Language : English
Hardcover : 576 pages
ISBN-10 : 1035047977
ISBN-13 : 978-1035047970
Book Blurb
Born and raised in a small village on the Yorkshire moors, Leah Thompson grows more beautiful with each passing day. When she catches the attention of the influential, troubled Delancey family, she knows her life will never be the same again.
Years later, Leah takes the modelling world by storm, travelling from Milan to London and New York and living life in the lap of luxury. But her past follows her like a dark shadow, mysteriously intertwined with the tragic tale of two young siblings in Poland during the Second World War.
As two generations of secrets threaten to explode, Leah is haunted by a fatal, forgotten prophecy from her past, and must fight to challenge the destiny that has been mapped out for her in the stars . . .
My Review
I was so sad at the passing of Lucinda Riley as she was one of my favourite authors. Now her son is re-editing and releasing books she wrote earlier in her career as Lucinda Edmonds. The Hidden Girl is released on Thursday but was origionally published in 1994 as Hidden Beauty. Set in the 1970’s and 1980’s, this is the story of Leah, a young girl who goes from living a quiet life in Yorkshire to one of the worlds most recognisable models. However, no one can out run their past and Leah finds herself in danger from the family her mother worked for. There is also the story of David and Rosa, Polish children who find themselves in the Nazi Prison Camp Treblinka. Like Leah their past catches up with them, secrets come out and put lives in danger.
Even if I hadn’t known Lucinda Riley was the author of this book I think would recognised her style of writing, it just felt so familiar. I have always loved how she structures her novels, having a short but gripping Prologue that makes you want to settle down and continue reading. In The Hidden Girl Lucinda takes us around the world, from the catwalks of Milan and Paris, to the Penthouses of New York, and the South of France. I have always had a love of fashion so really enjoyed Leah’s story, with the beautiful clothes, the glitz and glamour of the fashion shows, but also the darker side of the industry of drugs and competition. I also like the reference to the most famous models of the time Jerry Hall and Marie Helvin (who I worshipped as a teenager).
In complete contrast to this beautiful world is the story of David and Rosa, who are caught up in Nazi Occcupation of Poland and find themselves imprisoned in Treblinka. We all know the horrors of these prison camps for adults yet alone young children who are alone in the world. Lucinda’s writing made me feel like I could feel the cold and the fear in them as they try to survive by Rosa painting for the guards and David playing the violin. Lucinda takes this story to New York in the 1980’s and an organisation that tracks down Nazi SS Guards to try to bring them to justice.
Another of Lucinda Riley’s skills is creating characters that as a reader you can relate to and that feel very real. Leah is a wonderful character, easy going, living with her mum and dad whilst helping her mum who works as a housekeeper for the Delaney’s. She has a naivety and innocence about her having never left Yorkshire before going to London to be a model, and although she had to grow up quickly she kept an air of integrity and innocence about her. The other main characters are all well drawn and developped throughout the book; Bret who falls in love with Leah as a teenager, Miranda Delaney, Leah’s nemesis, Rose Delaney artist and her brother David, a millionaire. All of these characcters go on their own journey, having their secrets revealed and face up to their past decisions.
It’s no surprise that I loved The Hidden Girl, a real rags to riches tale, and not just for Leah. I liked the contrast of the the lavish modelling world, all bright lights and beautiful people, and the harshness of Poland of during World War II and the prison camp. There are difficult issues discussed during the book, but all handled with care and honesty as expected from Luconda Riley. This is bound to be another bestseller and I’m so glad that Lucinda’s son has decided to re-release some of her earlier novels. This is a breathtaking, devastating but ultimately a sublime reading experience, so go out and grab a copy, you won’t regret it.
I would like to thank Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
