Letters from the Past

De: Erica James

Narrado por: Jemma Redgrave

It’s the autumn of 1962 in the idyllic Suffolk village of Melstead St Mary. Evelyn Devereux’s husband, Kit, is planning their 20th wedding anniversary party. But as they prepare to celebrate, Evelyn receives an anonymous letter that threatens to unravel the secrets she’s kept hidden for many years – secrets that reach back to the war and her days at Bletchley Park.

Evelyn’s sister-in-law, Hope, has brought joy to countless children with her best-selling books, but despite having a loving husband and caring family, happiness has never come easily to her. Then in an instant her fragile world is turned upside down when she too receives an anonymous letter. Across the village, up at Melstead Hall, Julia Devereux has married into a life beyond anything she could have dreamt of, not realising until it’s too late that it comes with a heavy price.

Meanwhile, in the sun-baked desert of Palm Springs, Romily Devereux-Temple, crime writer and former ATA pilot, is homesick for her beloved Island House, where she’s saved the day more times than she can count. On her return home, and shocked to learn what has been going on in her absence, she finds herself reluctantly confronting a secret she’s kept hidden for a very long time.

Once again Romily is challenged to save the day and hold the family together. Can she do it and maybe seize some happiness for herself at the same time?

©2020 Erica James (P)2020 W. F. Howes Ltd

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Erica James offers glorious escapism set in a house to die for." (Sunday Express Magazine)

"Full of warmth and appeal." (Good Housekeeping)

"Beautifully written and heartrendingly sad." (Daily Telegraph)

Intriguing story, but be warned

In short, this story is intriguing, and the characters are captivating. I very much enjoyed it and was sorry to see it end! I do have to admit that after Chapter 3, I started the book over again. With so many characters being thrown at you in the first few pages, I found it difficult to keep straight who was who and how they all fit together.

That said, this book needs a trigger warning. Subplots of abuse are common, including spousal abuse, child abuse, and sexual abuse. If those are a trigger for you, avoid this book.

The narrator is very good, even if her tone is often gloomy. Stepping the playback speed to 1.1x helps brighten it a bit.

Terrible Story With Unlikeable Characters

I was very disappointed in this Book. I have read several Erica James books including
The Dandelion Years which was a prequel to this story,.
This book had so many unlikeable and immoral characters I was unable to finish it .
It was quite depressing and not like "Dandelion Years " which I enjoyed.
The narration was just OK. All in all too Grim for my taste.
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