The internationally bestselling debut about a lost child, a mother’s secret, and one golden summer that changed a woman’s life for ever…

It is the year 1958 and Elizabeth Holloway has been sent away from her London home to spend the summer at Hartland, a beautiful, rambling country estate by the Sussex coast. To lovely, innocent Elizabeth, the Shaws are the height of sophistication and they treat her as one of their own, but when she falls in love, no one warns her that her dreams are dangerously naïve.

Forty years later, Elizabeth’s daughter Addie finds a stranger on her doorstep, a woman claiming to be her twin sister. At first, Addie refuses to believe it — until her beloved father admits that the circumstances surrounding her birth were not what she’d been led to believe.

The discovery challenges everything Addie thought she knew about the brilliant, difficult woman that was her mother. And as their journey takes them back to Elizabeth’s past, Addie and her new sister Phoebe uncover the extraordinary story of a lost child, a mother’s secret, and one golden summer that changed a woman’s life forever.

What readers are saying about My Mother’s Shadow

 

‘If you’re after a well-written, intriguing read fully of family secrets, grab a copy of this brilliant debut.’ Fabulous

 

‘A thoughtful, sad and beautifully-written debut.’ The Daily Mail

 

‘An emotional and involving story.’ Woman and Home

 

‘A delightful debut about family and secrets.’ — Prima Magazine

 

‘A charming and beautifully written story… hugely pleasurable to read and a little bit heartbreaking. I’ll definitely be looking out for Nikola Scott’s next book.’ — Nicola at Short Book and Scribes

 

‘A delightful family mystery. Beautifully written and hugely enjoyable.’ — Inside Out

 

‘An engaging, emotional book… Once I had started reading I just couldn’t put it down. A stunning read.’ — Karen at Books and Me

 

‘A compelling and intriguing story of the lives of different generations of women and their families that is impossible to put down! Highly Recommended!’ — Hot Brands Cool Places

 

‘A truly gripping and beautifully written story of family and secrets. A great debut from Nikola Scott, which I would highly recommend.’ — Kirsty at The Curious Ginger Cat

 

‘A fantastic debut novel… gripping, poignant and heart-warming.’ — Beth at Bibliobeth

 

‘A perfect rainy duvet day book.’ — Debbie at Birdie’s Book Reviews