The Secrets of Summerhayes (Summerhayes #2) by Merryn Allingham
Genre: Historical fiction, WW2
Read: 8th January 2023
Published: 11th January 2023
★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)
DESCRIPTION:
1944, England. A chance meeting with a soldier unravels a long-buried family mystery…
England is in the devastating grip of World War Two, and Bethany Merston’s life changes in an instant when bombs screech down over London. Heartbroken, she leaves the shattered ruins of her home behind. In the Sussex countryside, she takes a job as companion to elderly Alice Summer, mistress of the crumbling and over-grown Summerhayes House.
Its once-pristine grounds are now home to a regiment of soldiers preparing for an invasion across the channel. But Bethany’s wartime experiences mean she can find beauty in broken things, and she is captured by the estate’s magic. When she meets handsome, blue-eyed Lieutenant Jos Kerrigan in the gardens one morning, it is clear he has also been captivated by Summerhayes. As their friendship grows, Bethany realises that it’s not just the house she’s falling for…
But something is stirring beneath the surface at Summerhayes… When Bethany discovers that Alice is receiving anonymous letters that have opened up old family wounds, she is determined to find out who is responsible. Convinced that Summerhayes itself holds the key to the mystery, Bethany and Jos explore the grand house together.
The answers lie in a long-forgotten painting in the dusty attic, unravelling the mysteries of the Summer family. And as the truth about Alice’s past comes to light, it has the power to change Bethany’s future.
Will Bethany and Jos’s blossoming love survive the war, or will the secrets of Summerhayes tear them apart?
A totally heartbreaking and gripping wartime family saga, fans of Tracy Rees, Kate Morton and Elizabeth Jane Howard will have their hearts stolen by The Secrets of Summerhayes.
Previously published as The Secret of Summerhayes.
MY THOUGHTS:
This is the second book following on from "The Girl from Summerhayes" and it is just as good as the first. Following on yet set thirty years later, THE SECRETS OF SUMMERHAYES unravels the secrets that have been long been buried within the now crumbling estate and those that have gone beyond. And although the two follow on from the other, they can suffice as standalones with their own richly woven stories. But together they are like a tapestry of a bigger and more beautiful picture.
In the late spring of 1944, the Canadian army has set up base in the grounds of the Summerhayes estate which is now a crumbling manor surrounded by overgrown gardens. A sorry sight from the grandeur it had formerly enjoyed. Most of the house has been requisitioned by the army but in a small section in an apartment of suites lives the last remaining Summer of Summerhayes. Alice had once been the wife of Joshua Summer, who had built Summerhayes, and the mother of Elizabeth and William. Her former butler, Ripley, lives in one of the attic rooms whilst Bethany Merston was found as a companion for the elderly woman who is now in her eighties, and has her own room in Alice's apartment.
A trained school teacher, Bethany found herself without a job when the school in which she was working in the East End of London was bombed to smithereens in a night raid. The opportunity for a companion to Alice Summer came at just the right time and she was eager to take the position in the Sussex countryside. Her experience does not go astray however as she is soon engaged to teach young Ralph, son of Gilbert Fitzroy of the neighbouring Amberley estate, on every other day so as to not conflict with her care of Alice who is her main priority. But Gilbert finds every opportunity he can to visit Summerhayes whilst trying to entice Bethany to Amberley. But for reason, Beth wonders? He is married though his wife hightailed it to New York as soon as war was declared five year previously and to all intents and purposes shows no sign of returning. Is he looking to replace her? With Beth? Surely not!
Meanwhile, Ralph has taken a liking to one of the Canadians, Eddie Rich, but it is his comrade Lt Jos Kerrigan that has caught Beth's eye. But Jos' heart has been broken and hardened. He did not come to this country to find love but to assist Britain in its fight against Hitler. And Beth is sure he has taken an instant dislike to her though for what reason she doesn't know, so best to keep out of his way. Her job is busy enough with tutoring Ralph and taking care of Alice, who is seemingly more and more distressed with each passing day.
Thirty years ago, Alice's daughter Elizabeth disappeared in the middle of the night to elope with a former employee and has never been seen or heard from again. No one knows where she went and no one has ever heard anything from her since she left. Until now...
Alice has been receiving letters which have remained unsigned but have alluded to a return to Summerhayes. And each letter holds the promise that they will see her soon. Of course Alice is certain that it is her missing daughter Elizabeth. But why has she not written to her mother until now? Why go thirty years with no contact to suddenly announcing her return? With each letter received, Alice gets more and more distressed. She is seeing ghosts of the past at the window and taking falls in her panic and all the while gibbering about a long lost daughter who has long been thought to be dead.
And then one day in the attic a painting is discovered that holds the key to unlocking the secrets of the past...
A richly layered story of long buried secrets and a family feud, THE SECRETS OF SUMMERHAYES is a beautifully woven tale that is both enchanting and atmospheric. There is a dark and mysterious undercurrent that runs throughout as Beth realises she must do all she can to keep Alice safe from whatever sinister whispers are pulling the old woman.
Unlike the first book, this one features the war a little more with the focus on the upcoming invasion and D-Day landings. But it is still only a backdrop to a far bigger and more immersive story. And all that happens on the Summerhayes estate - both past and present - becomes an even bigger backdrop as Beth and Jos delve into the past to uncover the truth of what happened to Alice's daughter all those years ago.
THE SECRETS OF SUMMERHAYES is a completely absorbing and wholly immersive tale that will sweep you up in all its secrets and mysteries. And by the story's end, you will have uncovered what happened in the time between the end of "The Girl from Summerhayes" and its sequel, which is bittersweet and emotive. I had already figured it out long before the halfway mark but that only sweetened the journey. The fun was in watching the others figure it out.
THE SECRETS OF SUMMERHAYES was truly a delight to read, as was "The Girl from Summerhayes". I thoroughly enjoyed both tales, together and on their own. While I rate them both the same, I think I might have enjoyed this one just a little bit more due to the mystery of Elizabeth's disappearance and what may have happened to her. But overall, a truly wonderful easy read.
I would like to thank #MerrynAllingham, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheSecretsOfSummerhayes in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.
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