Step into the world of 1886 and join the enigmatic Eleanor Hatham, a cross-dressing New Woman, as she embarks on a daring endeavour to revive her family's corner of Cornwall devastated by the aftermath of the Repeal of the Corn Laws. In "Hatham Hall," author Tim Robinson weaves a captivating tapestry of love, conflict, and the fight for acceptance.

When Eleanor proposes the construction of a new ferry to Ireland, her uncle Petroc Trewin vehemently opposes the influx of immigrants it will bring. Thus, Hatham Hall transforms into a battleground, with tensions running high. As chaos ensues, two outsiders, Hortense and Digby, enter the fray, further complicating matters.

Hortense, the daughter of a Caribbean slave, finds solace within the walls of Hatham Hall. However, she struggles against the subservience that is expected of her, yearning for freedom and equality. Meanwhile, Digby, posing as an English gentleman, seeks to exploit the situation, both manipulating the anti-Spanish-and-Irish sentiments of Petroc Trewin and hoping to seize the remaining wealth of the family.

As the ghosts of Hatham Hall's dark past resurface and the locals succumb to xenophobia, the very foundation of the house threatens to crumble. Against this backdrop, the characters of the novel become embroiled in a battle for Britain's soul, even as they grapple with their own personal demons. Eleanor, Petroc, Digby, and Hortense must confront their inner ghosts and conquer Hatham Hall to find redemption and peace.

Blending elements of satire, romance, intrigue, horror, and humour, "Hatham Hall" takes the reader on a heady romp through a neo-Victorian Gothic landscape, challenging and subverting traditional period myths.


About the Author

Emerging out of lower middle-class mediocrity and semi-educated during the 1980s at a dismal Fenland comprehensive, Tim nevertheless won a place to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Wadham College, Oxford - an opportunity he squandered, like so many others that would follow, through indolence and unjustified conceit.

Still, propelled forward like his characters by an ability to tell plausible lies, he secured a position as a BBC director and producer, making many documentaries. Presenters included Sister Wendy Beckett, Neil MacGregor and Simon Sebag Montefiore. He even once won the EU's Best Documentary prize for Racism: A Savage Legacy. Other history drama-docs included Zulu: The True Story and Who Killed Joseph Stalin? Since leaving the BBC with an acceptable payoff and largely living as a kept boy, his penchant for indolence reasserted itself.

Finally struggling against ennui and the permanent lethargy of the pampered, he managed to write The Orphans of Hatham Hall. Dividing his time between Camden Town and Andalusia, he lives with an indulgent husband, an indifferent cat and a horribly spoilt Cavalier King Charles Spaniel called Louis.

Reviews
'I loved every moment of this fabulous and richly-detailed Hammer Horror for the new millennium. Trapped in a crumbling Manor House, Robinson marshals a set of characters who are gloriously unpredictable, unexpected and unstoppable - and yet also nuanced and utterly believable. A thoroughly gripping read - he leaves you no choice but to gulp it down to the very bitter end.'
Jonathan Myerson



Book Information
ISBN 9781917393058
Author Tim Robinson
Format Paperback
Page Count 364
Imprint Northside House Limited
Publisher Northside House Limited