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Eva was once a legendary fashion designer until, mysteriously, she retired. Now widowed, she lives with her family in Salix House, the home she's owned and loved for forty years. When the family announces it's time to sell, Eva is deeply reluctant. The house contains memories and secrets that are part of her, although she never shares them.
Megan is a fashion journalist working in London who interviewed Eva for a magazine. Torn apart by the brutal end of a love affair, Megan is drawn back to Salix House and Eva.
Decades apart in age, the two women share a bond. Both are hiding something, but perhaps together they can confront their fears, their past pain and their uncertain futures - and discover the truth of Salix House's secrets.
Megan is a fashion journalist working in London who interviewed Eva for a magazine. Torn apart by the brutal end of a love affair, Megan is drawn back to Salix House and Eva.
Decades apart in age, the two women share a bond. Both are hiding something, but perhaps together they can confront their fears, their past pain and their uncertain futures - and discover the truth of Salix House's secrets.
- GenresFiction
339 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2014
9 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Adèle Geras
190 books137 followersAdèle Geras FRSL (born 15 March 1944) is an English writer for young children, teens and adults. Her husband was the Marxist academic Norman Geras and their daughter Sophie Hannah is also a novelist and poet.
Geras was born in Jerusalem, British Mandatory Palestine. Her father was in the Colonial Service and she had a varied childhood, living in countries such as Nigeria, Cyprus, Tanzania, Gambia and British North Borneo in a short span of time. She attended Roedean School in Brighton and then graduated from St Hilda's College, Oxford with a degree in Modern Languages. She was known for her stage and vocal talents, but decided instead to become a full-time writer.
Geras's first book was Tea at Mrs Manderby's, which was published in 1976. Her first full-length novel was The Girls in the Velvet Frame. She has written more than 95 books for children, young adults, and adults. Her best-known books are Troy (shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize and Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal) Ithaka, Happy Ever After (previously published as the Egerton Hall Trilogy), Silent Snow, Secret Snow, and A Thousand Yards of Sea.
Her novels for adults include: Facing the Light, Hester's Story, Made in Heaven, and A Hidden Life.
Geras won two prizes in the United States, one the Sydney Taylor Book Award for the My Grandmother's Stories and the National Jewish Book Award for Golden Windows. She has also won prizes for her poetry and was a joint winner of the Smith Doorstop Poetry Pamphlet Award, offered by the publisher of that name.
(from Wikipedia)
Geras was born in Jerusalem, British Mandatory Palestine. Her father was in the Colonial Service and she had a varied childhood, living in countries such as Nigeria, Cyprus, Tanzania, Gambia and British North Borneo in a short span of time. She attended Roedean School in Brighton and then graduated from St Hilda's College, Oxford with a degree in Modern Languages. She was known for her stage and vocal talents, but decided instead to become a full-time writer.
Geras's first book was Tea at Mrs Manderby's, which was published in 1976. Her first full-length novel was The Girls in the Velvet Frame. She has written more than 95 books for children, young adults, and adults. Her best-known books are Troy (shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize and Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal) Ithaka, Happy Ever After (previously published as the Egerton Hall Trilogy), Silent Snow, Secret Snow, and A Thousand Yards of Sea.
Her novels for adults include: Facing the Light, Hester's Story, Made in Heaven, and A Hidden Life.
