I was already aware of the Cottingley Fairies before reading this book; I remember watching a documentary years ago, as well as the 1997 film Fairy Tale. I knew that, early in the 20th century, a series of photographs appeared, taken by two young girls and allegedly showing fairies playing in the garden. Were the photographs real? Well, the girls managed to convince half the world that they were, including the famous author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle! In The Cottingley Secret, Hazel Gaynor gives a fictional account of the story of one of the girls, Frances Griffiths, and through her eyes we see how and why they take the photographs and the effect the incident has on the rest of their lives.

Frances’ story begins to unfold in 1917, when she and her mother return to England from South Africa because her father has gone to fight in the war. Arriving in the Yorkshire village of Cottingley, where they will stay with family, nine-year-old Frances gets to know her cousin, Elsie Wright, who is sixteen, and the two quickly become close friends. When Frances insists that she has seen fairies playing by the beck, or stream, at the bottom of their garden, she and Elsie decide to take photographs to prove that they exist. However, they are completely unprepared for the sensation they cause when the pictures are eventually made public.

One hundred years later, in 2017, Olivia Kavanagh is in Ireland where she has inherited her grandfather’s bookshop. Sorting through his things, she comes across an old manuscript and is fascinated by what it contains: the true story of the Cottingley Fairies, written by Frances Griffiths herself. As Olivia delves into Frances’ story, she discovers her own family connection to the village of Cottingley and begins to understand the appeal of believing in fairies!

I’ve mentioned in the past that I often have problems with dual timeframe novels, particularly where one period is much more interesting to read about than the other, but I’m pleased to say that I think The Cottingley Secret is one of the better examples of this type of book. Although I did find Frances’ narrative slightly more compelling, I liked Olivia too and enjoyed watching her discover the story of the fairies while also trying to bring new life to the ‘Something Old’ bookshop, coming to terms with her grandmother’s dementia and making some important decisions about her future.

I can’t talk too much about how Hazel Gaynor approaches the subject of the fairies and whether or not Frances’ sightings of them are genuine, because that would spoil the novel, but I do think she creates a convincing explanation for how the girls come to take the photographs while leaving just enough mystery in the story to raise some intriguing possibilities. You may also be wondering how so many people, ranging from photography experts to the author of Sherlock Holmes, were so ready to believe that the fairies were real, but remember that the photographs were published at a time when the world was just emerging from four years of war and it’s easier to see why people were desperate for some magic in their lives.

I have now read two of Hazel Gaynor’s books – this one and The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter, about Grace Darling – and have enjoyed both. I’m looking forward to reading more!

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one. I really struggled to get into it and struggled with the format.

Over the summer, I lost myself in this delightful historical-fiction, The Cottingley Secret by new-to-me author, Hazel Gaynor. In which Gaynor takes us back, to reimagine the real life events that led up to two young girls from Cottingley, Yorkshire, convincing the world that they had done the impossible and photographed fairies! What I didn’t realise when I picked this up was that it is a dual-narrative novel, which was an excellent discovery for me, as this is one of my all-time favourites genres.

Gaynor splits her narrative between the two young cousins, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright in 1917, and Olivia Kavanagh one hundred years later. Olivia is a book binder from London, who has returned to the small Irish town she grew up in, on the sad passing of her grandfather. Whilst cleaning out her late grandfather’s bookshop, Olivia discovers an old manuscript, that slowly reveals to her (and us) the real tale of Frances and Elsie, and the more that comes to light, the more Olivia realises the fairy girls’ lives are intertwined with hers.

Turns out that the manuscript is the testimony of the elderly Frances Griffiths, who wishes for the truth to finally be told. As a young girl, she moved across the world, from sunny South Africa to the cold Yorkshire dales, to live with her mum’s family while her dad was away fighting. There she becomes fast friends with her cousin Elsie. Having been teased and reprimanded so many times for spending so much time at the local beck, the girls decide to take a photograph to prove the fairies exist that Frances claims to see there.

However the photographs become a national sensation, even garnering interest from the great novelist, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and soon the tale is not something Frances and Elsie have any control over. Their photographs offer hope and bring a little magic into these dark times of war. Not wanting to shatter this, the girls are forced to keep their secret for decades. All of which leads to an interesting reflection on whether it matters if they were fake or not, or if what they stand for is more important.

