First published 2011
Seven acclaimed authors breathe new life into mysterious portraits from Britain's past. Tracy Chevalier conjures the story of Rosy, a young man whose flushed features hint at forbidden desire. Minette Walters gives voice to a desperate wife penning her final letter. Julian Fellowes chronicles a clever woman navigating survival after her husband's execution under Henry VIII. Sarah Singleton follows a bastard-born spice merchant who dreams of music while fighting for respectability. Joanna Trollope crafts a tender marriage proposal through correspondence. Terry Pratchett spins a comic tale of an explorer bearing an unusual gift for Elizabeth I. John Banville sees in a dying man's face the memory of a Cromwell officer from the New Model Army. Each writer transforms silent portraits into vivid human stories, revealing the lives that might have existed behind these painted faces.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, historical-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, multiple-perspectives
Setting: Britain
Period: Henry VIII, Cromwell
96 pages · Paperback · UNKNO