Geras won two prizes in the United States, one the Sydney Taylor Book Award for the My Grandmother's Stories and the National Jewish Book Award for Golden Windows. She has also won prizes for her poetry and was a joint winner of the Smith Doorstop Poetry Pamphlet Award, offered by the publisher of that name.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 6, 2014
When Megan Pritchard visits Salix House to interview former fashion designer Eva Conway, neither woman realises that they share a common bond. Each woman is suffering from long standing guilt. As the two women become closer and closer Eva’s life story is told in the background. Spanning from 1938 to the present day it is the story of a woman and her marriage to her man who is not all he seems to be. However, events in 1938 have shaped her and made her the woman she is today – a woman fearful of looking in the mirror because of what she might see. The focus is more on Eva’s history than Megan’s. Megan has just come out of an unsuccessful relationship, which we do hear about, and when Eva and her family offer her a retreat and job, it seems the ideal time to leave London and rebuild her life. I did get a little exasperated with her, when I realised the reason for the guilt she is feeling. She is an intelligent woman and really should have realised that she had nothing whatsoever to feel guilty about. As the story progress we see each woman facing their guilt, and coming to terms with their pasts. I was also intrigued by the complex relationships between Eva and her daughter Rowena, as well as the little that we heard about Megan’s relationship with her mother. The story does concentrate more on Eva and her story, and it would have been nice to hear more about Rowena’s past and not just her present.
There is a spooky supernatural element to the story, but I was a little disappointed with this aspect. It wasn’t as spooky as I was expecting, and those parts of the story were quite sparse and, therefore didn’t help to build any atmosphere. On the whole it is not a bad read at all, it kept me interested certainly, but in the long run I would have liked either a bit more of the spooky elements, or for them not to be included at all, because it felt as if the author wasn’t quite certain where she was going with that part of the story. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
There is a spooky supernatural element to the story, but I was a little disappointed with this aspect. It wasn’t as spooky as I was expecting, and those parts of the story were quite sparse and, therefore didn’t help to build any atmosphere. On the whole it is not a bad read at all, it kept me interested certainly, but in the long run I would have liked either a bit more of the spooky elements, or for them not to be included at all, because it felt as if the author wasn’t quite certain where she was going with that part of the story. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
September 20, 2017
I liked this book more than I thought I would. I didn't like the first and last chapter but the rest I did!
October 15, 2016
This could've been a much better novel, because the writing was good - but it was let down by clunky development of the plot.
Megan gets dumped by her (married) boyfriend at the beginning and her story is how she recovers from that. Eva is an elderly lady faced with having to leave her beloved home and her story is how she comes to terms with that.
Naturally, it wouldn't be a story if their journeys were straightforward. However, it felt as though the author picked a random Dark Secret and then threw in Obstacles To Be Overcome for each them as she went along.
Megan's break-up was convincing - but then she perks up because she's looking forward to seeing her article in print. Oh no, thinks the author, I need another Obstacle - so she makes Simon (Megan's ex-lover) sabotage the article for no apparent reason (he'd have had to do it months before their breakup). Then as she's recovering from that, the author thinks - oh no, too quick, let's add another Obstacle, so she makes Simon phone her with a stupid accusation. Firstly, I can't imagine a man ever saying something bitchy like that, and secondly, I could not see why Megan would think it was her fault! Then the author thinks, oops, I forgot to give Megan a Dark Secret - let's make it an abortion when she was 16. The fact that it has absolutely no relevance to the rest of the story - who cares?
As for Eva, her Dark Secret is a lost sister who haunts her. At first it's suggested she haunts her through mirrors everywhere, but then it seems she only haunts mirrors in her beloved home and that's one of the reasons she doesn't want to leave. Really? That would be a reason for me to get shot of the place asap! As it turns out, Eva has a very interesting life and enough other issues with her career, her dead husband and her childhood which deserved to take centre stage, not playing second fiddle to ghosts in mirrors.
The Black Moment when the two have a falling out and then both have Epiphanies which Enable Them to Move On With Life didn't convince me at all.
Megan gets dumped by her (married) boyfriend at the beginning and her story is how she recovers from that. Eva is an elderly lady faced with having to leave her beloved home and her story is how she comes to terms with that.
Naturally, it wouldn't be a story if their journeys were straightforward. However, it felt as though the author picked a random Dark Secret and then threw in Obstacles To Be Overcome for each them as she went along.
