Thus, the novel moves back and forth between these two plots – Olivia’s desire to carve out a new path for her life and Frances’ recollections of events leading up to and after the fairies fiasco. Before long, Olivia discovers an unfinished manuscript relating the story of two cousins, Elsie and Frances, in 1910s Cottingley who shocked the world with alleged photographs of fairies. One such matter is his bookshop, Something Old. The first plot, set in present-day Ireland, features Olivia who has returned to the Emerald Isle to settle final matters of her grandfather’s estate. The Cottingley Secret, by Hazel Gaynor, features a dual contemporary and historical fiction narrative. Overall, while I found this story more palatable, only half of its two-sided plot managed to cement my interest. Hence how this novel came upon my reading radar. I’m no stranger to Hazel Gaynor’s work as I had previously perused The Girl at the Savoy, and while that story ended up being too bittersweet for my taste, the writing itself was lovely.
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