Learning to Speak American

Book excerpt: Can a house renovation in the gorgeous Napa Valley let two bereaved parents learn to love again? A moving and engaging debut novel . . . shortens the dark nights' Santa Montefiore. An emotional and uplifting story of starting again, perfect for fans of Hilary Boyd and The Tea Planter's Wife. Having suffered in silence since the tragic death of their young daughter, Lola and Duncan Drummond's last chance to rediscover their love for one another lies in an anniversary holiday to the gorgeous Napa Valley. Unable to talk about what happened, Duncan reaches out to his wife the only way he knows how - he buys her a derelict house, the restoration of which might just restore their relationship. As Lola works on the house she begins to realise the liberating power of letting go. But just as she begins to open up, Duncan's life begins to fall apart. After all the heartbreak, can Lola and Duncan learn to love again? 'A heartrending story, well-told, about coping with unimaginable loss. Dartford evokes strong, sympathetic characters while writing fluently and from the heart. I raced through it.' Hilary Boyd, author of Thursdays in the Park 'A beautiful read, lyrically written, poignant and emotional' - Nicola Cornick, internationally bestselling author of House of Shadows 'Does everything a good book should do; it made me smile, it made me cry, it taught me lessons about life and love I didn't know before' - Claire Dyer, author of The Moment