A heartfelt, lovely, interesting story set between 1910 and 1931, where a family with a difference, face everyday and extraordinary difficulties and conflicts. Daughter of the House follows on from The Illusionists however you don't need to read these two books in sequence to feel at home. The focus is Nancy, the daughter of the main characters from the prequel, at the start of the novel, Nancy is 12, she has a secret gift she calls ‘the Uncanny’ which is set to help but also to haunt her. Rosie Thomas covers complex emotions and feelings, yet writes with simplicity and clarity. Her engaging cast, from the occupants of the Victorian variety hall through to the higher echelons of society feel undeniably vibrant and real. Extremely readable, poignant and moving, this is an entertaining and enjoyable novel. ~ Liz Robinson
A woman faces life-changing decisions in postWorld War I London from the ';master storyteller' and bestselling author of The Illusionists (Cosmopolitan). In Daughter of the House, Rosie Thomas returns to the marvelous Wix family. Nancy Wix, daughter of the stage impresarios Eliza and Devil, must find a way to keep London's Palmyra theatre afloat, and to entertain audiences who have lost husbands and sons in the First World War. Nancy is a born performer, but she is set aparteven from her beloved brothersby her psychic gifts. She must harness her troubling powers to keep her family and the theatre intact. It is a dangerous path and a lonely one, but Nancy's bold choices lead her to love, and to the recognition of what it takes to become a modern woman. As another war begins to threaten the world, she is forced into a final, fateful confrontation with her demons, and must marshal both her ingenuity and her mysterious talents to fight for the survival of friendship, independence, and family. ';Brilliantly bring[s] to life the end of the music hall era and the rise of spiritualism in the 1920s. I highly recommend this smart, gothic, and romantic page-turner.' Historical Novel Society ';[Thomas] creates a dynamic protagonist involved in an uncertain romance, and her other principal characters are equally well-rounded.' Kirkus Reviews ';A long, appealing yarn of a story, Daughter of the House is a sequel to the author's earlier The Illusionists but is eminently readable as a stand-alone novel.' Booklist
'Love, seduction, magic and illusion collide as Rosie Thomas takes us on a spellbinding journey through an extremely shadowy world Daily Express
'A brilliant Gothic mix of glitter and grime and so atmospheric you can almost see the pea-soupers' Daily Mail
'Always engaging: a beautifully written novel that will magic you away to the seedy streets of turn-of-the-century London' Stylist Praise for The Kashmir Shawl:
'A superbly researched and vivid evocation of wartime Kashmir and Ladakh' Daily Mail
'A spellbinding tale. Beautifully written, honest and compassionate...a delight from start to finish' Daily Express
'An epic tale...A complicated entanglement of family secrets, love during wartime and dangerous liaisons. For fans of Maggie O'Farrell' Red
Author
About Rosie Thomas
Rosie Thomas is the author of a number of celebrated novels, including the bestsellers The Kashmir Shawl, Sun at Midnight, Iris and Ruby and Constance. Once she was established as a writer and her children were grown, she discovered a love of travelling and mountaineering. She has climbed in the Alps and the Himalayas, competed in the Peking to Paris car rally, spent time on a tiny Bulgarian research station in Antarctica and travelled the silk road through Asia. She lives in London.
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