Secrets from the Past

A glittering new novel of deeply-buried secrets, passionate love, obsession and redemption from the master storyteller.

Thirty-year old Serena Stone is a talented war photographer who has followed in her famous father’s footsteps. But when he dies unexpectedly, she steps away from the war zone to reassess her life.

Drawn to writing her father’s own story, Serena approaches Harry Redford, his best friend and front line colleague. Harry has a request of his own. He wants her to go take care of Zachary North, her former lover, who has come out of Afghanistan suffering from mental and physical exhaustion.

Serena and Zac inevitably rekindle their passion – and together tackle her father’s huge legacy of iconic photographs. But one collection about Venice has never been seen before. It is among these images that Serena stumbles across photos that turn her world upside down.

In search of the truth about her father, her family and her own life, Serena begins a desperate quest to uncover a story from decades earlier. Moving from her family’s home in the hills above Nice to the canals and romance of Venice and the riot-filled streets of Libya, Secrets from the Past is a moving and emotional story of secrets, survival and love in its many guises.

Reviews

Praise for Barbara Taylor Bradford:

'Queen of the genre.' Sunday Times

‘Few novelists are as consummate as Barbara Taylor Bradford at keeping the reader turning the page. She is one of the world’s best at spinning yarns.’ Guardian

‘As romantic and thrilling as the rest’ Independent on Sunday

‘Another great yarn from the ultimate storyteller’ The Sun

‘The storyteller of substance.’ The Times

About the author

Barbara Taylor Bradford was born and raised in Leeds. She left school at 15 for the typing pool at the Yorkshire Evening Post.

At 16, she became a reporter on the paper and, at 18, its first Woman’s Editor. Aged 20, she moved to London and became a columnist and editor on Fleet Street.

Her first novel, A Woman of Substance, is one of the bestselling novels of all time and Barbara’s books have sold more than 90 million copies worldwide. In 2007, Barbara was appointed an OBE by the Queen for her services to literature.

Barbara was married to her beloved husband, television and film producer Robert Bradford, for 55 years until he died in 2019. She continued to live in New York and write novels, her last entitled The Wonder of It All, until she died in November 2024.