Letters from Alice

Petrina Banfield is a writer, mother and bookworm. She has always wanted to write, but kept her dream under wraps while working at Surrey Police during the day, and ghosting books for other people at night.

Petrina's other passion, for fostering and adoption, was sparked in her teenage years, after discovering that her father was taken into care as a young baby and then separated from his identical twin at the age of five. Petrina registered as a foster carer in 2007 and became an adoptive parent a few years later. While she was piecing together the scattered fragments of her father's childhood, her two passions collided.

Captivated by the heart stopping drama of the true-life stories documented within the hospital almoners' reports held at the London Metropolitan Archive, Petrina was driven to find out more about these early social workers' remarkable work.

The result is Letters From Alice, a gripping and deeply moving tale which brings the colourful world of the 1920s to life.

'An enchanting mix of mystery, social history and family dynamics... I was mesmerised.' Victoria Goldman, Lovereading

'A brilliantly clever look at the almoners, the pre-cursers to the NHS's social workers, this story is expertly crafted, blending extensive historic fact with a beautiful, deeply moving story based on real life events. You won't want to put it down.'
Christina McDonald, author of The Night Olivia Fell

'Thought provoking historical fiction with a punch.' Amanda Robson, No. 1 bestselling author of Obsession and Guilt

'Powerful and evocative, from the first paragraph I found myself taken back to a period in our history where radical societal changes and everyday hardships went hand in hand. This mesmerising tale of a 20th century Almoner will have you gripped.' Caroline England, author of The Wife's Secret

'I loved Letters From Alice. It's vivid, moving and meticulously researched, and Alice is an engaging protagonist. I've learned a lot about the work of the hospital almoner in pre-NHS London from this excellent blending of fact and fiction.' Kate McQuaile, author of What She Never Told Me

'An extremely interesting readers with an element of mystery that will grip readers to the very end... a strong debut from Banfield.' Rachel Cotton, author of Nowhere Else But Here