Love can last a lifetime and beyond…
On the eve of the First World War aspiring poet and Lord of the Manor’s heir, Kit Rivers accepts that his duty is to his family and his country. Yet when he falls passionately in love, Kit discovers hard choices must be made when conflict threatens everything he holds dear and shatters his world beyond all recognition.One century later, newly widowed Chloe … recognition.
One century later, newly widowed Chloe Pencarrow exchanges London life for an isolated Cornish house. Haunted by memories, Chloe’s interest in a local war memorial proves a welcome distraction from grief and leads to a fascination with a collection of forgotten poetry. As Chloe’s own story becomes entwined with Kit’s, she finds herself caught in a tangled web of love, loss, and the darkest of secrets…
Shortlisted for the prestigious Winston Graham Historical Fiction Prize 2018, The Letter is a beautiful novel set in England between the First World War and the present day. Perfect for fans of Kate Morton, it is a story of family, forbidden love, and long kept secrets.
***** “One of my books of the year,” Being Anne.
***** “Will break your heart and touch your soul.” Amazon Vine reviewer.
This suspenseful novel is set in Cornwall and reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier and Rosamunde Pilcher. Romantic and moving, it is a tale of loss and love, the devastation of war and a homage to the lives shattered in the trenches and at home.
A #1 bestseller on Amazon UK, The Letter is a vivid novel of heart-break and passion, with characters – and an ending – the reader won’t forget.
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Wonderful writing, language, characters and scene setting. The story was fairly predictable but done so dramatically, it still kept me up all night — two nights in a row! Very good book.
I rarely give a book a five-star review, but The Letter by Ruth Saberton deserves every one of those five stars. This is an achingly moving story of two women’s loves, losses, and grief. The main character in the story, Chloe, learns to heal and move forward with her life after the loss of her husband as she works to unravel the secrets of a forbidden love affair a century earlier. As Chloe struggles to discover everything she can about a young couple whose lives were ripped apart by the horrors of World War I, she realizes that there are stirring parallels between her own life and the life of a woman that she will never meet. Part historical fiction, part mystery, part romance, this book kept me intrigued until the end. It’s one of those books that I will keep thinking about long after I have finished reading it.
Wonderful read!
For those who like historical fiction, this one is loosely based on the author’s relatives who survived World War 1. Very well-written, interesting story.
This is a wonderful story that has a very meaningful historic context, a mystery with a great twist at the end, wonderful characters and representations of the human condition.
It was a little slow at first. It took awhile for me to get into it.
I love historical fiction and this fulfilled that more then anticipated. Author did a good job of weaving past and present. Frequently that is annoying but not in this book. A story of love loss and moving on with life. We never know what gems lie just around the bend. Ending was satisfying too. No loose ends.
This may be the best book I’ve read this year. A real page turner. Good writing, strong characterization, a fantastic plot, lots of suspense and an ending you won’t see coming. Ruth Saberton handles the transition from the time of World War I to present times masterfully. The photographs at the end of the book are the crowning touch. Very highly recommended.
I loved this book, both the fictional present-day characters and the ones from the past. There was a most interesting interweaving of the two stories.
The description and development of the characters drew me in. I felt like I was a part of the story and was sad when I reached the end.
Great read.
I enjoy reading stories from that era. This book took me into the experience of a woman’s life and explorations of the past. I was compelled to turn the page to see what happened next. So many emotions!
What a wonderful book. When I started reading it because I’ve followed the authors other books on Cornwall. I was surprised when this book was not at all similar and at first disappointed. My disappointment turned to intrigue in just a few pages. I couldn’t put the book down and in fact was visualizing it as a movie. It is highly appropriate that I finished this book at 9 minutes to 11 on November 11th. Please make a movie out of this book!
I love Ruth Saberton books and was enthralled by The Letter. Highly recommend. Such depth to the characters I felt I knew them well. Loved it!