‘I enjoyed it so much . . . exactly the sort of novel I like best – a rich range of beautifully observed characters, everything so natural and absorbing. I loved how almost everyone could grow and develop and surprise themselves – I suppose in some cases it amounts to a real chance of redemption . . . The moments of revenge are glorious and there’s a proper moment of sadness too when decades of hurt are uncovered. I have a general soft spot for monstrous characters in novels who never actually appear, e.g. Jane Austen’s Mrs Churchill, and Johnny and Lavinia go straight into the pantheon.’ – Philip Hensher on Love Divine
Greetings, dear readers, from Hoxton Square. We were delighted that so many of you bought copies of our November title Love Divine, either as a present for a loved one or to add to your own bookshelves. Glowing reviews from the press and readers around the world flooded our inbox in the months before Christmas, and we’ve had a happy time catching up with them all these last few weeks.
Love Divine is a first foray into fiction by Ysenda Maxtone Graham, already known to many readers for her hilarious bestseller Terms and Conditions. With an unsolved mystery at its heart, her sharply funny new novella takes us through the Church year in Lamley Green, a leafy village on the edge of London which is temporarily without a rector. How the parish copes is told via a deft mixture of extracts from letters, texts, emails, prayers, sermons and Parish Council Minutes that hit the nail on the head every time.
On this blustery day in Hoxton Square, with plenty of rain in the forecast, we thought we’d share the opening chapter of this gloom-breaking book. We do hope you’ll enjoy reading (or rereading) it and, if you haven’t already ordered a copy, now’s the moment.
With best wishes, as ever, from the SF staff
Isabel, Rebecca, Ruth, Edie & Jennie
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