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Summary
Summary
The death of her enigmatic great aunt takes a young woman on a journey that leads to family secrets, heartbreak and finally happiness in this absorbing family saga.
1990, Blackpool. 33-year-old Helen Burnside is shocked when she learns that her beloved Great Aunt Alice has died of a sudden heart attack, and even more surprised when Alice's will reveals that she has bequeathed her Yorkshire cottage to Helen. Although Helen was close to her aunt, Alice was an enigmatic figure, estranged from most of her family. What led to the long-held animosity between Alice, her mother, Ada and her sister, Lizzie, and why did she leave Blackpool for Yorkshire all those years ago?
Moving into Alice's cottage in the small Yorkshire village of Thornbeck, Helen uncovers a series of devastating family secrets dating back to the Second World War. But as Helen starts to piece together the truth about her aunty's life, it seems her own is about to travel in unexpected and life-changing directions.
Author Notes
Margaret Thornton was born in Blackpool, England, and has lived there all her life. A retired teacher, she is the author of more than twenty-five much-loved sagas, all set in the north of England.
Reviews (1)
Booklist Review
Helen is quite surprised to learn that she's inherited her great-aunt Alice's cottage when Alice dies of a sudden heart attack in 1990. Although she had been saving up for a place of her own near Blackpool, Helen decides instead to move to Thornbeck, where she'd previously spent some time caring for Alice. Alice had always been somewhat of an enigma in the family, after a falling out with her mother and her sister, Lizzie, Helen's grandmother. In the cottage Helen discovers letters and photographs related to Alice's wartime romance. As Helen delves further into Alice's past, she discovers long-buried family secrets and distant relations. Moving back and forth between Alice's life during the war years, and Helen's own life in the early 1990s, Thornton combines the everyday lives of women during World War II with a sweet romance. Fans of Debbie Macomber who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy this breezy read.--C. L. Quillen Copyright 2010 Booklist