Megan's break-up was convincing - but then she perks up because she's looking forward to seeing her article in print. Oh no, thinks the author, I need another Obstacle - so she makes Simon (Megan's ex-lover) sabotage the article for no apparent reason (he'd have had to do it months before their breakup). Then as she's recovering from that, the author thinks - oh no, too quick, let's add another Obstacle, so she makes Simon phone her with a stupid accusation. Firstly, I can't imagine a man ever saying something bitchy like that, and secondly, I could not see why Megan would think it was her fault! Then the author thinks, oops, I forgot to give Megan a Dark Secret - let's make it an abortion when she was 16. The fact that it has absolutely no relevance to the rest of the story - who cares?
As for Eva, her Dark Secret is a lost sister who haunts her. At first it's suggested she haunts her through mirrors everywhere, but then it seems she only haunts mirrors in her beloved home and that's one of the reasons she doesn't want to leave. Really? That would be a reason for me to get shot of the place asap! As it turns out, Eva has a very interesting life and enough other issues with her career, her dead husband and her childhood which deserved to take centre stage, not playing second fiddle to ghosts in mirrors.
The Black Moment when the two have a falling out and then both have Epiphanies which Enable Them to Move On With Life didn't convince me at all.
November 22, 2021
Eva Conway was just four years old when she arrived in England under the Kindertransport scheme. As an adult she became a successful and renowned fashion designer and now, widowed and retired, she lives with her family in Salix House, the country home she has lived in for forty years, and which she loves with a fierce passion. However, family members insist that it is time to sell and to move to London, even though Eva is resistant to their plans because the house holds many memories, as well as secrets she has never shared.
Megan, a fashion journalist interviewed and wrote an article about the legendary Eva and felt very drawn to the elderly woman. So, when facing a major personal crisis in her life, she returns to Salix House and accepts a temporary position as nanny to Eva’s two grandchildren. Although decades apart in age, the two women share many similarities in that they are both hiding secrets, and are reluctant to confront either their emotional pain or their uncertainties about their futures.
Adèle Geras’s elegant story-telling is so well-paced and her ability to shift between past and present without confusing the reader is impressive. With just a few sentences she is able to conjure up vividly evocative scenes and atmospheres. She writes convincingly about the power of family secrets and “ghosts”, of conflict, and of resolution. I found the development of the relationship between her two main characters to be totally convincing and I quickly became engaged in their struggles to deal with their unresolved issues surrounding loss, deception and love, as well as their determined search for redemption.
Megan, a fashion journalist interviewed and wrote an article about the legendary Eva and felt very drawn to the elderly woman. So, when facing a major personal crisis in her life, she returns to Salix House and accepts a temporary position as nanny to Eva’s two grandchildren. Although decades apart in age, the two women share many similarities in that they are both hiding secrets, and are reluctant to confront either their emotional pain or their uncertainties about their futures.
Adèle Geras’s elegant story-telling is so well-paced and her ability to shift between past and present without confusing the reader is impressive. With just a few sentences she is able to conjure up vividly evocative scenes and atmospheres. She writes convincingly about the power of family secrets and “ghosts”, of conflict, and of resolution. I found the development of the relationship between her two main characters to be totally convincing and I quickly became engaged in their struggles to deal with their unresolved issues surrounding loss, deception and love, as well as their determined search for redemption.
June 27, 2015
First book I've read by Adele Garas and really good, well written. I will keep an eye out for more of her books.
November 10, 2019
Absolute bilge.
December 27, 2023
Psychology and character journeys not believable. Dragged my way to the end. ‘Big reveals’ not worth the effort. First person / third person POV switches were clunky.
November 25, 2014
Journalist Megan visits retired fashion designer Eva at her home, Salix House, in order to write an article on her. When the article is published, Megan returns to Salix House to share the piece with Eva. Devastated at the break up of her relationship and the loss of the job she loves, Megan breaks down and is then thrilled to be offered the chance to stay at Salix House by Eva and her daughter Rowena to look after her two children.
