Discover the exquisitely told tragic tale of thwarted love behind the major new film adaptation It is in 1950s' Brighton that Marion first catches sight of the handsome and enigmatic Tom. He teaches her to swim in the shadow of the pier and Marion is smitten - determined her love will be enough for them both. A few years later in Brighton Museum Patrick meets Tom. Patrick is besotted with Tom and opens his eyes to a glamorous, sophisticated new world. Tom is their policeman, and in this age it is safer for him to marry Marion. The two lovers must share him, until one of them breaks and three lives are destroyed. 'A sensitive, sweeping novel' VOGUE 'A powerful story of forbidden love, regret, and living as your true self' VANITY FAIR 'Tense, romantic, smart...I loved it. Devoured it!' RUSSELL T. DAVIES 'A powerful story of love, shame and jealousy' MOHSIN ZAIDI
Bethan Roberts Books
Bethan Roberts crafts narratives that delve into the complexities of human relationships and the subtleties of hidden emotions. Her prose is distinguished by its sensitive portrayal of the human psyche and the moral ambiguities of her characters. Roberts explores themes of identity, memory, and societal expectations, often set against evocative backdrops. Her distinctive style is both precise and suggestive, inviting readers into a profound exploration of her characters' inner lives.
It's summer 1936, and the world is on the cusp of change, but there's little sign of this in rural Sussex. So when Kitty Allen answers an advert looking for 'a good plain cook', she has no idea what she's in for. For starters, her employer is an American called Ellen Steinberg who believes in having the staff call her by her first name and sunbathing in the nude. Then there's Ellen's eleven-year-old daughter, Geenie, a bright, unhappy little thing, and Mrs Steinberg's gentleman friend, Mr Crane, who's said to be a poet - even though he doesn't have a beard and doesn't actually write much poetry. Rich bohemians imagining themselves as communists, Steinberg and Crane see themselves as champions of 'the people' - not that they know the first thing about how the people actually live. Kitty is in no position to criticise - after all she claimed to be a good plain cook, despite hardly knowing how to boil an egg. Utterly out of her depth, she is relieved to have the gardener, Arthur, to talk to. Otherwise she'd never last a summer in this madhouse. Ellen Steinberg wants life to run as smoothly as the love story she imagines her lover George Crane to be writing. But as Kitty arrives, the dream is on the edge of falling apart.
Es ist ein ganz gewöhnlicher Morgen, an dem Maggie den zweijährigen Samuel entführt. Die junge Frau wurde von ihrer Cousine Nula als Nanny angestellt. Nun bricht sie ohne deren Wissen mit dem Kind zur walisischen Insel Anglesay auf. Zu jenem Bootshaus, in dem Maggie und Nula sechzehn Jahre zuvor einen gemeinsamen Sommer voller Verstrickungen verbrachten, der alles veränderte. Während Nula um das Leben ihres Sohnes bangt, muss sie sich den Erinnerungen stellen, die sie so lange aus ihrem Leben verbannte…