The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley is an intricately woven story of real men and women. How the author weaves their stories and brings them all together at the end is indeed brilliant. From a ‘grand house’ of rural England to war torn Thailand and back again.
As a child, concert pianist Julia Forrester spent many idyllic hours in the hothouse of Wharton Park, the grand estate where her grandfather tended exotic orchids. Years later, while struggling with overwhelming grief over the death of her husband and young child, she returns to this tranquil place. There she reunites with Kit Crawford, heir to the estate and her possible salvation.
When they discover an old diary, Julia seeks out her grandmother to learn the truth behind a love affair that almost destroyed the estate. Their search takes them back to the 1940s when Harry, a former heir to Wharton Park, married his young society bride, Olivia, on the eve of World War II. When the two lovers are cruelly separated, the impact will be felt for generations to come.
When the last thread is snipped the reader is satisfied and well content with a very good read.