"A riveting, literary mystery about two women, their hidden secrets, their friendship and the power of nature to heal
Accusations levelled against her husband force Lily to flee her pristine London home. She hides away in a rundown cottage near a small rural town. She is deeply unhappy. She hates the countryside, the dirt, the smells and the creepy woodland next to the cottage.
Desperately lonely, Lily tries to befriend her neighbour Kathy, a naturalist and recluse who the locals think is unhinged. Resistant at first, Kathy gradually mellows as Lily starts to share her interest in nature. A surprising connection develops between the two women.
Then a young teenager from the town goes missing and all fingers point at Kathy. Tensions escalate rapidly.
Lily defends Kathy against the locals but when disturbing accusations are made about Kathy’s past, Lily is determined to uncover the truth.
“Not just a gripping mystery, The Yellow-Tail Moth by Margot Shepherd manages to weave wonder from the smallest wings and the strangest corners of the human psyche. A gem of a book, one that leaves you breathless but also one to make you fall in love with noticing.”
– Stephen May, Author of Sell Us the Rope
“I was gripped from the outset. Unlikely friendships, the healing power of nature, the danger of judgementalism, the goodness of people, all wrapped up in a fascinating story.”
– Fiona Curnow, Author of Before the Swallows Come Back"
"When your life changes in a moment, how do you rewrite your story?
In 1940s Britain, with the Second World War raging, Alice is working in a laboratory developing a new miracle medicine. Made to leave school at sixteen and abandon her aspiration to be a teacher, she learns instead how curing people may be her destiny.
In the present day, Jo, already in a failing marriage, is devastated when she hears her daughter’s life is on a knife edge. At her bedside Jo starts to read Alice’s diary, found the previous day in a vintage handbag.
A door opens onto the past, revealing a young woman’s fierce determination to succeed against all odds. Past and present overlap and merge as life-changing events resonate across the gulf of time.
This is a story of a mother whose life is blown apart. Now she must find a way to put it back together. Can Alice show her the way?
“I devoured this book. The characters are rich and their stories compelling.” – Goodreads reviewer
“This is a tale that will wring your heart and feed your soul. Don’t pass it up!” – I’m a Voracious Reader
“Timeless themes, beautifully packaged.” – Something by Jane"
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