The title alone would have drawn me to The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets even if I hadn't read good things about it over at Danielle's Blog.
The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets is set in 1954/1955 London and England (with a lot of references to America and the rising pop music scene of the times as well). Penelope Wallace is an 18 year old on the cusp of "finding out who she really is" when she meets Charlotte while waiting for a bus. Penelope is introduced to another world and way of living through Charlotte (a character I have to say I liked a little more than Penelope) and Charlotte, her Aunt Clare and her cousin Harry become a part of Penelope's family life in the majestic country home, Magna. In some ways it is actually Magna that is the main character of the story - as the family home of Penelope's father who was killed in WW2 it maintains a significant hold on Penelope and her mother and brother and draws on their ever dwindling financial situation.
The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets is set in 1954/1955 London and England (with a lot of references to America and the rising pop music scene of the times as well). Penelope Wallace is an 18 year old on the cusp of "finding out who she really is" when she meets Charlotte while waiting for a bus. Penelope is introduced to another world and way of living through Charlotte (a character I have to say I liked a little more than Penelope) and Charlotte, her Aunt Clare and her cousin Harry become a part of Penelope's family life in the majestic country home, Magna. In some ways it is actually Magna that is the main character of the story - as the family home of Penelope's father who was killed in WW2 it maintains a significant hold on Penelope and her mother and brother and draws on their ever dwindling financial situation.
This book definitely made me feel as though I had been transported to 1950's England - it felt true to the period (even though I have never actually been in that time of course!) and I felt connected to the characters and what would eventually happen to them. Music plays a large role in the setting and the plot of the story and I felt that the developing pop music world was somehow echoed in the changing of the times following the end of WW2 and in the establishment of the "teenager" - seen through the eyes of Penelope and Charlotte and their devotion to a pop music icon.
A beautiful, sweet book - perfect for reading in front of the fire with a cup of tea!
