Ancestors: A Novel

Miss Thangle, a clever and affable spinster from a Yorkshire village, has turned the art of friendship into a livelihood, moving among England’s most fashionable circles while keeping her independence intact. After years of travel and correspondence, she returns to the grand house of Capheaton, where her reputation as a discreet confidante is both her invitation and her armor. The novel opens with her navigating the delicate balance between propriety, ambition, and a quiet longing for something beyond a comfortable routine.

There, she encounters the striking Lady Victoria Gwynne, whose elegant bearing hides subtle shifts that pique Miss Thangle’s curiosity. As their conversation slips into uneasy silences, hints of family secrets and unspoken expectations surface, suggesting that the past exerts a powerful pull on the present. The story unfolds as a thoughtful portrait of women's choices in a world where lineage and personal desire are constantly at odds.