Cavendon Hall: A Novel

Barbara Taylor Bradford

Apr 2014 · Cavendon Hall Book 1 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes an epic saga of intrigue and mystique set in Edwardian England. Cavendon Hall is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her very best, and its sweeping story of secrets, love, honor, and betrayal will have readers riveted up to the very last page.

Cavendon Hall is home to two families, the aristocratic Inghams and the Swanns who serve them. Charles Ingham, the sixth Earl of Mowbray, lives there with his wife Felicity and their six children. Walter Swann, the premier male of the Swann family, is valet to the earl. His wife Alice, a clever seamstress who is in charge of the countess's wardrobe, also makes clothes for the four daughters. For centuries, these two families have lived side-by-side, beneath the backdrop of the imposing Yorkshire manor. Lady Daphne, the most beautiful of the Earl's daughters, is about to be presented at court when a devastating event changes her life and threatens the Ingham name.

With World War I looming, both families will find themselves tested in ways they never thought possible. Loyalties will be challenged and betrayals will be set into motion. In this time of uncertainty, one thing is sure: these two families will never be the same again.

Ratings and reviews

Normally, I'm a sucker for this kind of book. Novels about the upper class in the early 1900s are my guilty pleasure, unfortunately this book completely missed the mark. There was absolutely no plot, no character development, and many scenes were completely irrelevant. There were hints of a larger subplot that seemed interesting, but that never developed. I kept waiting for a climax, but it never came. Very disappointing.

I love her books and always look forward to next one.

About the author

BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD was born and brought up in England, where she started her writing career as a journalist. She has written twenty-eight international bestsellers. Cavendon Hall is her twenty-ninth novel. In 2007 Queen Elizabeth awarded her the OBE for her literary achievements. She lives in New York with her husband, television, and film producer Robert Bradford.