Return to Fourwinds

(Paperback, Main)

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Description

One house. Two families. A lifetime of secrets.

At Fourwinds they gather: Alice and Ralph, Patricia and Peter, to celebrate the marriage of their children. The marquee is on the lawn, breathing in and out in the summer heat. But the bride is nowhere to be seen.

As both families are drawn together, the past floods through the corridors of the old house. What secret has Ralph been keeping from his wife What is it about Alice's wartime encounter with Peter that has haunted her ever since And what could have caused Sarah to vanish without a word to any of the people she loves

Moving from the orange groves of Valencia and the spacious houses of the British countryside to the post-war slums in the north, Return to Fourwinds is a sweeping, lyrical story of the things we tell and the things we keep to ourselves. Is Sarah's disappearance a culmination of the pressures that have kept the two families apart Or can they work together to bring her back to Fourwinds

Reviews

Beautifully written, brilliantly observed... a wonderful and intriguing book -- Barbara Erskine
A moving novel of great sweep and depth -- Tim Pears
Secrets of the Sea House is an arresting tale of the things that haunt us. But the real pleasure in this debut novel is Elisabeth Gifford's finely wrought prose; at turns acute, delicate and fierce -- Liza Klaussmann on SECRETS OF THE SEA HOUSE
Gifford moves nimbly between the centuries and voices of her intriguing tale. She is a singular and poetic writer -- Rhidian Brook on SECRETS OF THE SEA HOUSE
Sure to ignite an interest in sea mythology partnered with real-life ground-breaking sightings and discoveries, this is the perfect read if you're heading to a British beach this summer * Red Magazine on SECRETS OF THE SEA HOUSE *

Fans of historical fiction, folklore and Scotland will all enjoy this wonderful debut; Gifford is a writer to watch

Author Bio

Elisabeth Gifford grew up in a vicarage in the industrial Midlands. She studied French literature and world religions at Leeds University. She has written articles for The Times and the Independent and has a Diploma in Creative Writing from Oxford OUDCE and an MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway College. She is married with three children. They live in Kingston upon Thames.