The classic bestseller adored by thousands of readers from the author of THIS COULD BE EVERYTHING. Hailed as a 'modern vintage classic', The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets was a Richard and Judy Book Club Choice and is in development as a major new TV series.

Set in the 1950s, in an England still recovering from the Second World War, this is the enchanting story of Penelope Wallace and her eccentric family at the start of the rock'n'roll era.

Penelope longs to be grown-up and to fall in love, but various rather inconvenient things keep getting in her way. Like her mother, a stunning but petulant beauty widowed at a tragically early age, her younger brother Inigo, currently incapable of concentrating on anything that isn't Elvis Presley, a vast but crumbling ancestral home, a severe shortage of cash, and her best friend Charlotte's sardonic cousin Harry...

*** PRAISE FOR EVA RICE ***

'Exquisite. Enchanting. Quite possibly perfect. The next One Day/Me Before You' - Veronica Henry

'A reason to be cheerful . . . the book I've been waiting my whole life for, a perfect 90s period piece about sisters, it's glam, gorgeous, a little bit melancholic and a lot charming' - Daisy Buchanan

'Will break your heart and piece it back together again with wit, warmth and magic. The way Rice weaves together fiction and reality is delicious . . . Nobody captures the exhilaration of first love and teen fandom quite like her' - Lauren Bravo

This special tenth anniversary edition includes a foreword by Miranda Hart and an exclusive short story from Eva Rice, The Moth Trap, which offers a glimpse into the cocktail party where Penelope's parents, Archie and Talitha, first met.

'So good we can hardly speak' Observer

About the Author

Eva Rice has written 5 novels and is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets- a post-war coming-of-age story that was runner-up in the 2006 Richard and Judy Book of the Year. A 10th anniversary edition of the novel was published in 2015 with a foreword by Miranda Hart. The Lost Art Of Keeping Secrets is currently being developed by Fudge Park (creators of The Inbetweeners) and Moonage Pictures (Pursuit of Love) as a major new TV series.

Eva has toured with bands since her early twenties. She has written the music and lyrics for Harriet a musical based on an early Jilly Cooper novel due to open in 2023. She has a geek-like fascination with pop music, and her party trick is recalling chart positions.

Follow her on twitter @EvaRiceAuthor

Reviews
So good we could hardly speak * Observer *
A delight of Nancy Mitford-esque trials and tribulations * Vogue *
This tenth anniversary edition of Rice's modern classic is a treat for fans of Nancy Mitford and Elizabeth Jane Howard. Stylishly written with a touch of whimsical charm * The Lady *


Awards
Short-listed for British Book Awards: Best Read of the Year 2006.



Book Information
ISBN 9780755325504
Author Eva Rice
Format Paperback
Page Count 480
Imprint Headline Review
Publisher Headline Publishing Group
Weight(grams) 334g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 147mm * 31mm