The Wife's Promise: A totally escapist WWII historical fiction novel

Kate Hewitt

Aug 2024 · Bookouture

About this ebook

Alice looked at the young girl standing alone on the platform, sensing the same vulnerability she’d once felt entering the village she now called home. And, as the child gripped her hand tightly, she vowed she’d always protect her – whatever the cost…

England, 1939: When Alice marries kind-hearted vicar David on the eve of war, it means leaving her old life behind and moving into the draughty vicarage in the beautiful, remote village of Goswell, Cumbria. Though desperately homesick, Alice is determined to make a new life for herself and her husband.

But when war suddenly breaks out, Alice is devastated when David chooses to sign up to fight. Distraught, Alice can barely distract herself from her fear of what might happen to her husband. But everything changes when she is asked to take in an evacuee, a young girl called Vera, and Alice makes a promise to herself to protect this quiet, troubled child, no matter what…

 

Now: When Jane and her family move to the small village of Goswell where her husband grew up, she’s afraid she might have made a huge mistake. Their new home – in what had once been the vicarage – feels a million miles from their previous fast-paced life in New York City, and Jane struggles with empty days that seem lonely and purposeless.

But when Jane finds a small note, forgotten behind a shelf in the pantry, written during the Second World War by a woman named Alice, everything changes. And as Jane learns more about Alice’s life, her bravery and sacrifice, she realises that this woman’s incredible story has the power to change everything…

 

The story of two wives – told over 70 years apart – tell a story about courage, finding a home, and how an unexpected connection can change your life forever. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Lucinda Riley and Barbara O’Neal.

 

This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone.

 

Previously published as The Vicar’s Wife by Katharine Swartz.

 

Readers love The Goswell Quartet:

“WOW!!!!… clear your schedules and grab the tissues as you will need them!!!… I was utterly glued to the pages… carrying my phone to read it on my Kindle every chance that I got and I had tears absolutely streaming down my face… I was completely mind blown at the end and just when I thought I had run out of tears they started pouring out again…This book will stay with me for a long time… absolutely unputdownable… I LOVED it.” Bookworm86 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Amazing!… I was reaching for the Kleenex… My emotions were running wild from the first page to the last… completely heartbreaking and captivating… This story of love, hope and second chances is one that I won’t forget… Phenomenal… I loved it.” Page Turners ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Will grab your heart and simply not let go… gripping and emotional… This has zoomed right to the top of my list of favorite books!” Vegan Book Blogger ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I stopped reading all my other books just to finish this one!… Absolutely perfect. This gem gives me all the feels!!” Goodreads reviewer

“Right from the very start I was pulled in… These are characters that stayed with me… I loved this book from beginning to end.” I Wish I Lived in a Library ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Readers love Kate Hewitt:

“Had me crying so badly. It broke my heart, never has any book been able to just wipe me out with such gut-wrenching sadness… BEAUTIFULLY DONE.” NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Not only broke my heart but shattered it… When the tears [came] though, they didn’t stop. It is such an emotionally charged novel… An absolute tear-jerker of a read for which I highly recommend having a box of tissues on standby.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I’m not someone who cries easily but… [I] thought this book might just break me into tiny pieces. This is an incredibly moving, powerful and heart-breaking story… Will stay with me.” Novel Deelights ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“SPECTACULARLY written, this contender for my most cherished read of 2022 needs to be on every historical fiction reader’s list… I will remember this book for a very long time.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

I actually liked this book very much. To a degree, I can relate to Alice's feelings about being in a new place and feeling out of place. I was so glad when Jane was able to get all the answers to the mystery. I just wish we could have had the meeting between her and Vera as well. A truly lovely story.

A most enjoyable read, I found hard to put down

wonderful intertwined stories from past & presant