London 1958 and Berlin 1945 – a story of love and trust, of fear and betrayal, guilt and retribution.
THE DISCOVERY
by Mary Chamberlain
Oneworld UK, publication date TBD
(chez Mushens Entertainment – voir catalogue)
When Betty and John meet in London at a rally for nuclear disarmament, both are living with secrets about what that war did to them. After fleeing from Germany with her father in 1945, Betty lives with her memories of the Russian occupation, a young Russian officer, and the mysterious disappearance of her sister. John too, is plagued by flashbacks to his time as a translator for the top-secret T-force which uncovered Nazi scientific secrets, and to a young German woman who was brutally murdered, and for whose murder he was framed unless he talked… As their relationship develops, their lives unfold, unravel and entwine. But when a man from the past surfaces, he threatens to reveal secrets. Secrets which will embroil them in the Cold War and threaten their very existence.
Mary Chamberlain is a historian and novelist. Her debut novel The Dressmaker of Dachau was an international bestseller and sold to 19 countries. Her highly acclaimed second novel, The Hidden was a Sunday Times Must Read choice of 2019. She is the author of six non-fiction titles including Fenwomen: A Portrait of Women in an English Village, the first book published by Virago Press and the inspiration behind Caryl Churchill’s award-winning play, Fen.
Paris, 1750. Madeleine, a young maid with a scarred face and a hidden past, goes to work for an automaton-maker, Dr Reinhart, and his clever daughter, Angelique. Only Madeleine knows the real reason she is there: there are rumours that Reinhart’s mechanical creations are the devil’s work, and she is in the employ of the police as a mouche, to spy on him and report back on his every move. Meanwhile, in the streets outside, children are quietly disappearing – and Madeleine fears for her young nephew. No one knows who can be responsible, but rumours abound around the clockmaker, and even the King of France himself… As Madeleine is drawn further into the household and its secrets, she comes to fear that she has stumbled upon an even greater conspiracy. One which might even reach to the heart of Versailles itself.
What if Elizabeth Macarthur—wife of the notorious John Macarthur, wool baron in the earliest days of Sydney—had written a shockingly frank secret memoir? And what if novelist Kate Grenville had miraculously found and published it? That’s the starting point for A Room Made of Leaves, a playful dance of possibilities between the real and the invented.
Jana Beil has learned that life rarely provides moments of joy. Indeed, all of Amsterdam in 1616 is less concerned with happiness than with maintaining appearances. But when she begins working as a servant for the wealthy and kind Reynst family, she finds some peace and begins to secretly fall in love with Sontja, the beautiful daughter of the house. However, when Master Reynst loses his fortune through a bad investment with the VOC (the Dutch version of the East India Company), everything changes. Unable to afford her wage, the Reynsts’ let Jana go and she is back on the street again, desperately searching for work. Sontja, too, looks for ways to make enough money to get by, but when her father drinks himself to death, their house is sold to debtors, leaving both girls without a future. With no other choice, Sontja becomes a Company Daughter and sails to the colonial outpost of Batavia to marry a Dutch settler. Unable to envision a life without her, Jana also signs up for the voyage. The two embark on a lengthy, dangerous journey to Batavia, which will end with weddings to miserable old men — not the young, strapping soldiers they were promised. Despite all the hardships, Jana’s life slowly fills with wonder, beauty, and love as she sheds the resignation of her old life to finally reach out for what she truly wants.
Rügen 1924. There it is on the promenade of Binz, white and magnificent – the impressive Grand Hotel belonging to the von Plesow family. A lot has happened here, and things have not always been easy, but Bernadette is proud of her hotel, the best in town. It was here that she brought up her children: the quiet Alexander, who one day will inherit the Grand Hotel; Josephine, the rebellious artist who is still trying to find her place in life; Constantin, always on the go, who already has his own hotel in Berlin, the Astor. Things could hardly be better. Of course, there is the odd quarrel with her daughter, and something seems to be not quite right with the otherwise cheerful maid Marie – but all this is nothing compared to what the unannounced visit of a man could lead to who threatens Bernadette he will disclose her darkest secret …