July 1, 2021
It's 1958, the last year when debutantes are to be presented at court, and Lily Nichols makes her tradition-minded mother happy by temporarily putting aside dreams of university. Instead, she joins the gloved-and-gowned young women planning to drop a last curtsey to Queen Elizabeth II. Along the way she meets icy-cool Leana Hartford and career-minded Katherine Norman and learns a secret that could destroy her family. From the internationally best-selling author of The Light Over London; with a 50,000-copy first printing.
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October 11, 2021
Kelly’s captivating latest (after The Whispers of War) follows a young woman making her debut in 1958 London, the last year debutantes were presented before the monarch. Lily Nichols, 18, is a talented dressmaker who loves to read and longs for a future other than that of a housewife. Her cold mother, Josephine, who’s harboring some family secrets, relies on Lily’s wealthy, controlling grandmother for financial support. Both regard Lily’s societal obligations, with all its rules and gossip, very seriously. Lily becomes fast friends with the well-connected Leana Hartford, which improves her social capital, though Leana’s mean streak and bossy nature quickly exhausts Lily, who finds common ground with down-to-earth Katherine Norman, the daughter of a newspaper magnate who’s maligned for coming from new money. Katherine encourages Lily to follow her dreams of going to university and pursuing poor-but-wonderful Ian Bingham. The engrossing narrative dishes out the right amount of tension while moving the plot forward at a satisfying pace. The final act concerns Josephine’s unveiled secrets, which feel superfluous, but Kelly’s descriptions of the emotionally exhausting business of doing and wearing the right thing elicit empathy for characters whose circumstances depend on finding a husband. Kelly succeeds at bringing a bygone world to life.
November 1, 2021
London 1958 is the last year that young debutantes will be presented at court. Lily Nicholls is of age and her mother and grandmama are determined for her to have a successful coming out. Lily dreams of going to university and studying literature, whereas her family wants her settled as a housewife with social status. Dutifully attending the parties and luncheons, Lily makes fast friends with other young women, some more genuine than others. With new friendships and a budding romance, Lily becomes bolder and begins to stand up to her mother and grandmama, even unearthing some dark family secrets. Kelly's (The Last Garden in England, 2021) descriptions of the glamorous, though long nights, are captivating. The pressure these young women feel to impress and make the right match is exhausting, and Kelly evokes compassion for her characters. The story is full of allure, society scandals, and the determination for these young women to eschew the dying traditions of the time.
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