Tara Jupp and her sister Lucy,
along with six other siblings, live with their widowed vicar father in his
Rectory in the Cornish countryside. We learn of Tara’s life growing up, the
loss of her mother, her love of horses. She has a beautiful singing voice and
this will be the asset that steers her life in a whole new direction. Her
beautiful elder sister Lucy has a keen interest in preserving historic houses
and their contents. Tara becomes acquainted with the owner of Trellanack, a
large old house in Cornwall near her home, and the owner asks if Tara and Lucy
would befriend her daughter Matilda. The friendship and events between these
three girls will shape their lives.
Tara is our first-person narrator
throughout; from her carefree days spent riding horses to the moment she enters
a recording studio in London, we are there to experience the dramatic changes
in her life with her.
Tara and Lucy experience
first-hand the excitement of the early sixties in London; the world of famous
models, photographers and hit music makers, the new fashions and the ‘in’
places to see and be seen.
This is an enjoyable, atmospheric
and engaging read that brings another time and place vividly to life. The
writing is warm and witty and the characters, especially Tara, are charming and
come to life as you read; you feel part of the journey, spirited back to the
sixties with Tara and Lucy as they grow up, fall in love, leave their familiar
surroundings to take on the world and follow their dreams.
Published by Heron Books, an imprint of Quercus, on 17th January 2013
I originally reviewed this book for lovereading.co.uk - thanks to them and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.
Visit the Heron Books site here
Visit the Heron Books site here
