Synopsis
From the author of Mere, Danielle Giles, comes the thrilling tale of deceit and danger in Gentle Things.
London, 1668. Though the streets hum with promise following the restoration of the crown, Lucy North is trapped. Her father's recent death has left her mother saddled with debts she cannot pay. Lucy must marry the first man willing to take her without a dowry. She has no choice.
Then she meets Thomas Ashwell, a young and charming apothecary, who offers her a route out. Lucy is quick to fall in love, and when Thomas proposes she has no hesitation in accepting him.
But, on the eve of her wedding, Lucy falls and injures her head. Confined to her bedroom while surrendering to the care of her concerned fiancée, Lucy's world soon starts to take on a warped, dreamlike – or nightmarish – quality. Her internal voice no longer sounds like her; a stranger has somehow entered her mind. As her husband continues to press his cures on her, has Thomas made her dreams come true, or has he brought about a nightmare? Can she really trust this man?
Details
23 July 2026
9781035051304Reviews
A dark and disturbing tale . . . beautifully written, you will be drawn into the claustrophobic world of the mere, where sinners fear the retribution of both God and the devil
It is rare for an author to fully recreate the strangeness of the past, but Danielle Giles has done exactly that. Through eerie, beautiful writing, she takes readers on a mystery . . . a gem of a novel
Chilling, dark and immersive . . . I loved the originality of the story and the brave and unexpected use of language. Such a treat of a novel
Deftly written, stirring . . . haunting and beautiful, it is a deeply affecting read that will stay with me for a long time to come
