Weaving. Healing. Haunting. The spellbinding story of a mysterious boarding school sheltering a centuries-old secret by the bestselling author of The Botanist's Daughter
Australian history teacher Thea Rust doesn't believe in ghosts, but when she arrives at an exclusive boarding school in 2019, together with the first intake of girls in its 150-year history, a series of puzzling events in Silk House, where the girls live, causes her to question her convictions. She sets out to discover the truth, no matter the cost.
In the late 1700s, Rowan Caswell leaves her village to work in the home of an English silk merchant. Her talent for herbs and healing soon attracts attention and she is tasked with both bringing new life into the world as well as helping to end it.
Meanwhile, in London, Mary-Louise Stephenson lives amid the clatter of the weaving trade and dreams of being a silk designer, a job that is the domain of men. When she arrives in the market town of Oxleigh, bringing with her a length of fabric woven with a pattern of deadly plants, she unwittingly sets in motion a catastrophe that will affect the lives of all those who dwell in the silk merchant's house.
Intoxicating, haunting and inspired by the author's background, The Silk House is the exceptional new gothic mystery by Kayte Nunn.
Praise for Kayte Nunn:
'A sensitive, atmospheric and often heartbreaking story told with real mastery' WHO Weekly
'Two incredibly likeable, headstrong heroines . . . watching them flourish is captivating. With these dynamic women at the helm, Kayte weaves a clever tale of plant treachery involving exotic and perilous encounters in Chile. Compelling storytelling' The Australian Women's Weekly
'I loved The Botanist's Daughter. I was transported to the 1880s and Chile, to contemporary Sydney and Kew. A gripping read' JOY RHOADES
'The characters are all vivid and interesting, and there's a dash of romance and a splash of intrigue' KATE FORSYTH