The New York Times bestselling author turns the clock back to a time when two young girls convinced the world that fairies really did exist… Arthur Conan Doyle, endorses the photographs’ authenticity, the girls become a sensation; their discovery offering something to believe in amid a world ravaged by war.
One hundred years later… When Olivia Kavanagh finds an old manuscript and a photograph in her late grandfather’s bookshop she becomes fascinated by the story of the two young girls who mystified the world. As Olivia is drawn into events a century ago, she becomes aware of the past and the present intertwining, blurring her understanding of what is real and what is imagined. As she begins to understand why a nation once believed in fairies, will Olivia find a way to believe in herself?
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When I was younger, one of my favorite movies was called FairyTale. It was a historical film loosely based on the story of the Cottingley fairies, and I used to watch it over and over, fascinated by the idea that fairies could be real and captured on film. When I heard about this book, I picked it up immediately, excited to revisit the story that had captivated me when I was younger. The details about Frances and Elsie’s life and their photographs are well-researched and beautifully rendered, and it’s clear the author put a lot of care into recreating their story as honestly as possible while keeping much of the original magic and mystery that surrounded their childhood. Frances’ story is woven into a modern-day narrative which employs one of my favorite tropes: a young woman who escapes her unhappy city life to live in a small town and run a bookshop she’s inherited. It was utterly charming and the perfect book to get lost in for a few hours on a rainy morning.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Cottingley Secret. It was my first book by Hazel Gaynor, but won’t be my last. It was so original in its premise about the fairies, and I loved how the author used dual narrative so well.
It was a bit of a relief to read a magical, fantastical story like this after my recent dive into World War II fiction. I enjoyed young Frances’s descriptions of the fairy glen, losing myself in her story. Hazel Gaynor painted a full picture of this young girl’s thoughts and feelings. In contrast is Olivia’s current story, taking place in the present day. Her life is equally engrossing. Who doesn’t like reading about a character who finds romance in an old bookstore full of treasures while solving a long hidden mystery of her ancestors?
I’ve always had a keen interest in the story of the Cottingley fairies that seized the imaginations of the post-Great-War world of 1917, so when I stumbled upon “The Cottingley Secret” by Hazel Gaynor, I snatched the book up.
Gaynor transported me to Ireland where a modern woman inherits a bookshop called “Something Old.” While sifting through her beloved, deceased Grandfather’s troubled finances, she stumbles upon a manuscript written by Frances Griffiths. Shortly after the turn of the twentieth century, Frances and her cousin Elsie Wright inadvertently took the burgeoning Spiritualist movement by storm with fairy photographs they took at the bottom of their Cottingley garden. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (of Sherlock Holmes fame) wrote of the phenomenon and sent the girls a new camera and encouraged them to continue their photography.
Told in two timelines, this lovely historical fiction novel captures some of the wonder and charm of the historic event while making the girls’ experiences real. It juxtaposes the story with a modern narrative where the would-be heroine must decide if she should follow her heart and ambition, or if she should stay a ready-laid course.
I chose this book purely based on its cover. The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor looked gorgeous, and after seeing it all over Goodreads and thinking about the Cotswolds, I fell in love. Then I learned it doesn’t take place in England, but in Ireland, as well as that it’s based on a true story. Wow! Knock me over with a feather… all that said, it was a good book and I enjoyed it very much. I’d give it somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 stars rounded up.
Two young girls take pictures of faeries in Ireland during World War 1. One of them is a transplant from South Africa returning because her father must fight in the war. She bonds with her cousin, they become somewhat famous for their pictures as everyone thinks it’s real. Was it? In current day, a somewhat distant relative / friend (I’m being vague to not give it away) returns to the village to take care of her aging grandmother after her grandfather passes away. She’s contemplating breaking off an engagement and starting life anew. The stories intertwine and we learn what really happened with the photo of the faeries.
If this weren’t based on a true story, I’d have said the plot was too simple. Knowing it comes from a real-life experience, it makes the book a bit better. The author created a beautiful story. The characters felt real. I enjoyed the current story more than the historical one, tho. I felt the book had some literary merit, but at times, it was repetitive and listless… yet I also found it enchanting and vivid in many other places. I think it’s meant to be that way if you’re not aware of or fully caught up in the true story.
Gaynor’s writing is quite strong and made me keep reading. I will definitely sample more of her work in the future.
In the world of Fairies there is wonder, surprise, and sheer mystery and Hazel Gaynor has grabbed the true essence of childlike belief in all things mysterious. Beginning a hundred years in the past to relive the tale of the Cottingley Fairies and then bringing the reader 100 years later to relive the story is a clever and completely believable way of capturing the true magic.
I thought it was a very creative story.
Beautifully written story
I loved this book. I felt as if I was living the story with them. It is a warm whimsical story that stays with you long after you have read the last page. Enjoy!
You’ll want to read this book yourself to learn “The Cottingley Secret”!!
Strange- a historical account about fairies
I have read and enjoyed other Hazel Gaynor books but THE COTTINGLEY SECRET is by far my favorite! It is beautifully written and switches easily from “current” to “past”. I highly recommend this lovely read!
I really enjoyed reading this book. Everyone wants to believe in fairies. I know I grew up desperately wanting fairies to be real. Another great book based on actual events. So many twists and turns with the characters that draw your into the story. I didn’t want this book to end.
I enjoyed the historical time period and discovered some previously unknown events.
I believe
Believe it’s personal you either do or you don’t.
Somethings are true whether you believe them or not.
I enjoyed the two different stories and there times all related.
Family is what you create, not what you’re given.
The Cottingley Secret is a clever well written book based on a 100 year old hoax perpetrated by two young girls. It is a wonderful story.
Lovely way to weave a story around something that can actually be Looked up online.
I could not put it down. I loved the story and characters.
I read Hazel Hsynor. What a wonderful writer. I loved this one too!
I found this story fascinating. The imaginative tale appealed to my love of the dream-like quality of the fantasy. While Frances believed wholeheartedly in the fairies in this well-written story, her wish to keep them to herself led to an internal struggle – to share her findings or to keep them entirely to herself? The twists and turns lead to most interesting results. Read on to the end to learn where her choices throughout her life led her. The characters have surprising roles to throughout the story. The author kept me guessing.
I loved this book, so sorry when it ended. A very special story about so many wonderful, entertaining,strong women. I believe in fairies!