Ashenden

Elizabeth Wilhide's debut novel Ashenden traces the history of an English house across two and a half centuries. 
 
When Charlie and Ros inherit Ashenden from their aunt Reggie a decision must be made. The beautiful eighteenth-century house, set in acres of English countryside, is in need of serious repair. Do they try to keep it in the family, or will they have to sell? 
 
Moving back in time, in an interwoven narrative spanning two and a half centuries, we witness the house from its beginnings through to the present day. Along the way we meet those who have built the house, lived in it and loved it; those who have worked in it, and those who would subvert it to their own ends, including Mrs Trimble, housekeeper to the rackety, spendthrift Mores; the wealthy Henderson family, in their Victorian heyday; six-year-old Pudge; Walter Beckmann, prisoner in its grounds. 
 
A novel about people, architecture and living history, Ashenden is an evocative and allusive reflection on England and its past. 
 
 
'Lively interlinked historical vignettes display distinct post-Downton commercial savvy . . . a pleasurably subtle web of connections . . . a beguilingly effortless read' Daily Mail 
 
'An engrossing debut . . . a sparkling jewel: full of fascinating detail, high drama and sly wit' Amanda Foreman 
 
'I adored this book; I saw it as a sort of love letter to a vanished way of life, and a slice of English history at the same time, tracing as it does the lives of all the people who lived in Ashenden, a beautiful English country house, for over two hundred years. It's very touching and very compelling' Penny Vincenzi 
 
Elizabeth Wilhide is the author of over 20 books on interior design, decoration and architecture and a co-author and contributing editor to some 30 other titles, collaborating with authors such as David Linley, Terence Conran and Tricia Guild. Born in the United States, she has lived in Britain since 1967. She lives with her husband, an architect, and their two children in the East End of London.

An engrossing debut . . . a sparkling jewel: full of fascinating detail, high drama and sly wit

Lively interlinked historical vignettes display distinct post-Downton commercial savvy . . . a pleasurably subtle web of connections . . .  a beguilingly effortless read

A panoramic view of English family life . . . any reader who loves history and houses will enjoy this verbal magical lantern show

I adored this book; I saw it  as a sort of love letter to a vanished way of life, and a slice of English history at the same time, tracing as it does the lives of all the people who lived in Ashenden, a beautiful English country house, for over two hundred years. It's very touching and very compelling

Elizabeth Wilhide is the author of over 20 books on interior design, decoration and architecture and a co-author and contributing editor to some 30 other titles, collaborating with authors such as David Linley, Terence Conran and Tricia Guild. Born in the United States, she has lived in Britain since 1967. She lives with her husband, an architect, and their two children in the East End of London.

Spring 2010, and when Charlie and Ros inherit Ashenden from their aunt Reggie a decision must be made. The beautiful eighteenth-century house, set in acres of English countryside, is in need of serious repair. Do they try to keep it in the family, or will they have to sell? 
 
Moving back in time, in an interwoven narrative spanning two and a half centuries, we witness the house from its beginnings through to the present day. Along the way we meet those who have built the house, lived in it and loved it; those who have worked in it, and those who would subvert it to their own ends, including Mrs Trimble, housekeeper to the rackety, spendthrift Mores; the wealthy Henderson family, in their Victorian heyday; six-year-old Pudge; Walter Beckmann, prisoner in its grounds. 
 
Through good times and bad, the better we get to know the house, the more we care about its survival. A novel about people, architecture and living history, Ashenden is an evocative and allusive reflection on England and its past.

Elizabeth Wilhide

Heart-wrenching . . . convincing and intoxicating . . . Julia is a very English Anna Karenina . . .  An unromantic love story that feels honest and searing.

What makes this story stand out is its absolute honesty. There is no false sentimentality, plenty of unflinching observation and some excellent writing . . . her detail is truly superb. Wartime Britain has been rarely so skilfully evoked.

Beautifully observed and written, I loved it.

Elizabeth Wilhide writes about universal emotions with great tenderness and imagination.

I adored this book . . . touching and very compelling.

Wilhide excels at minor social details. Well-observed.

Suffolk, 1939: Julia Compton has a beautifully well ordered life. Once a promising musician she now has a handsome husband who pays the bills, a young son she adores and a housekeeper who takes care of her comfortable home. Then on the eve of war something unexpected happens. She falls in love. 
 
The consequences are devastating. Cut off from family and friends, Julia loses everything. Penniless, denied access to her son, completely unequipped to fend for herself, she is cast adrift in wartime London with her bohemian filmmaker lover Dougie. As invasion looms and the bombs rain down, her struggle is only beginning.

Elizabeth Wilhide

Praise for If I Could Tell You

Heart-wrenching . . . convincing and intoxicating . . . Julia is a very English Anna Karenina . . . An unromantic love story that feels honest and searing.

What makes this story stand out is its absolute honesty. There is no false sentimentality, plenty of unflinching observation and some excellent writing . . . her detail is truly superb. Wartime Britain has been rare ...

Beautifully observed and written, I loved it.

Heart-wrenching . . . convincing and intoxicating . . . Julia is a very English Anna Karenina . . . An unromantic love story that feels honest and searing.

What makes this story stand out is its absolute honesty. There is no false sentimentality, plenty of unflinching observation and some excellent writing . . . her detail is truly superb. Wartime Britain has been rare ...

Beautifully observed and written, I loved it.

Heart-wrenching . . . convincing and intoxicating . . . Julia is a very English Anna Karenina . . . An unromantic love story that feels honest and searing.

What makes this story stand out is its absolute honesty. There is no false sentimentality, plenty of unflinching observation and some excellent writing . . . her detail is truly superb. Wartime Britain has been rare ...

Beautifully observed and written, I loved it.

Books by Elizabeth Wilhide

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