Selina Lennox spends her days partying and drinking with her high-class friends, dubbed the Bright Young Things by the pursuing press.
Lawrence Weston is a struggling artist making ends meet painting portraits for wealthy families who have lost their sons on the battlefield.
When a chance encounter brings them together, little do they realise it will be a night that will change the rest of their lives.
Since reading Letters to the Lost I have always kept an eye out for more from this author, and I was thrilled when this book came up for request on NetGalley.
Grey has a real knack for creating worlds that immerse the reader from the get-go. With her brilliant use of imagery, it is easy to conjure the essence of the setting, in this case the 1920s in the aftermath of the First World War and the 1930s.
Told from a dual timeline; one follows Selina as she navigates the roaring twenties and the strange new era the War has left behind. A time when change is inevitable and the possibility for freedom of choice for a woman is tangible. The other is told from the viewpoint of Selina’s daughter Alice. She is 9 years-old and currently ensconced with her Grandparents at the fading country pile whilst her parents travel abroad.
A miserable and cold existence, and one Selina remembers all too well. To bridge the gap and ease the loneliness Selina begins to write Alice letters, including clues for a treasure hunt around the estate. Within each clue Selina tells her daughter the story of her youth, eventually leading her to the most precious and heart wrenching conclusion.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I felt every high and every low along with the protagonists, and the supporting characters. Grey never fails to disappoint with her effortless writing and beautiful stories.
** Thanks to Simon & Schuster, via NetGalley, for this ARC **