One great thing about Twitter is that you hear of books you either wouldn't of known about, or probably even have considered.
In this case it was Helen's tweets about the book, & some of the famous people who had visited the house, that drew me to purchasing a copy.
The house was built above the Norfolk seaside town of Cromer in 1884. But the story starts earlier than this date, as we meet & learn about those whose lives would be connected to Newhaven.
Quickly the reader will come to admire not only Helen's incredible research but, & to pinch another reviewer's words, her beautiful writing style.
The many stories of the families & individuals in the book are really fascinating to learn about. As new residents are introduced we also begin to hear of some more famous names from our past who walked through Newhaven's door.
Oscar Wilde, Ernest Shackleton, Albert Einstein & Winston Churchill, to name but a few.
The house would also go on to hold its own tennis tournaments drawing in thousands of spectators to watch some of the world's best players.
There are many tales of love & tragedy attached to the house, indeed the final years of the house itself are a very sad tale, which I won't spoil here.
Instead you should enjoy & read this captivating book for yourselves.
But if you are like me & a bit set in your reading habit ways, you might be thinking this book doesn't appeal to you. Reading this review, I might well of thought the same. But going back to the start, I'm just so glad I saw Helen's tweets & took the reading plunge.
Congratulations, & well done Helen.
What a debut!