The Cottingley Secret

The New York Times bestselling author turns the clock back to a time when two young girls convinced the world that fairies really did exist…

1917: When two young cousins, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright from Cottingley, England, announce they have photographed fairies at the bottom of the garden, their parents are astonished. But when the great novelist, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, endorses the photographs’ authenticity, the girls become a sensation; their discovery offering something to believe in amid a world ravaged by war.

One hundred years later… When Olivia Kavanagh finds an old manuscript and a photograph in her late grandfather’s bookshop she becomes fascinated by the story of the two young girls who mystified the world. As Olivia is drawn into events a century ago, she becomes aware of the past and the present intertwining, blurring her understanding of what is real and what is imagined. As she begins to understand why a nation once believed in fairies, will Olivia find a way to believe in herself?

Reviews

Praise for The Cottingley Secret

‘Enchanting, magical… This book reminds us that we are never too old to believe in magic.’ Carmel Harrington

‘Perfect fireside read’ Sunday Independent

‘This is a gorgeous, uplifting, magical book that will have you hooked from the start.’ Gill Paul author of The Secret Wife

‘I adored The Cottingley Secret … an enchanting and enthralling tale of childhood magic.’ Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale

‘An artful weaving of old legends with new realities’ Kate Alcott, author of The Dressmaker

‘Brings the mystery of the Cottingley Fairies thrillingly to life’ Kate Forsyth author of Bitter Greens

‘A magical journey in perfect prose’ Books Ireland

Praise for Hazel Gaynor:

‘Addictive, charming and gleaming with Jazz Age glitz’ The Lady

‘Sumptuous, gorgeous, authentic and surprising, Hazel Gaynor has written another hit.’ Sunday Independent

‘Peopled with unforgettable characters…Once begun, I dare you to put it down.’ Kathleen Tessaro, author of The Perfume Collector

About the author

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, and Irish Times, bestselling author of historical fiction, including her debut THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME, for which she received the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. A MEMORY OF VIOLETS was a WHSmith Fresh Talent pick for spring 2015, THE GIRL FROM THE SAVOY was shortlisted for the 2016 Irish Book Awards, and LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS (co-written with Heather Webb) won the 2018 Women's Fiction Writers Association Star Award. THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER'S DAUGHTER was shortlisted for the 2019 HWA Gold Crown award, and MEET ME IN MONACO (co-written with Heather Webb) was a finalist in the 2019 Digital World Book Awards for Best Book (Fiction). She is published in thirteen languages and nineteen countries. Hazel is co-founder of creative writing events, The Inspiration Project, and lives in Ireland with her husband and two children.