The Rose in Winter

December 1, 2017
Barbara Delahay lived a privileged life as a girl growing up in rural England. Her wealthy father and doting mother showered her with love; she lived in a big house with all the horses and dogs a young girl could want; she had plenty of friends; and she went to the best schools. Her charmed life didn't stop when she made her debut in the 1920s. After some anxiety about finding the right husbandat least on her parents' partBarbara is surprised to receive a proposal from one of her father's friends, a former soldier twice Barbara's age, whom she'd been seeing as a friend for some months. Flustered, Barbara refuses and is once again at sea romantically, until she meets the dangerously charming Jonny Eldridge. After that, her life is never the same. Switching between the 1920s and the 1950s, Harrison's tale is both enthralling and distressing, as the reader sees Barbara making one unfortunate decision after another. This mix of historical fiction and romantic suspense will have readers of both genres eager to see what becomes of a surprisingly complex heroine.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)