Book Description

1929. For Lady Edith Parfitt, the financial crash unravels her comfortable life in a matter of hours. Her family’s money disappears overnight. Her father is found dead – the cause, suicide – and her brother has been keeping a secret from her which breaks up their family and shatters the bond between them forever. Edith is forced to start again from scratch. Everything she has dreamed, hoped and planned for seems to have come to nothing.1942. Britain is at war. The Blitz, rationing, food shortages and everything is a struggle. For Edith, living in Bath, there is only one consolation. Bath has not been bombed. She is working as a secretary and living in a small flat that makes her feel safe. But despite not being bombed, Edith has other problems. A young junior secretary in Edith’s office confides that she pregnant and unmarried. An encounter with a grieving widow in a park has a major impact on Edith’s life and changes its course permanently. Then one night the bombs begin to fall...1952. Edith is finally settled. She is now a teacher, has a house and a cottage garden deep in the heart of Wiltshire. But then her peaceful life is shattered when the worst flood Britain has ever suffered strikes her old home in Devon and Edith’s dearest friend is reported missing. Now Edith faces her biggest test yet; she must return to Devon and try to find her friend. When she arrives back home, her past returns to haunt her and the dying days of 1929 begin to replay. As Edith searches for her friend, a dramatic discovery gives her one last chance to lay the past to rest...Edith’s Return to Devon is a gripping work of historical fiction for today’s austerity-driven society that will appeal to all ages and deals with harrowing issues like family break-ups, unplanned pregnancy and issues of sexuality. Daniel Pitt takes inspiration from books by Agatha Christie and Lady Antonia Fraser.