Reviews
"As with the opposite sex, there are few books you fall for and want for life, even fewer with which you can find little fault. Here is a right stunner, a secret family history. . . . At the book's outset [Dimbleby] is an innocent setting off breathlessly on a search; but the innocent evolves into a romantic, then acquires the wisdom of a historian, and ends up encasing a whole century in the most attractive of nutshells." -David Hughes, Spectator (UK) "A brilliant sleuthing job which will appeal to anyone who has ever found a skeleton in the family closet." -Daily Express (UK) "An entirely captivating book . . . Josceline Dimbleby's greatest gift as a storyteller is her ability to communicate the excitement of her discoveries . . . compelling." -Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times (UK) "Utterly charming . . . as tightly structured as a crime novel." -Sunday Telegraph (UK) "This enthralling family romance explores a lost world of hidden love . . . more compelling than many novels and more informative than most history books." -Observer (UK) "A wonderful cabinet of curiosities of a book. Josceline Dimbleby's family memoir of art, death, and forbidden love-locked away for more than a hundred years in secret letters and attic trunks-reads like the most gripping novel. I loved it." -Katie Hickman, author of Courtesans and Daughters of Britannia "What I admire particularly is the social research on which she has constructed a compelling romance (complete with mystery). The way in which she makes her quest part of the story gives the book an extra excitement. The whole book is deeply satisfying." -Michael Holroyd, author of Basil Street Blues and Mosaic "The story of an intimate friendship between the painter Edward Burne-Jones and the much younger May Gaskell, richly illustrated by a remarkable collection of new letters, May and Amy is also a charming portrait of a circle of family and friends. This is a highly enjoyable book, full of engaging detail and marvelous research." -Caroline Moorehead, author of Martha Gellhorn, "In intimate detail, [Dimbleby] pieces together her forebears' secrets and tragedies." New York Daily News "Every family has a unique story, and Josceline Dimbleby tells hers with precision and empathy." Miami Herald "Dimbleby wonderfully conveys the drama of doing research, the sense of awe inspired by touching artifacts from long ago, the excitement of being taken by surprise at the contents of a letter, the ambivalence she sometimes felt toward her subjects. . . . Readers immersed in this story may well feel the same way." Boston Globe "As with the opposite sex, there are few books you fall for and want for life, even fewer with which you can find little fault. Here is a right stunner, a secret family history. . . . At the book's outset [Dimbleby] is an innocent setting off breathlessly on a search; but the innocent evolves into a romantic, then acquires the wisdom of a historian, and ends up encasing a whole century in the most attractive of nutshells." David Hughes, Spectator (UK) "A brilliant sleuthing job which will appeal to anyone who has ever found a skeleton in the family closet." Daily Express (UK) "An entirely captivating book . . . Josceline Dimbleby's greatest gift as a storyteller is her ability to communicate the excitement of her discoveries . . . compelling." Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times (UK) "Utterly charming . . . as tightly structured as a crime novel." Sunday Telegraph (UK) "This enthralling family romance explores a lost world of hidden love . . . more compelling than many novels and more informative than most history books." Observer (UK) "A wonderful cabinet of curiosities of a book. Josceline Dimbleby's family memoir of art, death, and forbidden lovelocked away for more than a hundred years in secret letters and attic trunksreads like the most gripping novel. I loved it." Katie Hickman, author of Courtesans and Daughters of Britannia "What I admire particularly is the social research on which she has constructed a compelling romance (complete with mystery). The way in which she makes her quest part of the story gives the book an extra excitement. The whole book is deeply satisfying." Michael Holroyd, author of Basil Street Blues and Mosaic "The story of an intimate friendship between the painter Edward Burne-Jones and the much younger May Gaskell, richly illustrated by a remarkable collection of new letters, May and Amy is also a charming portrait of a circle of family and friends. This is a highly enjoyable book, full of engaging detail and marvelous research." Caroline Moorehead, author of Martha Gellhorn, "In intimate detail, [Dimbleby] pieces together her forebears' secrets and tragedies." -New York Daily News "Every family has a unique story, and Josceline Dimbleby tells hers with precision and empathy." -Miami Herald "Dimbleby wonderfully conveys the drama of doing research, the sense of awe inspired by touching artifacts from long ago, the excitement of being taken by surprise at the contents of a letter, the ambivalence she sometimes felt toward her subjects. . . . Readers immersed in this story may well feel the same way." -Boston Globe "As with the opposite sex, there are few books you fall for and want for life, even fewer with which you can find little fault. Here is a right stunner, a secret family history. . . . At the book's outset [Dimbleby] is an innocent setting off breathlessly on a search; but the innocent evolves into a romantic, then acquires the wisdom of a historian, and ends up encasing a whole century in the most attractive of nutshells." -David Hughes, Spectator (UK) "A brilliant sleuthing job which will appeal to anyone who has ever found a skeleton in the family closet." -Daily Express (UK) "An entirely captivating book . . . Josceline Dimbleby's greatest gift as a storyteller is her ability to communicate the excitement of her discoveries . . . compelling." -Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times (UK) "Utterly charming . . . as tightly structured as a crime novel." -Sunday Telegraph (UK) "This enthralling family romance explores a lost world of hidden love . . . more compelling than many novels and