THE DAUGHTERS OF FOXCOTE MANOR

THE DAUGHTERS OF FOXCOTE MANOR
by Eve Chase

I mentioned earlier this year that I joined the Cincinnati Book Bus Book Club.  The Book Bus is a not-for-profit bookstore on wheels that uses all of its profits to buy new children’s books for low-income schools in the Cincinnati area.  By joining the Book Club, I receive a beautifully gift-wrapped book each month, selected by the Book Bus’ owner with an eye to introducing readers to authors they may not otherwise know. I am eight months in and have really enjoyed all of her choices.

As perfect books for summer reading, I especially want to recommend the last two months’ selections.  Not only are they both entertaining, but they are a very different type of summer read than what we think of as summer books here in the U.S. and Canada.

Eve Chase sets The Daughters of Foxcote Manor in England in two time periods. She tells the story of the Harrington family who leave their London home in the early 1970s after it sustains a fire. They relocate to their deteriorating country manor for the summer.  Each member of the family is mourning the heartbreaking death of a new baby girl in their family.  Amidst their sorrow, however, they discover an abandoned baby in the woods that surround their house.  Their plan to keep her a secret runs into trouble when shortly after her arrival, a man’s dead body is found in the same woods.  Paralleling this intriguing story, is the story of Sylvie set in the present time and her attempts to find answers to her family’s secrets—some of which relate to her.  Quirky, unpredictable and charming—I’m confident you’ll enjoy this book. (Liz)