The Cottingley Secret
Ratings3
Average rating3.3
“The Cottingley Secret tells the tale of two girls who somehow convince the world that magic exists. An artful weaving of old legends with new realities, this tale invites the reader to wonder: could it be true?” — Kate Alcott, New York Times bestselling author of The Dressmaker One of BookBub's Most-Anticipated Books of Summer 2017! The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home turns the clock back one hundred years to a time when two young girls from Cottingley, Yorkshire, convinced the world that they had done the impossible and photographed fairies in their garden. Now, in her newest novel, international bestseller Hazel Gaynor reimagines their story. 1917… It was inexplicable, impossible, but it had to be true—didn’t it? When two young cousins, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright from Cottingley, England, claim to have photographed fairies at the bottom of the garden, their parents are astonished. But when one of the great novelists of the time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, becomes convinced of the photographs’ authenticity, the girls become a national sensation, their discovery offering hope to those longing for something to believe in amid a world ravaged by war. Frances and Elsie will hide their secret for many decades. But Frances longs for the truth to be told. One hundred years later… When Olivia Kavanagh finds an old manuscript in her late grandfather’s bookshop she becomes fascinated by the story it tells of two young girls who mystified the world. But it is the discovery of an old photograph that leads her to realize how the fairy girls’ lives intertwine with hers, connecting past to present, and blurring her understanding of what is real and what is imagined. As she begins to understand why a nation once believed in fairies, can Olivia find a way to believe in herself?
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This was one of four books I received in a recommendation box from my library. I wouldn't typically pick a book about fairies because they're my least favorite supernatural creature for some reason, but the book had a lot of other themes I do enjoy. It was historical fiction, a dual storyline between present day Ireland and ~1910s England, and had lovely descriptions of the garden and other nature themes. Plus there's the inherited bookstore, Something Old, which is probably what Heaven looks like for me.
The story largely focused on a woman breaking an undesirable engagement and starting a new life in a new country and I usually do enjoy narratives of someone getting a chance to redesign their life for the better. The characters she meets in Ireland are almost all wonderful people happy to help her - which was heartwarming but also a little unbelievable. It adds to the fairy tale vibe which may be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences.
Another thing I did like was how Frances's story made me remember what it was like to be a little kid and to find the magic in places like the Cottingley garden and to be able to entertain yourself with your imagination.
I can't quite put my finger on why I chose 3 stars instead of 4, but it's what felt most appropriate for me. I did have the large print version, without a visual need for it, because that was all that was available at the library so that's the version they included. I'm curious about what impact, if any, that might've had on my experience.
More of a 3.5 for me personally: I loved the beginnings of the story, but was underwhelmed at the end. But it would still be good for folks who like bookstores and stories about fairies and just want a peaceful afternoon of reading. :)
The premise of this book was darling, like Hallmark movie meets historical fairy tale. I personally didn't enjoy how it panned out as much as I thought I would; particularly [slight spoiler!] the main character's lack of decision making in her life for much of the book. Even when she did make decisions, they felt more like they'd happened to her than she actually chose them. All that said, though, I love Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and that whole era, so perhaps my hopes were too high!
