Winter Solstice

Description

Elfrida Phipps loves her new life in her pretty Hampshire village. She has a tiny cottage, her faithful dog Horace and the friendship of the neighbouring Blundells - particularly Oscar - to ensure that her days include companionship as well as independence. But an unforeseen tragedy upsets Elfrida's tranquillity: Oscar's wife and daughter are killed in a terrible car crash and he finds himself homeless when his stepchildren claim their dead mother's inheritance.

Oscar and Elfrida take refuge in a rambling house in Scotland which becomes a magnet for various waifs and strays who converge upon it, including an unhappy teenage girl. It could be a recipe for disaster. But somehow the Christmas season weaves its magical spell and for Elfrida and Oscar, in the evening of their lives, the winter solstice brings love and solace.

Promotion info

Her captivating bestseller of loss and the healing power of love now re-issued with a stunning new jacket look.

Reviews

'As always, Pilcher is a sensible fairy godmother, bestowing happy endings upon the worthy and heartsick... [she has a] ... remarkably evocative sense of place and watercolorist's eye for muted detail.' -- Kirkus Review 'enchanting ... bound to delight her many thousands of fans.' -- Daily Express 20010901 'Pilcher's strength is knowing what she can do well and writing about what she knows. She has a way of tapping into the emotional life of her readers and making them care about characters not unlike themselves.' -- Daily Telegraph 20010901 'An entrancing tale of middle-aged love, broken hearts and teenage angst' -- Daily Express 20010901 'Rosamunde Pilcher's warm spell is charming and utterly convincing' -- Daily Mail 20010901 'Unashamed hymns to the virtues of domesticity, continuity and human warmth. And (they are) thundering good reads' -- Lady 20010901 'Another dose of the kind of heartwarming, gentle fiction for which she is known and loved ... like a big mug of cocoa in front of a blazing fire on a winter night' -- Press & Journal, Aberdeen 20010901 'A gentle tale of everyday happenings to a set of well-drawn and believable characters' -- Peterborough Evening Telegraph 20010901 'A beautiful, haunting story... that will tug at your heartstrings' -- Prima 20010901 'Whether she is being poignant, wry or perceptive, Rosamunde Pilcher is always gentle' -- Woman's Realm 20010901

Author description

Rosamunde Pilcher has had a long and distinguished career as a novelist and a short story writer, who was awarded an O.B.E. for services to literature in 2002, and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Dundee University in 2010.