Helen Simonson was born in Slough, grew up near Reading, and spent her teenage years in a small village in East Sussex, near Rye. A graduate of the London School of Economics, with a masters degree(MFA) in creative writing from Stony Brook Southampton(USA), she is a former advertising executive who now lives in the Washington, D.C. area. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, her first novel, was written while she was a stay-at-home mother. Its unexpected success (Major Pettigrew has become an instant bestseller in multiple countries), has in no way reduced the amount of laundry, or the demands for food, money and car transport, from her two teenagers! The book is dedicated to them, and to her husband, John.
Skylark (2026) Paula McLain "An enthralling plunge into deep layers of Paris history, both beautifully written and breathtakingly suspenseful. I could not put it down."
The Names (2025) Florence Knapp "I fell in love with Cora and all the versions of her children. A powerful, emotional portrayal of the ways violence, in families and in the world, can leave both brutal and more subtle scars. Compelling, finely crafted, and beautifully written."
Austen at Sea (2025) Natalie Jenner "Jane Austen fans will adore the spontaneous Stevenson sisters of Boston, Charlotte and Henrietta...With a deep understanding of Jane Austen history and a whip-smart sense of plot and pacing, this is a comedy of manners in the true Austen tradition."
What We Sacrifice for Magic (2024) Andrea Jo Dewerd "Even magic is no easy answer for a young woman coming of age in the sixties under the weight of family and social expectations. Poignant and steeped in summer magic, young Lisbett will capture your heart."
A Northern Light in Provence (2024) Elizabeth Birkelund "A gorgeous ice-and-fire romance that will plunge you into both the infinite tundra of Greenland and the color-soaked mountains of Provence . . . an immersive, sensual read that demands a hammock, bare feet, and a well-iced bottle of rose."
Woman in the Sable Coat (2024) Elizabeth Brooks "A beautifully written evocation of young girls coming-of-age, and plunging into womanhood and war, which gradually intensifies into a gothic unease that would make Daphne Du Maurier proud. Excellent-I could not put it down."
American Ending (2023) Mary Kay Zuravleff "In the dark of Pennsylvania's coal mines, Yelena's voice is both the light and the canary. Her struggles, and those of her Russian-American immigrant community, are deeply felt and beautifully written. Immersive and compelling."
Rock of Ages (2022) (Junior Bender, book 8) Timothy Hallinan "Could not stop laughting, Timothy Hallinan is sharpe as a blade, has a wicked eye for human nature and keeps the reader guessing and reading for Junior Bender all the way."
Think of Me (2022) Frances Liardet "[A] heartbreaking and beautifully captured story of love, friendship, and sacrifice."
Miss Benson's Beetle (2020) Rachel Joyce "A beautifully written, extraordinary quest in which two ordinary, overlooked women embark on an unlikely scientific expedition to the South Seas. A classic tale of gripping adventure and friendship, told from the subversive and often hilarious female view."
Beheld (2020) TaraShea Nesbit "In a gripping retelling of the Plymouth colony’s first murder, we finally hear the voices of women--and they speak an unvarnished truth that turns history on its pointy-hatted head. Truly a riveting read."
The Other Bennet Sister (2020) Janice Hadlow "Jane fans rejoice! I loved this thoroughly estimable, worthy homage to Austen. Exceptional storytelling and a true delight."
Dear Edward (2020) Ann Napolitano "This is a stunning novel of courage and connection in the face of unimaginable loss. It’s beautifully written, with characters so intensely alive you will hold your breath as they break your heart—an extraordinary read."
Montauk (2019) Nicola Harrison "Slip this engaging love affair into your beach bag and prepare to get lost in this glittering tale of love, betrayal and social climbing in a newly fashionable 1930s seaside village."
The Age of Light (2019) Whitney Scharer "An extraordinary young woman discovers love and art and betrayal among the artists of 1930s Paris and documents the horrors of war through her singular camera lens. An uplifting, heartbreaking and altogether immersive read."
The Verdun Affair (2018) Nick Dybek "I am still haunted by the images of war so deftly conjured in the midst of an elegiac love story. Dybek writes with a commanding sense of story and language. This novel will not let you go."
The High Season (2018) Judy Blundell "Blundell wields words like an oyster knife in this shimmering story of art, money, and celebrity. The High Season is wicked summer fun."
I Was Anastasia (2018) Ariel Lawhon "A young Tsarina traveling towards tragedy and an aging Grand Duchess penniless and betrayed. Twin stories so gripping you will believe history itself can be rewritten. Told with masterful intensity and moments of true human compassion."
The Women in the Castle (2017) Jessica Shattuck "Fans of The Nightingale and other classic World War II stories will fall in love with this compelling new perspective on women at war."
The News from the End of the World (2017) Emily Jeanne Miller "A beautifully crafted, emotional portrait of a Cape Cod family whose teenage daughter may not be the only one out of options. The austere beauty of the off-season landscape seems to bring out hard truths and scour away secrets. I loved it."
