Unexpected Blessings

The great-grandaughters of Emma Harte, the heroine of A Woman of Substance and Emma’s Secret, follow in her legendary footsteps…

The great-grandaughters of Emma Harte, the heroine of A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE and EMMA'S SECRET, follow in her legendary footsteps…

Evan Hughes, Emma's American great-grandaughter, is trying to integrate into the powerful Harte family. She is caught between her estranged parents, her new family, and new love. Meanwhile a dangerous enemy hovers in the background.

Tessa Longden, Evan's cousin, is battling her husband for custody of their daughter, Adele. When Adele suddenly goes missing, Tessa seeks her sister Linnet's help.

Linnet O'Neill, the most brilliant businesswoman of the four great-granddaughters, shows that she is the natural heir to her mother, Paula. But her glittering future at the helm of the vast Harte empire means many sacrifices.

India Standish, the traditionalist in the family, falls in love with a famous British artist from a working-class background. Madly in love, India is determined to marry him.

When Evan discovers letters from Emma Harte to her grandmother, the story is swept back to the 1950s. In the post-war boom years Emma builds her business empire, using a combination of determination and sheer nerve, and she embarks on a relationship with a handsome acquaintance from the war years. But it is the revelations in Emma's letters to her grandmother that give Evan a new perspective and help to set her free from her own past.

This latest dramatic story in the on-going saga of an extraordinary family dynasty is full of love, passion and jealousy and is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her inimitable best.

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

‘A classic saga of loyalty, secrets, passion and intrigue…if you’ve been suffering withdrawal symptoms from Downton, this is for you’ Daily Mail

‘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.