The Ashford Affair

February 18, 2013
Willig takes us from the twilight of the British aristocracy to colonial Kenya to modern-day New York City in her first historical romance outside of the Pink Carnation Series. In 1906, five-year-old Addie Gillecote leaves Kenya after her parents’ death to live in London with her Aunt Vera and Uncle Charles, the Lord and Lady of Ashford. Treated as a charity case by her aunt, Addie is taken under her cousin Bea’s wing. As the girls grow close and come of age, Bea is touted as the “Debutante of the Decade.” She lands a young marquess, Marcus, in a seemingly perfect match, and Addie joins them in their new home, taking a position at The Bloomsbury Review. In 1999, Addie is 99 and beloved by her granddaughter, Clemmie, a lawyer looking to make partner. Clemmie sees the marriage between her grandmother and grandfather, Frederick, as her model for love and has recently ended an engagement because her fiancé did not measure up. After Addie dies, Clemmie, aided by her step-cousin, historian Jon, learns that their family’s history is more complicated than she imagined. Well-researched details of life in the 1920s lends texture to this solid historical novel. Agent: Joe Veltre, Artists Literary Group.

A family secret is slowly revealed in a saga that juxtaposes two settings: a coffee plantation in Kenya in the early twentieth century and New York City at the close of the century. The story is told from two viewpoints: that of Clemmie, a modern-day New York lawyer, and that of her grandmother, Addie, who lived on the plantation as a young woman. Narrator Nicola Barber faces the challenges of differentiating the strong female protagonists and helping to transport the listener through time and across continents. Barber does this effectively by using a light and winsome voice for the na•ve young Addie and a slightly more sophisticated voice with a New York accent for Clemmie. These effective techniques contribute to a polished performance. K.J.P. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

August 1, 2013

Best known for her lively "Pink Carnation" series, Willig (The Garden Intrigue) sets her latest mostly in the early 20th century. Addie moved into Ashford Park, the home of her titled uncle, following the deaths of her parents. Treated as the magpie in the nest by most, she develops a close relationship with her cousin Bea--until Bea marries the man Addie loves and takes off to grow coffee in Kenya. Willig moves the story back and forth in time, but little is made of the world-changing events Addie experiences, such as growing up in a dying aristocracy or nursing in World War I. Even Africa's spectacular settings take a backseat in all but the prolog. Still, there's plenty of story to satisfy listeners. Nicola Barber's narration enhances a fine historical. VERDICT Recommended for historical fiction fans interested in the first quarter of the 20th century. ["From the ballrooms of British society to colonial Kenya to modern-day Manhattan, this well-researched and lavishly detailed family saga spans a century and three continents," read the review of the New York Times best-selling St. Martin's hc, LJ 6/1/13.--Ed.]--Janet Martin, Southern Pines P.L., NC

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