Windmill Hill
Windmill Hill by Lucy Atkins, published by Quercus on May 9, 2024, is a literary work that delves into the complexities of family life and personal history. Set against the backdrop of a remote Sussex windmill, the narrative unfolds as Astrid, a once-celebrated actress, grapples with the fallout from a scandal that derailed her career and marriage. Now in her eighties, she lives with her devoted housekeeper, Mrs. Baker, in a life marked by eccentricity and poverty. The arrival of police, prompted by an ‘Awful Incident,’ raises questions about their innocence and the shadows of their pasts.
As the story progresses, readers will find a blend of intrigue and emotional depth as Astrid learns that her estranged husband, Magnus, is penning a memoir that threatens to unveil the secrets of their shared history. This revelation propels her to Scotland, igniting a fierce determination to confront her past and protect her legacy. Windmill Hill offers a captivating exploration of the unseen lives of its characters and the enduring strength of two women navigating their intertwined fates. With 368 pages, this edition presents a rich narrative that invites reflection on the complexities of life and relationships.
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‘Charming and shocking’ MICK HERRON
‘Intriguing, brilliantly told’ NINA STIBBE
‘Compulsive’ CLARE CHAMBERS
‘Rich in charm and surprises’ GUARDIAN
‘Mysterious, moving and ingenious’ PHILIP PULLMAN
In the 1970s, a single night in a remote hunting lodge with a Hollywood director and his leading lady sparks an international scandal. It wrecks Astrid’s dazzling stage career and destroys her marriage to charismatic Scottish actor Magnus Fellowes.
Magnus becomes globally famous, while Astrid retreats to a dilapidated Sussex windmill. Now 82, she lives there still, in eccentric poverty, with her housekeeper turned best friend, Mrs Baker. But Mrs Baker has a dark past too. There is an ‘Awful Incident’ at the windmill; police come knocking. Are these two ‘old ladies’ really as innocent and vulnerable as they seem?
Then Astrid learns that Magnus, now on his death bed, is writing a memoir that will expose the glamour and forgotten crimes of her past. Furious, she heads to Scotland, determined to stop him, whatever it takes . . .
Part literary thriller, part love story, Windmill Hill is a captivating exploration of unseen lives, the histories that shape us, and the unyielding strength of two indomitable women.
Praise for Lucy Atkins:
‘A deft display of Lucy Atkins’s talents as a delicate observer of human nature’ ARIFA AKBAR
‘Intelligent and gripping’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
‘Mesmerising . . . beautifully written’ LITERARY REVIEW
‘Cleverly constructed’ WOMAN & HOME
‘It was an utter joy to relish Atkins’s wonderfully skilled and unobtrusive writing’ SARAH PERRY
‘Sly, witty and gripping . . . I loved it’ NAOMI ALDERMAN
‘A sinewy, supple and gorgeously satisfying triumph’ LUCY MANGAN
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