About this item
Highlights
- From beloved international bestselling author Hannah Richell comes a spellbinding novel about the secrets brought to the surface when a large family gathers for a wedding.Can the damage of the past ever be healed?
- Author(s): Hannah Richell
- 368 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Family Life
Description
About the Book
Originally published in Great Britain in 2020 by Orion Books.Book Synopsis
From beloved international bestselling author Hannah Richell comes a spellbinding novel about the secrets brought to the surface when a large family gathers for a wedding.
Can the damage of the past ever be healed?
In their ramshackle Somerset home, with its lush gardens running down to the river, the Sorrells have gathered for a last-minute wedding--an occasion that is met with trepidation by each member of the family.
Lucy, the bride, has begged her loved ones to attend--not telling them that she has some important news to share once they've gathered. Her prodigal baby sister, Margot, who left home after a devastating argument with their mother, reluctantly agrees, though their family home is the site of so much pain for her. Meanwhile, their eldest sister, Eve, has thrown herself into a tailspin planning the details of the wedding--anything to distract herself from how her own life is unraveling--and their long-separated artist parents are forced to play the roles of cheerful hosts through gritted teeth.
As the Sorrells come together for a week of celebration and confrontation, their painful memories are revisited and their relationships stretched to the breaking point.
Moving, poignant, and unforgettable, The River Home showcases once again Hannah Richell's talent for creating characters readers can relate to--and telling stories that linger in the mind long after the final page.
Review Quotes
"This character-driven tale flows effortlessly with the author's descriptive prose painting every emotional scene with care. Her skill at peeling away the layers of and revealing the raw pain in this incredibly complicated family is exemplary and extremely important to the narrative....Fans of Karen White, Kristin Hannah, Barbara Delinsky, and fantastic women's fiction will have difficulty putting down this novel." -- Library Journal (starred review)
"Beautiful, heart-rending, life-affirming." -- Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go and After the End
"No one does dark family secrets like Hannah Richell . . . Beguiling, beautifully written and richly evocative, The River Home will sweep you away." -- Veronica Henry, author of How to Find Love in a Bookshop
"Beautifully written, with powerful messages of hope and redemption woven through the sadness of the story. Very moving, very immersive. I loved it!" -- Katherine Webb, author of The Legacy
"A tender portrait of a perfectly imperfect family; wise, big-hearted, and beautifully written." -- Emylia Hall, author of The Book of Summers
"Beautiful and gripping." -- Libby Page, author of The Lido
"A brimming glassful of apple-scented summer escapism." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Stunning . . . Amazing characters, beautiful setting, and utterly heart-breaking." -- Katherine Slee, author of The Book of Second Chances
"Heartwrenching and beautifully written." -- Susan Elliot Wright, author of The Secrets We Left Behind
Praise for The Peacock Summer:
"A juicy mix of secrets and betrayals make The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell a perfect holiday read." -- Good Housekeeping (UK)
"This moving novel of family and missed opportunity will appeal to fans of Barbara Kingsolver."
-- Booklist
"The prose is lush and full-blooming, the pacing taut, and the setting brilliant with light and color as the suspense builds, pushing each woman to her breaking point. . . . Lillian and Maggie are rich and complex characters, struggling to embrace passion and yet fulfill their duty, and their alternating stories balance well against one another, imparting lessons on life, love, family, obligation, and--most of all--the enduring power and beauty of art. An immensely satisfying read." -- Historical Novel Society
"Even more beguiling than her previous books. Stuffed full of family secrets, it's a tale of longing and dappled sunlight and the shimmering heat of lust. Exquisite, glamorous and breath-holdingly plotted." -- Veronica Henry
"Poignant, romantic and beautifully written, I was completely captivated by this dual narrative story about forbidden love. Hannah Richell is a gifted storyteller; The Peacock Summer a wonderfully immersive book. Absolutely gorgeous."
-- Kate Riordan