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The Peacock Summer

A Novel

Audiobook
3 of 3 copies available
3 of 3 copies available

Two women who long for more, and a house that holds the key to their freedom...

From internationally bestselling author Hannah Richell comes this compelling story of hidden secrets, forbidden love, and a mysterious old house.

"A juicy mix of secrets and betrayals make The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell a perfect holiday read."— Good Housekeeping (UK)
Two summers, decades apart...

Two women whose lives are forever entwined...

And a house that holds the dark secrets that could free them both.

1955: At twenty-six-years old, Lillian Oberon is young, beautiful, and married to the wealthy and handsome Charles Oberon. She is also the mistress of Cloudesley, a lavish estate. But not long after her nuptials, she begins to feel her marriage is a sham. Like the exquisite objets d'art, curiosities, and treasures her husband collects, she is just another possession captured within the walls of the grand countryside manor. With a sister and young stepson in her care, Lillian has made peace with her unfulfilling marriage and fate—until a charismatic artist visits for the summer and makes Lillian re-examine the choices she's made.

The present day: Having abruptly broken off her engagement, Maggie Oberon escapes to Australia, hoping that the distance will make her forget the mess she's made of her life. But when her beloved grandmother, Lillian, becomes ill, she must return to England and confront the past she ran away from. When she arrives at Cloudesley, she is dismayed to find the once opulent estate crumbling into decay. As Maggie scrambles to find a way to save the old property, she is unprepared to learn the dark secrets that have remained hidden behind the dark halls of Cloudesley. But within these walls also lies the key that could change its legacy—and Maggie's life—forever.

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    • Books+Publishing

      April 27, 2018
      Hannah Richell’s third novel, The Peacock Summer, is a vivid tale stretching across 50 years. It tells the story of Lillian and her granddaughter Maggie, set against the intimidating backdrop of Cloudesley—a now dilapidated Chilterns manor house that, in Lillian’s youth and early days of marriage, was the setting for magnificent social events and soirées. Maggie is desperate to save the house from disrepair and uncovers a secret that not only reignites her own passion for art, but also rekindles her ailing grandmother’s memories of the summer of 1955. Richell’s treatment of art and nature brings the story to life in both the past and present day—the detailed way Richell presents scenery and describes seemingly incidental observations does not overshadow the story but gives it added depth, like an artist’s sketch. Storylines are seamlessly woven together: the world of Lillian’s younger years with her oppressive husband are interspersed with Maggie’s present-day narrative, and both are recounted with tenderness and passion. Readers of Kate Morton, Sally Hepworth, Kirsty Manning and Jackie French will enjoy this beautifully written novel that brims with art, beauty, love, family, passion and secrets. Kate Frawley is a bookseller and the manager of The Sun and Younger Sun Bookshops

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  • English

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