Natasha Solomons - Author
Natasha Solomons is the author of the bestselling Mr Rosenblum's List and The Novel in the Viola, which was chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club. Natasha Lives in Dorset with her son and her husband with whom she also writes screenplays. Her novels have been translated into 17 languages.
Author photo © David Solomons
‘The Song Collector’ subtly tiptoes under your skin, the first few sentences call to you, draw you in, envelop you… and then it doesn't let you go until the very last page. Fox recollects meeting the love of his life just after the Second World War, while in the present, grieving the death of his wife, his grandson helps him reconnect with music and the world around him. There is a beguiling sense of honesty to the story, it feels as though Fox is seeking peace and reconciliation not only with others, but also with himself. Natasha Solomons has a wonderful ability to connect to thoughts and feelings and bring them to life, make them feel totally and completely real. There aren't any cunning tricks, hidden mysteries or unpredictable events lurking to hijack you, just a beautifully written, special and moving story waiting to be heard. One of our Books of the Year 2015.
One of our Books of the Year 2015. July 2015 Book of the Month. ‘The Song Collector’ subtly tiptoes under your skin, the first few sentences call to you, draw you in, envelop you… and then it doesn't let you go until the very last page. Fox recollects meeting the love of his life just after the Second World War, while in the present, grieving the death of his wife, his grandson helps him reconnect with music and the world around him. There is a beguiling sense of honesty to the story, it feels as though Fox is seeking peace and reconciliation not only with others, but also with himself. Natasha Solomons has a wonderful ability to connect to thoughts and feelings and bring them to life, make them feel totally and completely real. There aren't any cunning tricks, hidden mysteries or unpredictable events lurking to hijack you, just a beautifully written, special and moving story waiting to be heard. ~ Liz Robinson
July 2014 Book of the Month. A lovely, unpredictable read where you really do not see what’s coming next. There is a lot going on, lots of strong, diverse characters, lots of humour, lots of life. I loved it. It takes time to unfold to find its direction but when Juliet uses her savings designed for a new fridge on a portrait instead and slowly enters the vibrant post war art world, we know where we are going. She ends up running a gallery and making a name for herself. Mesmerising, charming and full of warmth, it is about a Jewish woman, deserted by her husband, so left socially dead, rising to make something of her life. Wonderful stuff.
Shortlisted for the Galaxy New Writer of the Year 2010. If you enjoyed The Brief History of Tractors in Ukrainian then this is for you. It too concerns immigrants striving to become British, only here it is a German Jewish family who arrived in 1937. It is a bittersweet tale laced with humour, of a man following his dream which includes becoming British enough to be accepted by a pukka golf club and being floored by bigots and prejudice. His answer, build one! A perfect gem, slow to start but suddenly impossible to put down, the sort of book you must tell your friends about.
'Such is the power and wealth of the Goldbaums that on dull days, it's said, they hire the sun just for themselves.' The Goldbaums' influence reaches across Europe. They are the confidants and bankers of governments and emperors. Little happens without their say-so and even less without their knowledge. But Greta Goldbaum has no say at all in who she'll marry. While power lies in wealth, strength lies in family. Greta's union with cousin Albert will strengthen the bond between the Austrian and the English branches of the dynasty. It is sensible and strategic. Greta is neither. Defiant and unhappy, she is desperate to find a place that belongs to her, free from duty and responsibility. But just as she begins to taste an unexpected happiness, the Great War is looming and even the Goldbaums can't alter its course. For the first time in two hundred years, the family will find themselves on opposing sides. The House of Goldbaum, along with Europe herself, is about to break apart.
'Such is the power and wealth of the Goldbaums that on dull days, it's said, they hire the sun just for themselves.' The Goldbaums' influence reaches across Europe. They are the confidants and bankers of governments and emperors. Little happens without their say-so and even less without their knowledge. But Greta Goldbaum has no say at all in who she'll marry. While power lies in wealth, strength lies in family. Greta's union with cousin Albert will strengthen the bond between the Austrian and the English branches of the dynasty. It is sensible and strategic. Greta is neither. Defiant and unhappy, she is desperate to find a place that belongs to her, free from duty and responsibility. But just as she begins to taste an unexpected happiness, the Great War is looming and even the Goldbaums can't alter its course. For the first time in two hundred years, the family will find themselves on opposing sides. The House of Goldbaum, along with Europe herself, is about to break apart.
