Marcia Willett’s previous novel, A Week in Winter, her first to be published in the United States, received a rousing welcome from readers and reviewers alike. Her new novel, A Summer in the Country, introduces an equally beguiling cast of characters whose lives become intricately entwined at Foxhole, a charming and cozy country house on the wild edges of the Devon moors. Brigid Foster has inherited Foxhole from her father, and has created two guest cottages, which she rents during the holidays to tourists. Brigid’s delight at welcoming Louise Parry, one of her regular summer visitors, is tempered by the irritating presence of Brigid’s monumentally judgmental mother, Frummie. Having abandoned Foxhole (and Brigid) forty years earlier, Frummie makes no secret of her disdain for the glorious natural splendor of her surroundings, nor of her preference for Brigid’s flightly but fabulous half-sister, Jemima. Jemima, meanwhile, has problems of her own. When a stranger begins lurking in the isolated byways of the lonely countryside, Brigid turns to her oddly elusive father-in-law for comfort and protection. But both Brigid and Louise Parry are hiding certain essential facts, and each woman’s fragile sense of haven and security is threatened by disclosure. A Summer in the Country is the story of the enduring, but often painful love that exists between mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives. It describes with exquisite sensitivity and tenderness the precarious journey each of us undertakes as one generation makes way for the next, as each indelible and priceless relationship grows, changes, blossoms, or dies. Marcia Willett writes novels that will last.

A Summer in the Country

Literature & Fiction

WILLETT, MARCIA

British & Irish

Thomas Dunne Books

Every once in a while a very special story comes along that deserves an enormous cozy chair with a view of rolling hills, a fire snapping quietly in the hearth, a cup of real cocoa in a favorite mug, and a plate of homemade cookies. A Week in Winter is such a tale. Moorgate is an enchanting old country house that belongs to Maudie Todhunter, a spirited widow who has been holding on to the place for the sake of her beloved granddaughter. But Maudie can no longer afford a second home, so she reluctantly puts it up for sale. Moorgate immediately attracts more buyers than Maudie knows what to do with. The first is Selina, her stepdaughter, who has never seen eye-to-eye with Maudie on anything. The second potential buyer is Rob Abbot, a contractor who has lovingly restored every nook and cranny and who is embarrassed by his own passionate devotion to the house. The third is Melissa Clayton, a young woman with a sad, sad secret who discovers at Moorgate all she's ever wanted. As the story weaves between the past and present, Maudie is startled to uncover patterns of deceit and betrayal that contradict all her most cherished beliefs. At times it seems that her most trustworthy companion is her granddaughter's giant English mastiff Polonius, who is boarding with Maudie after having been banished from his own home by an irate Selina. As the final revelations stun both Maudie and the reader, A Week in Winter achieves a combined richness of character and circumstance that raises it above most modern contemporary fiction. Marcia Willett is a writer to discover and to celebrate.

A Week in Winter

Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press

In this latest early novel from bestselling author Marcia Willett, Mathilda Rainbird bequeaths her home to three unknown relatives: twenty-two-year-old Tessa, who misses her dead parents and brother but has learned to live alone; Will, a widower, who is drawn to Mathilda's housekeeper, Isobel; and Beatrice, a retired prep-school matron who thinks the idea of living with her cousins is preposterous.
Deeply moving and utterly real, Second Time Around features the shining honesty that Willett's fans have come to love.

Second Time Around: A Novel

St. Martin's: Griffin

In this latest early novel from the beloved Marcia Willett, Henry Morley can only wonder at the good fortune that has given him a vivacious wife and a beloved family home called Nethercombe. When he remodels a cluster of cottages known as the Courtyard, he is delighted to welcome a group of charming tenants. But soon disaster strikes, and everyone must come together to face the crises head on. Marcia Willett's ardent fans will savor a return visit with some of her most endearing characters.
The Courtyard is a gem of a story to be savored.

The Courtyard

United States

It was Felix Hamilton who named it the Birdcage--the tall house in Bristol where Miss Pidgeon lives with her tenants, the beautiful and talented actress Angel Blake and Angel's daughter, Lizzie. Lizzie longed for a father, but Felix knew that ultimately he would have to remain with his own son, Piers, at the gracious, mellow Michaelgarth, the family home on the edge of Exmoor. Many years later, Lizzie comes at last to Michaelgarth and meets Piers for the first time. There she finds a family in trouble--and miraculously, they need her to help them heal. Written with shining honesty and compassion, The Birdcage has every bit of the wonder that Marcia Willett's fans have come to expect.

The Birdcage: A Novel

Contemporary

Marcia Willet's A Week in Winter and A Summer in the Country, her first two novels to be published in the United States, were welcomed enthusiastically by both eager readers and appreciative reviewers. Her new novel, The Children's Hour, will not only delight her current ardent fans, but will garner Marcia Willett a whole new circle of friends. The Children's Hour is set in a big old rambling house overlooking the sea, where assorted small children listened as their mother read them a story. Theirs was an idyllic childhood, as they played on the beach and in the garden and woods, before the war--and other tragedies--disrupted their lives. Now, many years later, two of the sisters, Nest and Mina, still live at Ottercombe, their beautiful family home. There they delight in their splendid dogs, the gorgeous Devon countryside, and visits from Lyddie, their much-beloved niece. But when their sister Georgie comes to stay, unwelcome memories of their shared childhood start to emerge. As a child, Georgie claimed to know all their secrets--secrets that she now wants to share. Georgie's revelations are a reminder of long-buried passions and promises and bring unexpected shocks to a new generation struggling with their own unruly hearts. A triumph of beautifully interwoven story lines and unfolding dramas, The Children's Hour will secure Marcia Willett's growing reputation as a world-class master storyteller.

The Children's Hour: A Novel

In the mellow stone house of his childhood, Roly Carradine has found refuge in the stream running past the garden where a heron makes his nest. A broken marriage and a terrible burden of guilt made Roly remove himself from his busy London life; here in Cornwall he welcomes Kate, who also seeks refuge from the grief of losing her husband, and young Daisy Quin, a dancer recovering from a back injury. Roly's son Nat, a garden designer with his own secret, lives not far away, and is plagued by the unsympathetic visits of his mother Monica, Roly's ex-wife. Daisy, her burgeoning talent frustrated by her back problems, has been taken in by Mim, Roly's sister and a brilliant ballerina until an accident forced her into early retirement. Living in Bath, Daisy thinks she has found love with the attractive schoolmaster in the nearby flat---but her dreams prove to be false ones. Treating Marcia Willett's ardent fans to a return visit with some of her most endearing characters from previous books, Echoes of the Dance is a gem of a story to be savored.

Echoes of the Dance

Marcia Willett captured the hearts of Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy fans across the nation with her previous heartwarming stories of family devotion and abiding compassion. Now, in her newest novel, The Way We Were, Willett introduces a deeply moving and utterly real tale that is sure to win over a whole new set of readers.
Tiggy arrives at the remote house on Bodmin Moor in the middle of a snowstorm. All alone, having lost
her partner in a tragic accident, Tiggy is welcomed into her best friend Julia’s warm and chaotic family. With the Tiggy begins to live again as she eagerly awaits the birth of her son. But nearly thirty years later, when her son is about to become a father himself, the next generation discovers that there are some secrets from the past that still live on…

The Way We Were: A Novel

It was in the middle of a snowstorm when Tiggy arrived at the remote house on Bodmin Moor. She was alone, her partner tragically dead in an accident. Julia, her dearest friend, welcomed her into her warm and chaotic family. Tiggy started to live again and look forward to the birth of her child. But nearly thirty years later, when her son is about to become a father himself, the next generation discovers that there are secrets from the past that still live on...

In the mellow stone house of his childhood, Roly Carradine has found refuge from a broken marriage. Here he welcomes Kate, who has just lost her husband, and young Daisy Quin, a dancer recovering from a back injury. Roly's son Nat lives not far away, and he must suffer visits of his unsympathetic mother Monica, Roly's ex-wife. All seek peace and quiet, but the disclosure of a secret proves that life is not so simple. . . .
Treating Marcia Willett's ardent fans to a return visit with some of her most endearing characters from previous books, Echoes of the Dance is a gem of a story to be savored.

Echoes of the Dance: A Novel

Genre Fiction

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by WILLETT, MARCIA. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by WILLETT, MARCIA

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by WILLETT, MARCIA. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A Summer in the Country

A Week in Winter

Second Time Around: A Novel

The Courtyard

The Birdcage: A Novel

The Children's Hour: A Novel

Echoes of the Dance

The Way We Were: A Novel

The Way We Were: A Novel

Echoes of the Dance: A Novel