The Echo of Twilight
The Echo of Twilight
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Overview
From the acclaimed author of The Last Summer, a captivating and moving story of the unlikely relationship between a lady and her maid on the eve of World War I.
As I watched him—his long legs striding the narrow path through the heather, his golden hair catching the sun—I had a hideous feeling in the pit of my stomach. For it seemed as though he was already marching away from me.
In 1914, despite the clouds of war threatening Europe, Pearl Gibson’s future is bright. She has secured a position as a lady’s maid to a wealthy Northumberland aristocrat, a job that will win her not only respect but an opportunity to travel and live in luxury. Her new life at Lady Ottoline Campbell’s Scottish summer estate is a whirlwind of intrigue and glamour, scandals and confidences—and surprisingly, a strange but intimate friendship with her employer.
But when violence erupts in Europe, Pearl and Ottoline’s world is irrevocably changed. As the men in their lives are called to the front lines, leaving them behind to anxiously brace for bad news, Pearl realizes she must share one final secret with her mistress—a secret that will bind them together forever...
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781799985822 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Tantor Audio |
| Publication date: | 03/01/2021 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x 0.00(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Chapter One
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Echo of Twilight"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Judith Kinghorn.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Reading Group Guide
Questions for Discussion
1. The relationship between Pearl and Ottoline is central to the novel and, at times, complex. Was this relationship convincingly developed, and who do you think was more loyal—Pearl or Ottoline?
2. Discuss the ways in which a failure to tell the truth could cause misunderstanding and altered Pearl’s path. Who do you think was the most honest person in the novel?
3. Ottoline’s perception of marriage and her attitude to fidelity is clouded. Can infidelity be excused in an arranged marriage or in one in which there is mental instability?
4. Women’s attitudes to their roles at home and at work changed during the First World War. How is this depicted in the novel, and why was being in domestic service “no longer something to be proud of”?
5. Discuss the novel’s depiction of early twentieth century morality, including attitudes concerning sex and pregnancy outside marriage. How did the men’s behavior contrast with the women’s?
6. Were you surprised by Hector Campbell’s attitude concering his wife’s unfaithfulness? Why do you think he tolerated her behavior?
7. Loneliness, mental illness, and depression are recurrent themes in the novel. Discuss how the author handled this, and which characters suffer and why.
8. Part three of the novel takes place after the end of the war. Discuss the ways in which its effects continued to be seen and felt by the characters.
9. Apart from Pearl, which character do you feel undergoes the most dramatic transformation in the novel?
10. Were you shocked by Ottoline’s and Hector’s deaths? Who do you think was driving the car, and do you believe it was an accident?
11. Was Kitty’s lie to Theodore Godley about the baby (Pearl) dying understandable and forgivable? How did you feel about this revelation, and did it alter your view of Kitty?
12. Is Ralph Stedman a convincing romantic hero, despite his absence for most of the story? What was it about him that Pearl fell in love with? Did you believe he survived the war?
13. Lila innocently and inadvertently reveals to Ralph that she is his daughter. How realistic is this exchange, and how do you foresee Ralph’s future relationship with Lila?
14. Which of Pearl’s relationships had the greatest influence on her—her relationship with Kitty, Ottoline, Lila, or Ralph?
15. At the end of the novel, Pearl hears Ottoline say, “There. Didn’t I tell you?” Why do you think Pearl hears Ottoline’s voice at that moment, and what does this question allude to?