Description
In the aftermath of the Great War, the de Witt family are struggling to piece together the shattered fragments of their lives.
Rudolf and his wife Verena, still reeling from the loss of their second son, don't know how to function in the post-war world. Stoneythorpe Hall has become an empty shell with no servants to ensure its upkeep.
Celia, the de Witt's youngest daughter, is still desperate to spread her wings and see more of the world. To escape Stoneythorpe and the painful secrets that lie there, she moves to London and embraces life and love in the Roaring Twenties.
About the Author
Kate Williams is an author, social historian and broadcaster. The Storms of War, her first novel in the De Witt trilogy, was widely acclaimed, reviewed as 'spellbinding, gripping and beautiful'. She has always wanted to travel in time and wrote her first novel when she was seven (The Adventures of Maria) - it was rather short.
Kate loves delving into archives, collections, diaries and letters. She has a DPhil from Oxford and is the author of the novel The Pleasures of Men and four historical biographies of Emma Hamilton, Queen Victoria, Elizabeth II and Empress Josephine - which is being made into a major TV series.
She is Professor of Public History at the University of Reading.
Kate is CNN's historian and royal expert, covers royal and national events on the BBC and other channels and regularly appears on other TV programmes, including BBC Breakfast, Restoration Home and The Great British Bake Off, discussing social and royal history, general politics and culture. She also loves quiz shows and is a regular on The Quizeum.
She is the resident historian on Frank Skinner's BBC Radio 4 panel show The Rest is History, and writes features, reviews and comment pieces for various newspapers and magazines, including the Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Independent and Observer.
Kate lives in London.
Find out more at www.kate-williams.com and follow her on Twitter @KateWilliamsme
Reviews
a Downton Abbey-style drama about a grand family down on their luck in the Roaring Twenties. * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *
Williams has a sharp eye for the contradictions and mysteries of human nature and a vivid turn of phrase . . . she uses her historian's knowledge to brilliant effect' * DAILY MAIL *
Williams draws expertly on mysterious, fawed characters coming of age in a displaced world in this gripping period novel . . . A haunting piece of historical fiction * THE LADY *
TV historian Williams revisits the De Witts, the Anglo-German family introduced in her previous saga The Storms of War. Her insight into the aftermath of the First World War and shattered society shines out of every page, enriching a powerful family saga. * SUNDAY MIRROR *
Gripping from the first page, I absolutely love this novel... It's a must-read. * GRAZIA *
An epic, romantic read set in the roaring '20s. * FABULOUS *
The de Witt family's struggles are a compelling, vibrant and poignant fictional reflection of living history and if the next chapter of their story unfolds with the same emotional power and extraordinary resonance, then we are in for another treat. * LANCASHIRE EVENING POST *
Williams has created a resonant evocation of life in the aftermath of the First World War in which the shadows of the conflict loom large, but also explores the psychological and emotional worlds of the individual. * IRISH EXAMINER *
This novel is rich in sumptuous detail and full of twists and turns. -- Isabelle Broom * HEAT *
Told in two distinct time frames - mid-20th century and Maude's contrasting experiences of the 1890s and early
1900s - and full of colour, detail, tension and adventure, it's a compelling read.
Book Information
ISBN 9781409139973
Author Kate Williams
Format Paperback
Page Count 432
Imprint Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 340g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 128mm * 30mm
