Böcker av Fiona Valpy

"Loch Ewe, 1940. When gamekeeper's daughter Flora's remote highland village finds itself the base for the Royal Navy's Arctic convoys, life in her close-knit community changes forever. In defiance of his disapproving father, the laird's son falls in love with Flora, and as tensions build in their disrupted home, any chance of their happiness seems doomed. Decades later, Flora's daughter, singer Lexie Gordon, is forced to return to the village and to the tiny cottage where she grew up. Having long ago escaped to the bright lights of the West End, London still never truly felt like home. Now back, with a daughter of her own, Lexie learns that her mother--and the hostile-seeming village itself--have long been hiding secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew. As she pieces together the fragments of her parents' story, Lexie discovers the courageous, devastating sacrifices made in her name. It's too late to rekindle her relationship with her mother, but can Lexie find it in her heart to forgive the past, to grieve for all that's lost, and finally find her place in the world?"--

An inspiring, uplifting story of love and loss, courage and adventure, from the bestselling author of The Skylark's Secret.1927. Violet Mackenzie-Grant is embarking on her dream of studying at the Edinburgh School of Gardening for Women. She doesn't yet know that it's a journey that will take her to Kathmandu and beyond, deep into captivating landscapes and cultures that are worlds away from everything and everyone she's left behind in Scotland.2020. Daisy Laverock has dreamed of retracing the footsteps of her great-great-aunt Violet ever since discovering her long-lost journals, whose accounts of plant hunting in the 1930s inspired Daisy's own career. Divorced, and facing an empty nest, Daisy decides to embark on the trip of a lifetime. She arrives in Nepal, ready to start trekking in the shadow of Everest. But fate, and the pandemic, have other plans.Stranded and alone, Daisy must fall back on the kindness of strangers, taking inspiration from Violet's determination and resilience to keep going in the darkest of times. As she gradually pieces together the fragments of Violet's story and uncovers long-held secrets, can Daisy finally reveal a path forward to her own future?

"Tuscany, 1943. Stranded in war-ravaged Italy, Beatrice's dream of an escapist year teaching English is shattered. Granted shelter at the Villa delle Colombe, she seeks refuge in Francesca and Edoardo's beautiful walled garden, hidden from the outside world, with an elaborate cypress maze at its heart.But Beatrice is not the only one seeking an escape here. Francesca has brought children to the safety of the house, as well as other adults, all of them seeking sanctuary on the estate with its mysterious maze. As the war closes in, the residents are forced to witness--and do--unthinkable things...2015. Tess arrives at the villa raw from the agonising loss of her husband. Beatrice, now custodian, guides her to the solace of its gardens, where Tess begins to heal. But all hope of peace is shattered by the arrival of Marco, the estate's absent owner, who wants nothing more than to hand it over to developers. Distraught, Beatrice realises she must finally reveal the villa's painful past if she wants to save it. As the extraordinary story unfolds, Tess realises that Villa delle Colombe is not just a refuge, but a beacon of hope in the darkest of times. Can she convince Marco to give it a new lease of life--and find a way back to happiness herself?"--Provided by publisher.

In this tale of fresh starts in the Escape to France collection from bestselling author Fiona Valpy, Gina has lost everything. Can a crumbling old cottage offer her a new life, new love-and new hope?Revised edition: Previously published as The French for Love, this edition of Light Through the Vines includes editorial revisions. Gina's London life lies in tatters: she has lost her father, her steady job as a wine buyer and her suave but unfaithful boyfriend. When she also suffers the loss of her beloved aunt, a silver lining dawns in the shape of an unexpected legacy: Aunt Liz has left Gina her beautiful, if slightly ramshackle, house in the heart of Bordeaux wine country. With nothing left to lose, Gina takes a chance on a fresh start. Throwing herself into her new life in the beautiful French countryside, Gina discovers the warmth of a close-knit-sometimes too close-knit-rural community and the exhausting exhilaration of the grape harvest under the late-summer sun. But just as she is beginning to feel like she belongs in her crumbling but charming home, she uncovers a long-hidden secret that makes her question the one person she used to trust the most. While she's worrying that this is a sign to pack her bags and run, a storm blows a hole in the roof, and Gina finds herself with nowhere else to turn except her neighbour's capable son for help. Before long Gina finds herself admiring handsome Cedric for more than just his stonemasonry skills...But everyone she's ever held dear has left her or betrayed her. And as the grapes ripen on the vine, can Gina find her way to forgiveness, and could it finally be time for her to open her heart to love again?

In this charming novel from the bestselling author of The Dressmaker's Gift, food was once the language of Evie's soul. Now, can she remember the recipe for happiness?Revised edition: Previously published as The French for Christmas, this edition of The Recipe for Hope includes editorial revisions.Evie's running away: from her soon-to-be ex-husband's shiny new life, from the devastating loss of her baby last year, from a memory-filled London and, most particularly, from Christmas. A remote cottage in the South of France seems like the perfect peaceful place to soothe her sorrows.But the countryside soon proves anything but quiet, from the rooster crowing at dawn to the barn owl hooting through the night--not to mention Evie's handsome neighbour, doctor Didier, who works away in his garage at all hours.Unexpectedly, the sights and sounds of life amid the sparkling beauty of the Dordogne give Evie a renewed sense of inspiration, and with her French grandmother's recipe book for company, she begins to rediscover her love of cooking. Soon, the tight-knit community begins to enfold her, reminding Evie what really matters in life.But are Didier's gorgeous blue eyes on more than Evie's delicious dinners? And can a cancelled Christmas--complete with a Not-Christmas feast for two--heal her heart?

In this romantic tale in the Escape to France collection from bestselling author Fiona Valpy, Sara has one summer to make wedding wishes come true. But can she save her own happy-ever-after?Revised edition: Previously published as The French for Always, this edition of The Season of Dreams includes editorial revisions.Once upon a time, in an ancient château nestled above a golden river among the vineyards of Bordeaux, Sara and Gavin opened a wedding venue where fairy tales come true...But when Sara discovers Gavin in the arms of a wedding guest, their own happiness crumbles to dust. Faced with five beaming couples yet to say 'I do', she realises it's up to her to host the rest of their first make-or-break season alone.For the summer to go off without a hitch, Sara must bury her broken heart and her fear that she'll soon be packing her bags for London, and lean on her local team of helpers. So when handsome Thomas Cortini, wine salesman and amateur DJ, crosses her path, Sara's thrilled to draft in further reinforcements--and finally dares to hope the summer might not be a total disaster...But with her life savings at stake, can Sara pull off a successful season, save her budding business and--just maybe--find her own happy-ever-after before the summer ends?