At Summer's End

June 7, 2021
Ellis makes a captivating debut with this account of a budding artist and a reclusive aristocrat in 1922 England. Bertie Preston, 28, receives a letter from Julian, the Earl of Wakeford, asking her to make a painting of his Braemore estate in Wiltshire. Bertie eagerly accepts, due to the potential for greater exposure of her work. Upon arrival, she meets the earl’s younger brother and sister and learns she is unlikely to see Julian, as he has been a recluse since he was injured in WWI. Bertie enjoys the beautiful surroundings and eventually breaches Julian’s defenses. She is unbothered by Julian’s injuries, which are hidden by a face mask, as she volunteered medical aid during the war. As Bertie and Julian develop a romantic attachment, she hopes for a future between them but fears she cannot overcome Julian’s desire for solitude. Ellis’s lyrical, emotional writing brings the beauty of Braemore alive while revealing the complexity of the richly drawn characters as Bertie pursues artistic recognition alongside her emotionally charged love affair with Julian. Historical fiction fans will appreciate this. Agent: Abby Saul, the Lark Group

July 1, 2021
Alberta, or Bertie, is trying to make her way as an artist in post-WWII England. When she is invited by the Earl of Wakefield to spend the summer painting at Castle Braemore, she sees it as a chance to spread her artist wings. She worked as a medical assistant during the war, and now longs to make and sell paintings to build her reputation. She is willing to overlook the fact that His Lordship thinks the artist in residence is a man, and that her parents do not want her to do this. The earl, Julian by name, is never seen, keeping to his rooms because of his war injuries. Once Bertie is allowed to enter, a slow-growing romance begins between them. Bertie learns about real love and sacrifice while Julian is forced out of his self-imposed exile. Each of Julian's siblings struggle with their own secrets and pain, and Bertie is drawn into the unfolding drama. The lush setting and vivid characters are utterly captivating in Ellis' lovely debut.

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August 13, 2021

DEBUT Debut novelist Ellis captures England in 1922 as it recovers from the devastation of World War I. Bertie Preston, one of many "surplus women" after the war decimated the male population, is 28, unmarried, and an ambitious artist who desperately wants an independent, working life in London. After winning a local art competition, she is surprised to be offered a commission by the Earl of Wakefield to paint his estate, Castle Braemore, in Wiltshire. As Bertie's parents will neither countenance nor pay for her move to London, she accepts the commission in order to finance her future. The castle is beautiful, bewitching, and crumbling under the weight of sadness and secrets. As Wakefield hides his war-inflicted facial scars by refusing to leave his rooms, the estate disintegrates. Social class, forbidden loves, and a changing society all combine to challenge Bertie into imagining a new future for herself. Can all the women surrounding Wakefield help him to survive? VERDICT This well-written, engaging debut will delight fans of historical fiction. Includes a reading guide for book clubs.--Penelope J.M. Klein, Edinburgh, Scotland

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