could smell the roses, she leads us through loss, heartbreak and heroism – and shows us that love can triumph over even the greatest adversity.’ Judy Summers, author of The Forgotten Sister
‘A story of heartache and deliverance, love and loss, brilliantly plotted and beautifully written – I could not put it down.’ Louisa Treger, author of Madwoman
Readers love The Hidden Letters :‘Upon leaving those final pages and closing the book … it's like coming home. A feeling of completeness. Of having lived, loved and survived. Everything about Lorna’s tales are just all encompassing, sweeping you away and back to another time far away.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A pleasure to read – I felt quite bereft when I had finished the final page.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A beautiful, evocative story of love and coping with loss that kept me turning the pages late into the night. A triumph!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A sweeping historical saga about war, duty, family, social change, sacrifice, loss, and unexpected love. The Hidden Letters made me cry, I found it really moving.
‘I really liked the way parts of the story were told through letters. The characters were both like able and believable. Definitely recommended.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Critics Review
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‘A beautiful emotional story of love and strength’ Liz Fenwick, author of The River Between Us
‘With shades of Vera Brittain's Testament of Youth, and her trademark combination of unputdownable plot and beautiful writing, Lorna Cook has had me utterly captivated with her latest. The Hidden Letters has it all – heartbreak and redemption, intense love and desperate loss. It's the type of book that first made me fall in love with reading, I adored every sumptuous, atmospheric page, and can't recommend it highly enough.’ Jenny Ashcroft, author of Under the Golden Sun
‘This book perfectly evokes that spirit of a lost age. What a gorgeous writer Lorna Cook is. A book to lose yourself in. I loved it.’ Mollie Walton, author of The Ironbridge Saga and The Raven Hall Saga.
‘A beautiful, evocative story of love and coping with loss that kept me turning the pages late into the night. A triumph!’ Rachel Burton, author of The Secrets of Summer House
‘Magnificent. Broke my heart and put it back together again’ Amanda Geard, author of The Midnight House
‘Kept me guessing right up to the last poignant page, I found it difficult to put down and impossible to stop thinking about when I did’ Iona Grey, author of The Glittering Hour
‘Lorna Cook’s lyrical novel transports us back to the last golden summer of innocence. Against the backdrop of a garden so beautifully depicted that I could smell the roses, she leads us through loss, heartbreak and heroism – and shows us that love can triumph over even the greatest adversity.’ Judy Summers, author of The Forgotten Sister
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Details
- Author
- Lorna Cook
- Narrator
- Emma Powell
- Duration
- 8 hours 48 minutes
- Release Date
- 2 March 2023
- ISBN
- 9780008527617
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Historical fiction, Saga fiction (family / generational sagas), Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Narrative theme: Social issues
Synopsis
On the eve of a world war, a forbidden love will blossom in the garden of a stately home, where one young woman will make a choice that will change her life forever… ‘An emotional story of love and strength’ – LIZ FENWICK‘Beautiful … Had me utterly captivated’ – JENNY ASHCROFTAs the storm clouds of war gather, Cordelia seeks refuge in the grounds of her family estate.Handsome landscaper Isaac has recently arrived to tend to the gardens, and the connection between him and Cordelia is as immediate as it is forbidden.Isaac begins to secretly teach her how to cultivate the gardens, so when he and all the young men are called away to war, Cordelia takes over.From the battlefields of Europe, Isaac sends her letters, that give her hope for their future in peacetime.But when these messages abruptly cease, Cordelia must face up to the worst and take her future – and the fate of the garden they both loved – into her own hands… An epic, sweeping tale of love, war and the strength of the human spirit. Fans of Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton will be absolutely gripped by this historical page-turner. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Authors love The Hidden Letters :‘A beautiful emotional story of love and strength’ Liz Fenwick, author of The River Between Us‘Lorna Cook has had me utterly captivated with her latest. The Hidden Letters has it all – heartbreak and redemption, intense love and desperate loss. It's the type of book that first made me fall in love with reading, I adored every sumptuous, atmospheric page, and can't recommend it highly enough.’ Jenny Ashcroft, author of Under the Golden Sun‘A beautiful, evocative story of love and coping with loss that kept me turning the pages late into the night. A triumph!’ Rachel Burton, author of The Secrets of Summer House‘Magnificent. Broke my heart and put it back together again’ Amanda Geard, author of The Midnight House‘Kept me guessing right up to the last poignant page, I found it difficult to put down and impossible to stop thinking about when I did’ Iona Grey, author of The Glittering Hour‘Lorna Cook’s lyrical novel transports us back to the last golden summer of innocence. Against the backdrop of a garden so beautifully depicted that I could smell the roses, she leads us through loss, heartbreak and heroism – and shows us that love can triumph over even the greatest adversity.’ Judy Summers, author of The Forgotten Sister‘A story of heartache and deliverance, love and loss, brilliantly plotted and beautifully written – I could not put it down.’ Louisa Treger, author of MadwomanReaders love The Hidden Letters :‘Lorna Cook’s historical fiction is an auto-read for me. They are rich, warm, evocative’ NetGalley Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘One of my go-to favourite authors for historical fiction! … Settings are painted in gorgeous rich detail with characters we as readers can really believe in’ NetGalley Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘I looked forward to going to be at night to read more!’ NetGalley Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘It has everything I always want in a book … gardens, romance, a war that separates true love. I couldn’t put it down’ NetGalley Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘The wanting, yearning, needing, fear and devastation pour off the pages, but there’s also joy, innocence, passion, and love. Highly recommend’ NetGalley Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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