I think Gaynor has put together a lovely and believable series of events for how and why Frances and Elsie came to take the photographs, but without taking away all the mystery and magic from the tale. That magic also seeps a little into the life of Olivia as she reads Frances account and she starts to question her own life, what she believes in and what she wants for the future. In fact, for once, I was equally taken with both the modern and the past narrative in this novel, which is no small feat from Gaynor.

All in all, I thought The Cottingley Secret was a light, sweet and simple tale, that swept me along with the mystery, romance and magic of it all, which was just what I needed. I would definitely be interested in reading more by Hazel Gaynor. ⭐⭐⭐Great read.

I have known about the Cottingley fairies many years ago and have used them as the basis for photoshop assignments in the classroom. The whole involvement of Conan Doyle always intrigued me.
This is a fictionalised account that moves between two times in history and it is done very well. It reminded me of Tracy Chevalier and Remarkable Creatures in many ways.
I would totally recommend this book as it is great read and if you do not know about the true story you will be amazed on how long it lasted and how many people it fooled.

I had never heard of Hazel Gaynor but I had heard of the Cottingley fairies and had seen one of the famous photos but didn’t really know the story behind what actually happened so I was intrigued to read this book.

A blend of fact and fiction surrounding a series of photographs published in 1917 and 1920 taken by two young girls, Frances and Emily in the English village of Cottingley who claimed to have photographed fairies in their garden and captured the attention of a world at war.

With a parallel present day story line that ties in beautifully, Olivia Kavanagh discovers an ancient manuscript in the bookshop she’s inherited from her beloved grandfather. When she finds an old photograph she discovers that her own life is actually connected to the story.

In the end you don't care whether the photos were faked, or if fairies really were seen. You are simply enchanted that someone can believe that something so magical exists.

You don't need to believe in Fairies to enjoy this book but it might help if you suspend believes just for a little while!

This is a perfect summer read that will enchant even the stoniest of heart!

I love reading fiction based on history and I’d heard the fascinating story about the Cottingley fairies before, so was very keen to read this novel.
This is a really lovely book and a pleasure to read. The author treats Frances and Elsie with respect, sensitive always to the fact that these two girls were real people, and her retelling provides an explanation as to how and, perhaps more importantly, why, people were so ready to believe in fairies.
Frances is portrayed so authentically - her fear about the world in which she finds herself, her anxiety about her father, her unease as things develop out of her control. And Olivia, coping with grief and her own insecurities and fears about life, brings the story up to date, adding an extra depth and dimension to the story.
It’s slow-paced, almost gentle, but the story flows well and the tone is entirely appropriate for the subject. The settings are really well-drawn, without being bogged down in detail, particularly the beck at the bottom of the garden, where the sense of something magical is always rooted in reality.
If you like fast-paced drama with twists and turns then this probably isn’t the book for you. But I felt that the pace and the tone were ideally suited to the subject matter and the book weaves a lovely spell that draws you in and might even make you believe in fairies.
A lovely book for a relaxing read on a summer’s day.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

I simply adored this book and fell in love with it from the moment I read the beautifully written prologue. I admit to liking a bit of magic sometimes, who doesn't need some in their life? This book is so evocative of childhood and takes me back to hunting for fairies at the bottom of my Grans garden and making fairy houses out of twigs.

I've always been aware of the Cottingley photographs, so was intrigued as to how the author would approach this.
The storyline interweaves between two timelines, both of which are clearly indicated. The story takes off in August 1917 in Cottingley, Yorkshire and alternates between there and modern day Ireland. It's beautifully written with descriptive and whimsical writing.

It's a perfect read for lovers of books and bookshops, with Olivia in the present day timeline inheriting a bookshop from her grandfather. The descriptions are wonderful and vivid, so much so you can almost smell the books on the shelves. The characters are easily relatable and you feel pulled easily into their worlds.

Hazel Gaynor is one of those authors that can make characters jump off the page at you. I loved her style of writing; descriptive, full, rich and full of wonder and surprises, although it isn't particularly slow paced. It's definitely a book to savour and just perfect for reading in the shade of some trees on a balmy summers day. It's not often I read a book twice anymore, with so much to get through, but this is most definitely a book I will make sure I make time to return to again and again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

A lovely story based on true events in Yorkshire in the early 20th Century.

Written as a dual time narrative in present day Dublin and 1920s Yorkshire where we are introduced to Frances who at the age of 9 comes from South Africa to the Uk with her Mother where they live with an Aunt and her older cousin Elsie. At 16 Elsie would appear at first glance to be too old to be a bosom buddy with a 9 year old girl but the 2 soon become inseparable.

