This is touted as a lost masterpiece for Riley, who died of cancer in 2021. It is in fact an older book previously published as Hidden Beauty under the pen name Lucinda Edmonds, and has been rewritten and reimagined by her son, Harry Whittaker. A little misleading perhaps, but I’m sure Riley’s legion of fans will forgive this deception.
This is a multigenerational tale with two different storylines that eventually intertwine, starting with the horrors of Europe in World War II and improbably moving to the glittering facades of New York’s Fifth Avenue. In the first storyline we trace the story of Leah Thompson, who begins life as a housekeeper’s daughter in rural Yorkshire, but we know that her beauty will propel her to greater things. And indeed, she does reach dizzying heights, growing up and moving on to become a globally famous model, with a face that is recognised everywhere. In the second storyline, there is the tragic tale of two young siblings, David and Rose, living in Poland during World War II, and who manage to escape from the Treblinka Camp. The two timelines intertwine throughout the novel, exploring family secrets of thwarted ambition, forbidden love, revenge and murder, spanning generations and a long-forgotten prophecy from the past.
The story is certainly engaging, particularly Leah’s as she basks in a life of luxury no-one could have predicted, but to an extent the reader is required to suspend their disbelief at some of the journeys taken to get there. And the jumps between the storylines aren’t as smooth as they could have been. At times I had to go back a little as I felt there was something I missed. But it is a good read, and fans will embrace it.
Reviewed by Lesley West
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lucinda Riley was born in Ireland and, after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first book aged 24. Her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and sold thirty million copies worldwide. She was a Sunday Times and New York Times number one bestseller.
Lucinda’s The Seven Sisters series, which tells the story of adopted sisters and is inspired by the mythology of the famous star cluster, has become a global phenomenon. The series is a number one bestseller across the world and is currently in development with a major TV production company.
Though she brought up her four children mostly in Norfolk in England, in 2015 Lucinda fulfilled her dream of buying a remote farmhouse in West Cork, Ireland, which she always felt was her spiritual home, and indeed this was where her last five books were written. Lucinda was diagnosed with cancer in 2017 and died in June 2021.
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