The Snow Globe

Read The Snow Globe Online

Authors: Judith Kinghorn

BOOK: The Snow Globe
2.34Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF JUDITH KINGHORN

The Snow Globe

“Both a gripping tale of family secrets and a comedy of manners, Kinghorn's novel paints a vivid portrait of love and its perplexing complications. Set against the backdrop of Europe in the years following the Great War,
The Snow Globe
is a fascinating journey back in time. Historical fiction fans will not want to miss this gem!”

—Renée Rosen, author of
What the Lady Wants

“An absolutely delicious book. . . . The period is beautifully observed, and we are expertly drawn into a suspenseful blend of tangled relationships and shocking discoveries. Daisy's coming of age in the ‘brave new world' of postwar England had me holding my breath. Elegant and evocative to the last word.”

—Elizabeth Cooke, author of
Rutherford Park
and
The Wild Dark Flowers

The Memory of Lost Senses

“Mysterious, evocative, and deeply sensual,
The Memory of Lost Senses
brings to life a lost era, a golden dream before it comes to an end. In its portrayal of how we change the past, and how we can lose it, the novel delves through fascinating layers and explores the real nature of truth. This moving story is not to be missed.”

—Simone St. James, RITA Award–winning author of
The Haunting of Maddy Clare
and
An Inquiry into Love and Death

“Kinghorn has crafted a multilayered story of unbridled passion, intellectual pursuits, and uncovered memories. Lucinda Riley's readers will enjoy Kinghorn's manipulation of the story's timeline, fans of Sarah Jio will adore the novel's romantic backbone, and historical-fiction readers will appreciate Kinghorn's eye for authentic period details.”

—
Booklist

“Kinghorn's prose is lovely, lavishly describing both the characters and the setting, which leaves the reader with a strong sense of time and place. The characters themselves are engaging and well developed. Fans of Kinghorn's remarkable debut novel,
The Last Summer
, will surely be pleased with this second effort. For readers yet to discover Kinghorn's novels, this book is sure to create a whole new legion of fans.”

—Historical Novel Society

“[A] beautifully written and tangled tale of love, loss, and longtime friendships. Kinghorn plays on the emotions stirred up by memories and how we each perceive the past. The lyrical prose and hints of mystery, betrayal, blackmail, jealousy, and regret make for a touching, thought-provoking, and compelling read. Kinghorn evokes the years before the war as she skillfully envelops the reader in her imaginative, tragic tale.”

—
Romantic Times
(4½ stars)

“Exquisite . . . a sensual and visual feast of a story, and a powerful follow-up to last year's enthralling debut,
The Last Summer
 . . . a mesmerizing book of finely wrought words. The evocative tale of an elderly woman for whom the past is both a comfort and a tyranny, a place that holds unutterably beautiful memories and painful events that torment and haunt. . . . Thoughtful, delicately crafted, and imaginative,
The Memory of Lost Senses
is a page-turning, atmospheric mystery story but with a powerful, all-consuming love affair burning deep at its core to direct the action . . . and steal our hearts.”

—Lancashire Evening Post
(UK)

“A witty, clever, and compelling tale, with a beautiful love story at its heart. I loved it.”

—Jane Harris, author of
The Observations
and
Gillespie and I

The Last Summer

“Well-drawn characters combined with flawless writing make Kinghorn's debut a triumph. This story kept me up for many nights in a row, and I couldn't turn the
pages fast enough. Un-put-downable and relentlessly intriguing, this is a tale for the ages. I expect it's not the last we'll hear from this talented storyteller; at least, I hope not!”

—
Dish
Magazine


The Last Summer
is irresistible: a captivating story of love and family against the backdrop of World War I and its aftermath. I stayed up late reading, hooked on its sensuous prose, elegant settings, and fascinating characters.”

—Margaret Wurtele, author of
The Golden Hour

“Impeccably written and well researched, this is an atmospheric and haunting read. It takes the reader from languorous summer days by the lake on a country estate to the horror of the trenches with equal aplomb. . . . Judith Kinghorn skillfully navigates our journey through love and loss . . . the perfect balance of romance and grit by a great new writer. Don't miss it!”

—Deborah Swift, author of
The Gilded Lily
and
The Lady's Slipper

“An enchanting story of love and war, and the years beyond.”

—Penny Vincenzi, bestselling author of
Wicked Pleasures


The Last Summer
is a dense and luscious read that is emotionally gripping and at times unsettling, but is a powerful tale of love, regret, and both the loss of Clarissa's innocence and that of England's.”

—Evangeline Holland, author of
An Ideal Duchess

“A glorious read, highly recommended.”

—
The Bookseller
(UK)

“Judith Kinghorn has beautifully captured the thoughts and feelings of a particular group in a lost generation. From an historical perspective, Kinghorn has clearly done her research, which is illustrated in the small details that capture the war and postwar periods, making
The Last Summer
entirely believable and often shocking. . . . Despite the themes of loss, grief, and change,
The Last Summer
is
above all a wonderful and heartbreaking love story . . . highly recommended!”

—One More Page (UK)

Other Titles by Judith Kinghorn

The Last Summer

The Memory of Lost Senses

New American Library

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 375 Hudson Street,

New York, New York 10014

USA | Canada | UK | Ireland | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa | China

penguin.com

A Penguin Random House Company

First published by New American Library,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC

Copyright © Judith Kinghorn, 2015

Readers Guide copyright © Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 2015

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:

Kinghorn, Judith.

The snow globe / Judith Kinghorn.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-698-17784-0

1. Young women—England—Fiction. 2. Families—England—History—20th century—Fiction. I. Title.

PR6111.I59S66 2015

823'.92—dc23 2014036483

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely
coincidental.

Version_1

Contents

Praise

Other Titles by Judith Kinghorn

Title page

Copyright page

Dedication

Epigraph

 

PART ONE: December 1926

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

 

PART TWO: Summer 1927

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-nine

Chapter Thirty

 

Acknowledgments

Readers Guide

Excerpt from
The Last Summer

About the Author

For my mother, Elizabeth

Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it.

—Cole Porter

PART ONE

December
1926

Other books

Final Witness by Simon Tolkien
Hotel Living by Ioannis Pappos
29:16:04:59 by Joshua Johnson
The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld
Voice of Our Shadow by Jonathan Carroll
Precious Consequences by Bester, Tamsyn
Brightly Burning by Mercedes Lackey
Blood & Tacos #3 by Kroese, Rob, La Tray, Chris, Robinson, Todd, Elliott, Garnett, Mertz, Stephen
Hasta la reina by Connie Willis
Drat! You Copycat! by Nancy Krulik