Rowena however is selling the now unmanageable house that has been Eva's home for over forty years, Eva is reluctant to leave, as she has hidden secrets, and these, along with a secret that Megan is nursing are revealed throughout the chapters.
Unfortunately, I found this book quite hard to finish, and there were a few times I rushed through it skipping little chunks just to try and reach the end, which I really don't like to do. It actually started off very well, but for me, Megan's character was much more interesting than Eva's, and when the focus switched from her to Eva I did lose interest. I found it a little unbelievable that anybody would hire an ex journalist they had just met to look after their children, and the supernatural element of the story wasn't ramped up enough to build any real tension or make you want to know more about the reason behind it. I think maybe the book struggled with a firm identity, and would have been great had it been based just on Megan, or just on Eva at Salix House and the rather spookier aspect the story was aiming for.
*Thank you to the publishers for my free copy through Netgalley, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Rowena however is selling the now unmanageable house that has been Eva's home for over forty years, Eva is reluctant to leave, as she has hidden secrets, and these, along with a secret that Megan is nursing are revealed throughout the chapters.
Unfortunately, I found this book quite hard to finish, and there were a few times I rushed through it skipping little chunks just to try and reach the end, which I really don't like to do. It actually started off very well, but for me, Megan's character was much more interesting than Eva's, and when the focus switched from her to Eva I did lose interest. I found it a little unbelievable that anybody would hire an ex journalist they had just met to look after their children, and the supernatural element of the story wasn't ramped up enough to build any real tension or make you want to know more about the reason behind it. I think maybe the book struggled with a firm identity, and would have been great had it been based just on Megan, or just on Eva at Salix House and the rather spookier aspect the story was aiming for.
*Thank you to the publishers for my free copy through Netgalley, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2014
This dual plot formula seems to be very much of the moment but it could have been handled better , especially by such an experienced author. I felt it was rushed out to the orders of her publisher. It was unbalanced and even though the ending was very neatly tidied up I felt it was too neat for the extreme events that had preceded. Eva exposes her secret to her daughter and they go on to play happy families? And why has it been kept secret? Megan falls for a property developer and suddenly he has a crisis of conscience?
I really felt that this could have been great but needed more editing and sharpening up. Its a good holiday read but instantly forgettable. Disappointing from such a gifted writer.
Read the rest of my review on
http://drawingonbooks.blogspot.co.uk/...
I really felt that this could have been great but needed more editing and sharpening up. Its a good holiday read but instantly forgettable. Disappointing from such a gifted writer.
Read the rest of my review on
http://drawingonbooks.blogspot.co.uk/...
February 9, 2015
A cautionary tale on why you should not try to avoid death duties...
I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't very believable. I didn't especially like any of the characters; that's not to say I disliked them particularly either, apart from Eve's daughter.
Agree with other reviewers about the 'spooky' bits that weren't, though they could have been with a little work.
I could have done without the 'fairytale' ending too!
Minor grumbles aside I did like the book; it rolled along in an undemanding fashion.
I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't very believable. I didn't especially like any of the characters; that's not to say I disliked them particularly either, apart from Eve's daughter.
Agree with other reviewers about the 'spooky' bits that weren't, though they could have been with a little work.
I could have done without the 'fairytale' ending too!
Minor grumbles aside I did like the book; it rolled along in an undemanding fashion.
April 30, 2015
I liked the idea of the book, but there were too many coincidences and the story was a bit patched - jumping from one point of view and third person narrative to another one in first person and again to the first one in first person and second in third and so on...
June 16, 2015
Disappointing, didn't match up to the hype.
June 2, 2015
Still cold wet and miserable here, that's why I raced through this. Easy to read.
March 4, 2016
Could have been a bit shorter, and a little creepy for me.
March 24, 2016
Repetitive, dull and predictable.
April 18, 2017
Really drew me in. Loved it. Looking for more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews