Isabella's Book

When Tibby (single, recently retired) picks up a miniature bible at an antiques sale, little does she know she is setting out on a journey which takes her to the 18th century town of Kirkby Kendal, home of Isabella and her childhood friends, George and Isaac. While Tibby gathers the genealogical data we follow the three friends into adulthood and witness Isabella's struggle to maintain her integrity in the face of violence, jealousy and desire for revenge. Set in the town of Kendal against the backdrop of the wool trade, the novel will appeal particularly to those who know and love that part of the country. "The author skilfully interweaves narrative threads linking the present to the past through fact and fiction. Prompted by the sparse evidence of names and dates inscribed in an heirloom bible, research mingles with speculation to reveal secrets and moral dilemmas of life in the Georgian era. The story will strike a chord with anyone intrigued by documentary sources, and by the benefits and limitations of the Internet as a means of uncovering the whole truth about past lives" - RACHEL STOCKDALE, ARCHIVIST