‘The Song Collector’ subtly tiptoes under your skin, the first few sentences call to you, draw you in, envelop you… and then it doesn't let you go until the very last page. Fox recollects meeting the love of his life just after the Second World War, while in the present, grieving the death of his wife, his grandson helps him reconnect with music and the world around him. There is a beguiling sense of honesty to the story, it feels as though Fox is seeking peace and reconciliation not only with others, but also with himself. Natasha Solomons has a wonderful ability to connect to thoughts and feelings and bring them to life, make them feel totally and completely real. There aren't any cunning tricks, hidden mysteries or unpredictable events lurking to hijack you, just a beautifully written, special and moving story waiting to be heard. One of our Books of the Year 2015.
July 2014 Book of the Month. A lovely, unpredictable read where you really do not see what’s coming next. There is a lot going on, lots of strong, diverse characters, lots of humour, lots of life. I loved it. It takes time to unfold to find its direction but when Juliet uses her savings designed for a new fridge on a portrait instead and slowly enters the vibrant post war art world, we know where we are going. She ends up running a gallery and making a name for herself. Mesmerising, charming and full of warmth, it is about a Jewish woman, deserted by her husband, so left socially dead, rising to make something of her life. Wonderful stuff.
The success of -The House at Tyneford made it clear that readers adore Natasha Solomons. In -The Gallery of Vanished Husbands, Solomons once again returns to an earlier era, this time to tell the story of one woman's incredible life through the many portraits she inspired.London, 1958. It's the eve of the sexual revolution, but in Juliet Montague's conservative Jewish community where only men can divorce women, she -finds herself a living widow, invisible. Ever since her husband disappeared seven years ago, Juliet has been a hardworking single mother of two and unnaturally practical. But on her thirtieth birthday, that's all about to change. A wealthy young artist asks to paint her portrait, and Juliet, moved by the powerful desire to be seen, enters into the burgeoning art world of 1960s London, which will bring her fame, fortune, and a lifelong love affair.
When Juliet Montague's husband disappears, so does she. As far as the conservative Jewish community in which she lives is concerned, she is invisible. She does her best to conform to their rules, but then on her thirtieth birthday she does something unexpected. Instead of the fridge she has scrimped for, she impulsively spends her savings on a portrait of herself. It is the first in a series of portraits that punctuate Juliet's adult life as she joins London's lively post-war art scene and proves to be an astute spotter of talent. Yet she remains an outsider in both her worlds: a mother of two, drawn to a reclusive artist who never leaves Dorset, and unable to feel free until she has found her husband - a quest that leads her to California and a surprising discovery. Absorbing, intriguing and richly evocative, this is the tale of one woman's life and an unusual emotional journey, each stage hinged on a painting. It is a bravura performance by a highly talented young author.
An irresistible World War II story of a forbidden upstairs-downstairs romance in a great English country house It's the spring of 1938 and no longer safe to be a Jew in Vienna. Nineteen-year-old Elise Landau is forced to leave her glittering life of parties and champagne to become a parlor maid in England. She arrives at Tyneford, the great house on the bay, where servants polish silver and serve drinks on the lawn. But war is coming, and the world is changing. When Kit, the son of Tyneford's master, returns home, he and Elise strike up an unlikely friendship that will transform Tyneford-and Elise-forever. A page-turning tale of family, love, loss, and the power of the human spirit set against the perennially popular backdrop of World War II England, Natasha Solomons' The House at Tyneford is upmarket romantic fiction at its best.
In the spring of 1938 Elise Landau arrives at Tyneford, the great house on the bay. A bright young thing from Vienna forced to become a parlour-maid, she knows nothing about England, except that she won't like it. As servants polish silver and serve drinks on the lawn, Elise wears her mother's pearls beneath her uniform, and causes outrage by dancing with a boy called Kit. But war is coming and the world is changing. And Elise must change with it. At Tyneford she learns that you can be more than one person. And that you can love more than once.
Shortlisted for the Galaxy New Writer of the Year 2010. If you enjoyed The Brief History of Tractors in Ukrainian then this is for you. It too concerns immigrants striving to become British, only here it is a German Jewish family who arrived in 1937. It is a bittersweet tale laced with humour, of a man following his dream which includes becoming British enough to be accepted by a pukka golf club and being floored by bigots and prejudice. His answer, build one! A perfect gem, slow to start but suddenly impossible to put down, the sort of book you must tell your friends about.