Her Wartime Secret

Sep 22, 2024 2:32 PM

Author:Emma Hornby

Her Wartime Secret

Shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Saga Award 2022!

The first book in Emma Hornby's page-turning Worktown Girls at War series, from the bestselling author of A Shilling for a Wife

**The latest Victorian saga from Emma Hornby, An Orphan's Choice, is available to pre-order now**

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Bolton, Lancashire: 1940

A family torn apart by war, held together by a secret . . .

Janie and her husband James have a strong, loving marriage. A move from an inner-city slum to a peaceful new estate outside of Bolton should have been a fresh start for them and their three children. But when war is declared and James announces he has signed up, Janie fears it's the beginning of the end.

Waving goodbye to their menfolk is a sacrifice that families are making all over the country and Janie does her best to make do, forging friendships in her new community.

But when James comes home on leave a traumatised and desperate man, then goes AWOL, Janie's heart goes out to him. Determined to keep him safe, she plans to hide him in their new house. But how long can they keep the secret, and what threats lie ahead if they're found out?

A page-turning new wartime saga about love, friendship and secrets, for fans of Katie Flynn and Rosie Goodwin.

**Don't miss the second book in the Worktown Girls at War series - A Daughter's War is out now**

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Readers love Emma Hornby:

'Similar to Rosie Goodwin and Dilly Court, Emma Hornby tells a brilliant story that will keep you guessing with twists and turns. Pure talent.'

'Emma Hornby's books just keep getting better and better. Honest, gritty, lovely characters.'

'Keep writing Emma, you are very talented and can't wait for your next book. I've read them all.'

'Emma is a wonderful storyteller and I can't wait for the next one!'

'Thank you again Emma Hornby for a captivating read'

'Another beautifully written story by Emma Hornby'

Reviews

A heartwarming and uplifting tale

—— Daily Express

Catherine Cookson fans will love this

—— Woman's Own

A thoroughly enjoyable historical saga

—— Jaffa Reads Too

The answer to finding a last-minute Mother's Day present, and it will also please thousands of Flynn fans

—— Peterborough Evening Telegraph

A bravura debut novel . . . It's clever, satisfying, and often playful

—— Guardian

This is a book saturated with the sensations of southeast Asia; where, in Menon's pungent turns of phrase, you feel as though you could "grab the air in two hands and wring it out"; where guilt can be "squatting in the room . . . stringy as spit", and where tiger princes and jungle spirits lurk amid a painful colonial past

—— The Times, pick of the latest fiction

A rich and moving family history takes shape, filled with love and heartache, guilt and grief, and no end of secrets and lies . . . Gripping, compelling . . . Menon's story shows that, though time flows on, history's waves still ripple decades downstream

—— Economist

Menon is a sparky storyteller whose thickly atmospheric debut keeps us guessing as its many ghosts press in ever closer

—— Daily Mail

A beautiful, richly textured absorbing read. I was utterly transported

—— Irenosen Okojie

A propulsive debut scattered with gems of fresh and surprising imagery. Menon is at her best exploring the intricate bond between women over generations, their histories strung tight over the fraught realities of a nation coming into being

—— Preti Taneja

Always here for a cross-generational family story, especially one that involves moral ambivalence

—— Marian Keyes selection for her PageTurners top reads

An intriguing, fast-paced, imaginative novel

—— Bad Form

A beautifully written story of one Indian Malaysian family's history, entwined with secrets and hidden heartbreak . . . Fragile Monsters is a story of homecoming which illustrates the tension of returning to a past which remains painfully present . . . a cleverly-crafted family saga which explores themes of truth, belonging and shame across multiple generations

—— Asian Review of Books

Leavened with a brisk, dry humour, Fragile Monsters is as propulsive as any mystery, with a bewitching sense of place . . . an accomplished feat of multi-stranded storytelling

—— Evening Standard

Lyrically beautiful writing

—— i

Spellbinding

—— Tatler Malaysia

A story about love, betrayal and redemption with an electric daughter-grandmother relationship at its heart

—— Sheer Luxe, reading recommendation

A terrific family saga.

—— Village Bookshelf

A lyrical prose reminiscent of William Trevor, and a haunting family drama.

—— Times Literary Supplement

One of the most exciting literary talents to emerge in the last decade.

—— Irish Examiner

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