THE FRENCH HOUSE
A RICHARD AND JUDY 2022 BOOK CLUB PICK!
"Deeply involving, utterly absorbing, and sometimes heart-wrenching. We loved it”
– RICHARD AND JUDY
UK hardback
UK paperback & ebook
In Nazi-occupied Guernsey, the wrong decision can destroy a life.
Left profoundly deaf after an accident, Émile is no stranger to isolation – or heartbreak. Now as German planes loom overhead, he senses life is about to change forever.
Trapped in a tense, fearful marriage, Isabelle doesn't know what has become of Émile and the future she hoped for. But when she glimpses him from the window of the French House, their lives collide once more …
Leutnant Schreiber is more comfortable wielding a paintbrush than a pistol. But he has little choice in the role he is forced to play in the occupying forces – or in his own forbidden desires.
As their paths entwine, loyalties are blurred and dangerous secrets forged. But on an island under occupation, courage can have deadly consequences.
Lyrical, moving and compelling, The French House is a novel about wanting to hear and learning to listen – to the truths that lie deep in our hearts.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Listen to my interview for the Richard and Judy Book Club podcast
Watch my webinar on creating characters with depth here
Read my article for En Voyage in-flight magazine here
Read an interview with The Guernsey Press >
Listen to my interview on Brighton Book Club
Read a review here
Read about my writing journey on the Curtis Brown website >
PRAISE FOR THE FRENCH HOUSE
“Simply superb. Beautifully written, utterly absorbing, a masterclass in character and plot. I loved it!”
“Wonderful storytelling ... a triumph!”
“The writing is incredibly strong ... a compelling read with a highly satisfactory ending”
“A brilliantly moving historical novel”
“A raw and honest love story, filled with a wealth of historical detail. The French House is a powerful depiction of the brutal intricacies of island relationships and loyalties in a time of war”
“Deeply involving . . . A fantastic debut by a gifted storyteller”
“I was gripped from the start by the characters and the setting. A wonderful read that captures the atmosphere of the Nazi occupation on a small island, where everyone has secrets and everything is ripe material for gossip”
“A story of fraught secrets and tested loyalties . . . I found this beautifully told tale hard to put down”
“Heart-wrenching . . . A truly special novel”
“A wonderful story, powerfully written with beautifully drawn characters”
“A vividly written, refreshingly different World War Two love story, with a central character I adored. Just brilliant!”
“Beautiful, utterly absorbing and memorable”
“Such an emotionally gripping novel portraying how love can be betrayed yet still endure”
“Accomplished and atmospheric . . . I really enjoyed this uncliched yet deeply moving love story”
INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS
General Press, Hungary