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Eva Rice
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The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets: The bestselling coming-of-age novel from the author of This Could Be Everything Paperback – 24 Oct. 2005

by Eva Rice (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 767 ratings
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The classic bestseller adored by thousands of readers from the author of THIS COULD BE EVERYTHING. Hailed as a 'modern vintage classic', The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets was a Richard and Judy Book Club Choice and is in development as a major new TV series.

Set in the 1950s, in an England still recovering from the Second World War, this is the enchanting story of Penelope Wallace and her eccentric family at the start of the rock'n'roll era.

Penelope longs to be grown-up and to fall in love, but various rather inconvenient things keep getting in her way. Like her mother, a stunning but petulant beauty widowed at a tragically early age, her younger brother Inigo, currently incapable of concentrating on anything that isn't Elvis Presley, a vast but crumbling ancestral home, a severe shortage of cash, and her best friend Charlotte's sardonic cousin Harry...

*** PRAISE FOR EVA RICE ***

'Exquisite. Enchanting. Quite possibly perfect. The next One Day/Me Before You' - Veronica Henry

'A reason to be cheerful . . . the book I've been waiting my whole life for, a perfect 90s period piece about sisters, it's glam, gorgeous, a little bit melancholic and a lot charming' - Daisy Buchanan

'Will break your heart and piece it back together again with wit, warmth and magic. The way Rice weaves together fiction and reality is delicious . . . Nobody captures the exhilaration of first love and teen fandom quite like her' - Lauren Bravo

This special tenth anniversary edition includes a foreword by Miranda Hart and an exclusive short story from Eva Rice, The Moth Trap, which offers a glimpse into the cocktail party where Penelope's parents, Archie and Talitha, first met.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    480 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Headline Review
  4. Publication date
    24 Oct. 2005
  5. Dimensions
    14.7 x 3.1 x 19.8 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0755325508
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0755325504
  8. See all details
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Product description

Review

So good we could hardly speak ― Observer

A delight of Nancy Mitford-esque trials and tribulations ― Vogue

This tenth anniversary edition of Rice's modern classic is a treat for fans of Nancy Mitford and Elizabeth Jane Howard. Stylishly written with a touch of whimsical charm ― The Lady

Book Description

The classic bestseller adored by thousands of readers from the author of THIS COULD BE EVERYTHING. This tenth anniversary edition includes a foreword by Miranda Hart and an exclusive short story by the author.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Headline Review; First Paperback Editon edition (24 Oct. 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0755325508
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0755325504
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 14.7 x 3.1 x 19.8 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 767 ratings

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Eva Rice

Eva Rice

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
767 global ratings

Top reviews from United Kingdom

Emma Can2
5.0 out of 5 stars full of gems
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 February 2024
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Loved these characters, their clothes, the magnificent house and the juxtaposition of not being able to afford it without sacrificing its jewels. Great storytelling. I’m going to get Eva Rice’s other books!
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Jan
4.0 out of 5 stars Book Club Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 June 2014
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I enjoyed reading this book it was an easy jolly read with a twist in the tail and set in the 60's took me back to the days of my youth although I did not move in the circles that these characters did. (I did go to a ball at the Ritz and that brought back memories).
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Ms. Laura E. Head
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 February 2023
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I first read this book years ago and I keep coming back to it. It is an absolutely incredible piece of story telling, the characters complex, detailed and cleverly described. It's hard to review this book without giving anything away and spoiling the story but I loved the relationship between Charlotte and Penelope and the journey that their friendship and they as individuals take. I also loved the details of the 1950s woven through the book, an era I would have loved to have lived in. I recommend this book to everyone I know.
One person found this helpful
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Meretseger
5.0 out of 5 stars the delight of reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 January 2011
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I found this book by chance in my local library - it was the title that drew my attention. After only the first page I knew the book was unusual and that I wouldn't be able to put it down. The book tells a story of a girl and her quite extraordinary friends and family, all set in the pre-Elvis Presley area (and this is actually quite important:)). The book is unputtable, the story is written in such beautiful way that it makes you want to find out what's on the next page, and then the next... I gave this book to my friend for Christmas because I wanted at least one more person to find delight in reading this story, and to feel as uplifted and have such a big smile on the face like I did and had. A superb read, highly recommended.
5 people found this helpful
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Mrs.L Buckle
3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant in small doses.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 February 2019
There is something strangely cloying about this book which does not really have a strong story line but is more a social documentary on the 1950s, seemingly pieced together from anecdotes the author has heard from older members of her own family.
I preferred Love Notes for Freddie.
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George Evans
5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I needed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2020
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A delightful frothy romp that brought teenage life in the 1950s to life. Humorous laughter bubbling through it yet with a realistic serious side too. The sort of book that you can't put down because you just have to know what happens next. I often found myself giggling and remembering what it was like to be 18 years old in a more innocent time!
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2015
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Well written Eva, lovely story in a period long gone by, but with a message that is just the same today.
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Iona
5.0 out of 5 stars Magic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 March 2013
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I loved this book for its originality of content and style. It is unashamedly 'girly' and romantic, but a cut above some popular chick-lit. If, like me, you grew up in the 50/60's I think you will love it, but it should have a much wider appeal. If you enjoyed ' I captured the castle' Dodie Smith, you will find this novel just as good.
The cover really doesn't illustrate the intelligent content of the book. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.
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Top reviews from other countries