more informative than most history books." -Observer (UK) "A wonderful cabinet of curiosities of a book. Josceline Dimbleby's family memoir of art, death, and forbidden love-locked away for more than a hundred years in secret letters and attic trunks-reads like the most gripping novel. I loved it." -Katie Hickman, author of Courtesans and Daughters of Britannia "What I admire particularly is the social research on which she has constructed a compelling romance (complete with mystery). The way in which she makes her quest part of the story gives the book an extra excitement. The whole book is deeply satisfying." -Michael Holroyd, author of Basil Street Blues and Mosaic "The story of an intimate friendship between the painter Edward Burne-Jones and the much younger May Gaskell, richly illustrated by a remarkable collection of new letters, May and Amy is also a charming portrait of a circle of family and friends. This is a highly enjoyable book, full of engaging detail and marvelous research." -Caroline Moorehead, author of Martha Gellhorn, "In intimate detail, [Dimbleby] pieces together her forebears' secrets and tragedies." -New York Daily News "Every family has a unique story, and Josceline Dimbleby tells hers with precision and empathy." -Miami Herald "Dimbleby wonderfully conveys the drama of doing research, the sense of awe inspired by touching artifacts from long ago, the excitement of being taken by surprise at the contents of a letter, the ambivalence she sometimes felt toward her subjects. . . . Readers immersed in this story may well feel the same way." -Boston Globe "As with the opposite sex, there are few books you fall for and want for life, even fewer with which you can find little fault. Here is a right stunner, a secret family history. . . . At the book's outset [Dimbleby] is an innocent setting off breathlessly on a search; but the innocent evolves into a romantic, then acquires the wisdom of a historian, and ends up encasing a whole century in the most attractive of nutshells." -David Hughes,Spectator(UK) "A brilliant sleuthing job which will appeal to anyone who has ever found a skeleton in the family closet." -Daily Express(UK) "An entirely captivating book . . . Josceline Dimbleby's greatest gift as a storyteller is her ability to communicate the excitement of her discoveries . . . compelling." -Miranda Seymour,Sunday Times(UK) "Utterly charming . . . as tightly structured as a crime novel." -Sunday Telegraph(UK) "This enthralling family romance explores a lost world of hidden love . . . more compelling than many novels and more informative than most history books." -Observer(UK) "A wonderful cabinet of curiosities of a book. Josceline Dimbleby's family memoir of art, death, and forbidden love-locked away for more than a hundred years in secret letters and attic trunks-reads like the most gripping novel. I loved it." -Katie Hickman, author ofCourtesansandDaughters of Britannia "What I admire particularly is the social research on which she has constructed a compelling romance (complete with mystery). The way in which she makes her quest part of the story gives the book an extra excitement. The whole book is deeply satisfying." -Michael Holroyd, author ofBasil Street BluesandMosaic "The story of an intimate friendship between the painter Edward Burne-Jones and the much younger May Gaskell, richly illustrated by a remarkable collection of new letters,May and Amyis also a charming portrait of a circle of family and friends. This is a highly enjoyable book, full of engaging detail and marvelous research." -Caroline Moorehead, author ofMartha Gellhorn, "In intimate detail, [Dimbleby] pieces together her forebears' secrets and tragedies." --"New York Daily News" "Every family has a unique story, and Josceline Dimbleby tells hers with precision and empathy." --"Miami Herald" "Dimbleby wonderfully conveys the drama of doing research, the sense of awe inspired by touching artifacts from long ago, the excitement of being taken by surprise at the contents of a letter, the ambivalence she sometimes felt toward her subjects. . . . Readers immersed in this story may well feel the same way." --"Boston Globe" "As with the opposite sex, there are few books you fall for and want for life, even fewer with which you can find little fault. Here is a right stunner, a secret family history. . . . At the book's outset [Dimbleby] is an innocent setting off breathlessly on a search; but the innocent evolves into a romantic, then acquires the wisdom of a historian, and ends up encasing a whole century in the most attractive of nutshells." --David Hughes, "Spectator" (UK) "A brilliant sleuthing job which will appeal to anyone who has ever found a skeleton in the family closet." --"Daily Express" (UK) "An entirely captivating book . . . Josceline Dimbleby's greatest gift as a storyteller is her ability to communicate the excitement of her discoveries . . . compelling." --Miranda Seymour, "Sunday Times" (UK) "Utterly charming . . . as tightly structured as a crime novel." --"Sunday Telegraph" (UK) "This enthralling family romance explores a lost world of hidden love . . . more compelling than many novels and more informative than most history books." --"Observer" (UK) "A wonderful cabinet of curiosities of a book. JoscelineDimbleby's family memoir of art, death, and forbidden love--locked away for more than a hundred years in secret letters and attic trunks--reads like the most gripping novel. I loved it." --Katie Hickman, author of "Courtesans "and" Daughters of Britannia" "What I admire particularly is the social research on which she has constructed a compelling romance (complete with mystery). The way in which she makes her quest part of the story gives the book an extra excitement. The whole book is deeply satisfying." --Michael Holroyd, author of "Basil Street Blues" and "Mosaic" "The story of an intimate friendship between the painter Edward Burne-Jones and the much younger May Gaskell, richly illustrated by a remarkable collection of new letters, "May and Amy" is also a charming portrait of a circle of family and friends. This is a highly enjoyable book, full of engaging detail and marvelous research." --Caroline Moorehead, author of "Martha Gellhorn"
