COVER PAGE

PRAISE

PRAISE FOR MAGGIE JOEL

The Past and Other Lies

‘Joel is particularly good at depicting the kind of small, casual cruelties family members can inflict on one another.’ Sydney Morning Herald

The Second-Last Woman in England

‘The mesmerising story crackles with atmosphere and delivers some great twists.’ Australian Women’s Weekly

Half the World in Winter

‘Maggie Joel explores the way human fates as well as fictional plots can turn dramatically on a small and fleeting thing … a page-turner full of detail and colour.’ Sydney Morning Herald

‘If you like a robust period drama, with the occasional dash of dark humour, then you will love this.’ Daily Telegraph

The Safest Place in London

‘Maggie Joel’s The Safest Place in London is a beautifully written exploration of desperation and hope in a time of war. The novel captures the essence of the era with subtlety and style, while the shifting new world pushes characters to extreme lengths. A remarkable story of family, survival and how one decision can change lives for better or worse.’ Jane Harper, bestselling author of The Dry

The Unforgiving City

‘Maggie Joel plunges the reader into the brutal heart of Federation, taking us beyond the silk curtains of lawmaking. She holds us in the harsh Sydney streets as characters—and indeed an entire country—scramble for a sure footing. Secrets and deception whisper from every page of The Unforgiving City and force us all to question what it means to be a united country, but also … how far are you prepared to stretch your heart to forgive someone?’ Kirsty Manning, bestselling author of The Jade Lily

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maggie Joel has had four novels published. The first, The Past and Other Lies, was published to critical acclaim in Australia in 2009 and in the United States in 2013. Her second novel, The Second-Last Woman in England, was published in Australia in 2010, in the United States in 2011 and in the United Kingdom in 2013. This book was awarded the 2011 Fellowship of Australian Writers’ Christina Stead Award for Fiction. Maggie’s third novel, Half the World in Winter, was published in 2014 and in the United Kingdom in 2015. Her fourth novel, The Safest Place in London, was published in 2016.

NOTE

The author acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of our land—Australia—and acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of this place we now call Sydney.

CHAPTER ONE: THE NOBLE LEGACY

CHAPTER ONE

THE NOBLE LEGACY