The Hidden Years

The Hidden Years is Sunday Times bestseller Rachel Hore's captivating new novel set on the beautiful Cornish coast during World War Two and the heady days of the 1960s.


September 1939, troubled young Imogen Lockhart travels to Cornwall by train to deliver two small boys to their prep school, which has been evacuated to Silverwood House for the duration of the war. When she's asked to stay on at the school as temporary cover for the usual matron she readily agrees. After all, it enables her to put off more serious decisions of what to do with her life. But her time at the school turns out to be more complicated than she'd imagined.

In 1966, sensitive and musical Belle Johnson is restless. She's finishing her first year at a Midlands university but not enjoying it and is troubled by secrets in her family life. When, after a chance meeting, she falls in love with talented and attractive folk musician Gray Robinson, he easily persuades her to abandon her studies and accompany him to Cornwall, a place that piques her interest because of a particular photograph she's recently found of herself as a baby.

On a small commune at Silverwood House near the beautiful Helford estuary she finds life off-grid idyllic at first, the other people creative and interesting, but underlying tensions soon reveal themselves.

And when conflicts in the commune come to a head, Belle is forced to face some difficult truths as she unravels the secrets of the past. Secrets that involve a woman called Imogen Lockhart.


Praise for Rachel Hore's One Moonlit Night

'Beautifully rich in period detail - an absorbing and touching story' Erica James, Sunday Times bestselling author of Mothers & Daughters

'Brimming over with everything I love about this author's writing: atmosphere, intrigue, wonderful characters and a beautiful love story. Pure delight to read' Tracy Rees

'A stunning depiction of life during the war, both for the men who faced death on the battlefields and those left behind in England . . . a compelling and evocative read, brimming with hope, courage and buried secrets.' S Magazine

'We're in the London of World War II, her house is bombed to bits and husband Philip is missing after Dunkirk. With two small daughters in tow, Maddie seeks refuge at Knyghton, Philip's childhood home . . . In this gripping, detailed, beautifully written drama, Hore brilliantly captures the danger and desperation on both the home and battle fronts.' Daily Mail