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Ashenden
Ashenden
Dec 22, 2025 5:49 AM

Author:Elizabeth Wilhide

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.

Reviews

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

—— Amanda Foreman

An affecting, intelligent debut

—— Observer

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

—— Daily Mail

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

—— Charlotte Moore

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

With a painter's eye for detail, Fremantle brings the dazzling, dangerous Tudor court to life and sheds an intriguing new light on Katherine Parr, one of history's great survivors. An enthralling tale of power and passion, loyalty and betrayal

—— Elizabeth Wilhide, author of Ashenden

A powerful debut

—— Guardian

Breathes vibrant life into Henry VIII's most intriguing, intelligent and least known wife, Katherine Parr

—— Anne Easter Smith

A major new voice in historical fiction

—— The Bookseller

Wildly entertaining . . . One of the best historical novels I've read

—— Huffington Post

The thrilling follow-up to Treasure Island, as told by one of England's greatest contemporary writers...Silver is a worthy sequel to Treasure Island and a work of extraordinary authenticity

—— GQ

Like Stevenson, Motion has achieved that very difficult thing: a children’s novel that works even better for adults. Look to your laurels, Rowling

—— The Times

A solid adventure yarn, full of ghostly echoes of Stevenson, with a denser tropical atmosphere and an even more palpable sense of evil

—— TLS

There are sequels and prequels aplenty, but this follow-up to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure island by the former Poet Laureate reeks of authenticity, cunning, intrigue, suspense and adventure.It’s brilliant, and for all ages

—— Henry Sutton , Daily Mirror

He reinvents Stevenson’s world to reveal its dark underside, illuminating both its mysterious beauty and its grim immortality.Silver provides a fitting sequel to Treasure Island, certainly, but also stands in its own right as a companion volume to a literary classic.

—— Daisy Hay , The Observer

Silver is a deeply pleasing and convivial book… As with Treasure Island, Silver is left open to the possibility of its own sequel, and surely no one would wish Motion to swallow the anchor. All aboard! All aboard! All aboard that's coming aboard.

—— Ian Sansom , The Guardian

Silver…captures something of the old magic. The thrilling flight across moor and heather that Henry James admired in Kidnapped.... finds expression in Silver’s action scenes set amid Caribbean waters.

—— Ian Thomson , Financial Times

Beautifully written and genuinely exciting... Motion’s novel stays true to Stevenson’s original... Outstanding.

—— Emma Lee-Potter, author of House With No Name

Silver’s plot twists and turns and introduces elements beyond even Stevenson’s imagination. The result is a fascinating and richly coloured novel that can be read by children with an appetite for adventure and adults who will relish reliving the glory days of youth.

—— Alan Taylor , Herald

Elegant, affectionate homage to Robert Louis Stevenson is straight out of this classic adventure-story mould… A piece of writing born of genuine love and respect for the original.

—— Adam Lively , Sunday Times

A thrilling follow-up to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island...Silver is a novel that will appeal to readers of all ages. Beautifully written and genuinely exciting...Best of all, Motion’s novel stays true to Stevenson’s original tale while adding an extra dimension.

—— Emma Lee-Potter , Daily Express

Elegant, thrilling sequel...The plot is gripping, a mixture of high adventure, low cunning and desperation...Motion’s prose vivid and glowingly poetic, is a brilliant counterpoint to the fascinating action.

—— Eithne Farry , Daily Mail

This is a pacey tale with an appropriately feisty young heroine for modern readers

—— Lesley McDowell , Independent on Sunday

Andrew Motion brings lyricism but, more importantly, rollicking adventure to this sequel to Treasure Island

—— Mail on Sunday
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