Penhaligon’s Attic
This novel is an historical romance set in the fishing village of Caernoweth in Cornwall. The main Cornish characters are fisherman Matthew Penhaligon, his father Joseph, a bookseller, and his daughter, Freya. Into the small village from Ireland come Anna Garvey and her daughter, Mairead, bringing with them a terrible secret which they must conceal. Anna is descended from a local Cornish family, the Penworthys, and lays claim to her birthright, a grimy, unsuccessful pub called The Tinner’s Arms. With a lot of hard work, Anna begins to turn the business around and win over the locals. Matthew has his own problems but his daughter Freya is determined to get the bookshop, Penhaligon’s Attic, back on its feet, with the help of Mairead, after Joseph has a stroke. The action takes place in 1910, with a few introductory chapters set in 1899, before the main action begins. The story involves a series of strong female characters but has a love story at its heart. The ending is slightly implausible, but the journey there is quite enjoyable.
