Ashenden

Elizabeth Wilhide is the author of over 20 books on interior design, decoration and architecture and a co-author and contributing editor to some 30 other titles, collaborating with authors such as David Linley, Terence Conran and Tricia Guild. Born in the United States, she has lived in Britain since 1967. She lives with her husband, an architect, and their two children in the East End of London.

An engrossing debut ... a sparkling jewel: full of fascinating detail, high drama and sly wit -- Amanda Foreman An affecting, intelligent debut Observer Lively interlinked historical vignettes display distinct post-Downton commercial savvy ... a pleasurably subtle web of connections ... a beguilingly effortless read Daily Mail The author has skilfully held together a complex tale with numerous characters and has also imbued each vignette with faultless historical detail Country Life A rich and absorbing social history ... the novel's real value lies in its detail ... the finely embroidered description, and in its subtle observation of behaviours and tastes Financial Times A panoramic view of English family life ... any reader who loves history and houses will enjoy this verbal magical lantern show -- Charlotte Moore I adored this book; I saw it as a sort of love letter to a vanished way of life, and a slice of English history at the same time, tracing as it does the lives of all the people who lived in Ashenden, a beautiful English country house, for over two hundred years. It's very touching and very compelling -- Penny Vincenzi Ambitious ... Vignettes at the start of each chapter report on the physical and spiritual condition of the house; this has a Woolfian quality to it ... Wilhide excels at minor social details. Well-observed TLS