Alice

By Eva Hanagan

Sometimes you have to return to the past…

After the death of her husband, Alice Willoughby decides to return to Fernhust, her late aunt’s rambling house on the Sussex Downs, and the scene of her happy childhood. Settling down to rebuild her life, Alice finds herself caught between a wistful nostalgia for her youth and a growing sense of guilt about her absence during her Aunt Sophie’s pitiful last years.

Yet Alice’s weakening confidence is greatly bolstered by her friendship with Paul, an attractive antiques dealer and newcomer to the village. With Paul’s warmth and gentle manners, Alice can’t help but feel pleased with his curious familiarity with Aunt Sophie’s home. But her pleasure is undermined by a nagging unease. Why did her aunt inexplicably fail to make a provision in her will for her loyal housekeeper Nancy? As Alice tackles this puzzle, she discovers that things, objects and people are not always quite what they seem…

With its wittily portrayed cast of characters, Alice is a sharply observed and affectionate portrait of one woman’s triumph of hope over despair.