Michelle Mohan
5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly charming
Reviewed in Canada on 20 June 2017
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Very charming coming of age tale set in 1950's London. The characters are quirky yet grounded and the book is hilarious throughout.
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Katie
5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite
Reviewed in Australia on 7 October 2021
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Beautifully written, this story lures you into the time and place of the life these characters existed in. The secrets unfurl and draw you in even more.
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A. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, heartfelt and fun!
Reviewed in the United States on 28 May 2015
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“The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets” by Eva Rice is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. The summary on the book make it seem light-hearted or silly (not that those are bad thigns), but I have to say that this is one of the most engagingly, beautifully, thoughtfully written books I’ve read. As we follow eighteen-year-old Penelope Wallace through the mid-1950s England, there is a burgeoning tension between the pre-war tradition and the post-war glamour. Penelope is from a titled family, and they are running out of money as their home, Milton Magna Hall, crumbles around them. In the midst of this, Penelope meets Charlotte Ferris and her life is changed forever.

I first read this book when I was eighteen myself, and I had never related so closely to a character in my life. There is the fact that Penelope is too tall – like me – but it’s more that she feels she is on the verge of something big…but doesn’t know what it is. About to set off for college on the other side of the country, that struck home for me. Penelope tries to be interested in things that make her appear sophisticated, but in truth she wants to write stories and listen to Johnnie Ray. There is something so truthful about the seeming contradictions of her character: she is thoughtful and eager to please, she loves pop music and pretty dresses, she dreams of romance, she feels weighed down by the loyalty to her family, she is in turns saddened and frustrated by her mother’s fear of modernity.

This is a book about growing up. It is a book about figuring out who you are in relation to your parents – honoring their memories and their experiences while experiencing life in your own right. It is a book about family and friendship and love and understanding.

I read this book at least once a year, and each time I read it I notice new details that make the characters feel like parts of me, new beautifully phrased descriptions that allow me to breath in the crisp snowy morning outside Magna on New Year’s Day or taste the champagne at the Ritz or feel music inspire happiness so sharp it makes you cry.

This book makes my heart ache in the best possible way.
14 people found this helpful
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Chic Scavanger
4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and Effortless
Reviewed in the United States on 14 May 2010
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This book sets up a quiet sweet world, a set of light fun characters, and then moves them gracefully across each other. It takes good care of the reader, and while the people suffer trials, there is never a doubt that things will turn out well for them. And that's good news, because you'll come to care about the flawed but likable people you meet here. The neat bow on the end was a bit too contrived, even for me a reader who likes a happy ending. Still, if you are looking for a book for a plane flight, or even just a free day where you can curl up on a favorite cushion with a cup of tea, you wont be disappointed with The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets.
One person found this helpful
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JojoP
5.0 out of 5 stars A Joyful Read
Reviewed in the United States on 7 February 2013
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I loved this book. I didn't read it as much I as lived it. The characters in the book were so warm and so real and had so much of themselves to share that I was enamored of them. The story takes you through the lives of people who seemingly have nothing in common only to be blended in the most loving and enriching manner. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel life in an era gone by and who wants to be touched by others in a warm, caring environment. This is my first Eva Price book and I hope to read her again.
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