The Girl in the Painting : A heartbreaking historical novel of family secrets, betrayal and love

‘LOVE LOVE LOVED this fabulous novel... I couldn’t put it down... Stunning and beautifully written... Will transport you through time and across the world from England to India... Highly recommended.’ NetGalley reviewer India, 1926: Margaret is in love, with her new husband and her new home, a sprawling villa amidst beautiful rolling hills, the air filled with the soft scent of spices and hibiscus flowers. Yet she’s unwelcome with the locals and grows close to Archana, her maid, who reminds Margaret of the beloved sister she lost in the great war. Overjoyed with her pregnancy, Margaret could stay forever, sipping tea, chatting with Archana, painting in the sun beside the stream full of water lilies. But when Archana finds herself in danger and Margaret makes the choice to save her, she doesn’t realise the devastating consequences that will tear her and Archana apart, destroy her marriage, and haunt her for the rest of her life... England, 2000: Emma’s relationship is falling apart, and her beloved grandmother, Margaret, is dying. Margaret has one last request: find Archana. It’s the first time Emma has even heard the name, but desperate for an escape and to bring Margaret closure, she travels deep into the heart of the Indian hills, to a crumbling house overgrown with vines, searching for answers. The more Emma learns, the more she sees of herself in her grandmother, and the stronger her need to uncover Margaret’s secret. But if she finds Archana and the truth is finally revealed – the story of a day spent painting by a stream, and a betrayal that tore three lives to pieces – can it help each woman find peace or are some rifts too deep to heal...? Discover the extraordinary secret of the girl in the painting, perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes, Lucinda Riley and The Storyteller’s Secret. What readers are saying about The Girl in the Painting: ‘Oh boy, this book did not disappoint. The story was so well thought out, intricate and full bodied.... hooked right till the end... You get such a sense of each character, and your heart breaks for both of them... It just engrosses you, so you go on the journey with them... Side note, grab your tissues... I can't recommend this book enough. Renita is such a talented writer, and a great storyteller.’ jth books, 5 stars ‘BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND EMOTIONALLY GRIPPING... just took my breath away!... it was truly beautiful and I will gladly admit, that I shed a little tear... Before she goes, theres something she must do. She fingers the letter in her pocket. She thinks of the painting that was created beside the stream. A painting of a girl, with sadness in her eyes. Emmas beloved grandmother, Margaret, is dying, and she has one last wish before she says goodbye. When she gives Emma a mysterious painting and the deeds to a house in India, Emma is shocked. Margaret has rarely spoken of a link to India before she has been unwilling to ever speak of her past at all. But now Margaret has a request for her granddaughter: Find Archana . Margaret asks Emma to give Archana the painting and most important of all to tell her that she forgives her. With her grandmother on her deathbed, Emma travels deep into the heart of the Indian hills in search of answers, to a crumbling house overgrown with vines. And when she finds Archana, the secret Margaret has been keeping for over seventy years will finally be revealed the story of a day spent painting by a stream full of water lilies, where a betrayal tore three lives apart forever