In the present day Olivia inherits an old bookshop in Dublin from her Grandfather, when she takes over the bookshop she discovers an old photograph in her Grandpa's possession which leads her to investigate links with the famous Cottingley fairies, photographs taken by the 2 young aforementioned cousins and purported to be "real photos of fairies"

Its a lovely gentle easy read, well written and utterly captivating.

What a fantastic book and story. I knew of the 'faked fairy photos' beforehand but never really thought about how it all came to be or what happened in the aftermath of the releasing of them. Liked how the story was based on both fact and a little fiction, in the past and in the present and told the story from someone who was actually there and in on the secret.

Do you know the story of the Cottingley Fairies? I did, but actually knew very little - my knowledge almost being summed up in a couple of sentences and nothing more.

This book takes me deep into the story, but put all your prior knowledge and assumption aside, this is a tale of two girls.

Frances Griffiths comes to stay with her Aunt and Uncle and cousin Elise Wright in Cottingley, whilst her father is at war - the year is 1917.

There are myths, local stories of some sort of presence that has been seen at the beck, at the bottom of Elise's garden mean that Frances is drawn there.

When the fairies are captured by photograph - it astounds some and for others they are nonplussed by the event. When a leading author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle takes up the story Elsie and Frances are drawn into a world which is no longer in their control.

100 years later, it is 2017 and Olivia finds an old manuscript when she is left her grandfather's book shop. It takes her on a journey to heal her heart, find her place in the world and also to Cottingley where the events of the past seem to have something to do with Olivia and the present.

THis is a wonderful dual narrative novel which has mystical qualities in both storylines which interweave. I was entranced by the present day story and of course Olivia's world of working in a bookshop is any avid readers dream. I was surprised at the story of Frances and Elise and learnt a lot - but one of the overriding things this story has left me with - is why it was taken to the nations hearts so much, why did people claim quite clearly that this was no hoax in any way. War does many things to many people. The loss that was felt and the belief that perhaps there is something out there.

A skilful fairy story weaved by a skilful storyteller.

I am going to begin my review by saying that I found this book to be utterly enchanting - such beautiful and evocative writing made me want to savour every word I read. I am not a fan of flowery descriptive writing normally, as I prefer to get the tale told: but this was so wonderful that I wished I could have framed some of the sentences to read all over again. One of my favourites is right at the beginning of the book "The house stood at the top of a steep hill, at the end of a row of seven or so terraced houses bunched together like books on a shelf, with Number 31 the bookend propping them all up".

The story is told over two timelines which are clearly headed in the book and at no time was it confusing to know which era you were in. One timeline is about the girls and how they came to photograph the fairies and the other timeline is set in the present day in Ireland. The present day timeline is mainly focused around a bookshop and I was in heaven when reading those lovely pages. I also loved the fact that Olivia in the present day was a book binder. I won't spoil the book by describing what the connection is, just to say it is all woven together with a thread that is in itself magical. There is also a sensitivity that the author shows for the subject of dementia and it was portrayed so realistically, as were the scenes in the residential home. As the book neared the end I found myself crying more than a few tears, as I had become very attached to the characters.

To be balanced in my review, I will say there are some elements of the book that jolt you back to reality and appear unlikely - such as Olivia seemingly cutting herself off from her life in England and her fiance. However, I chose to go with the flow and not worry about such things - after all the book is a little more than a little magical.

I had heard of the Cottingley fairies and over the years each time the story once more came to the surface I was intrigued - did the girls really fake the photographs? Whilst this is a work of fiction I was delighted when I reached the end of the book to find that the author had in fact connected with the daughter of one of the girls, Christine Lynch. She has included at the end of the book a letter from Christine and it just added all the more to the charm of the book. So often a book comes to an end and you are left in a little bit of a quandry as to what just happened? I have so many questions. But, Hazel Gaynor has not only her own "Notes on a Fairy Tale" explaining how she came to write the novel but also the photographs which inspired it. A wonderful finishing touch to the book for me.

I need to read more by this author. I do in fact now realise that I have one of her earlier books on my TBR list, and that book is now very much at the top.

I'm giving this book five out of five stars - I wish it could be more! My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book for review.

A really lovely read, very well done, well researched and written with respect for the real-life people it portrays.

A full review can be found on my blog, linked below.

We all love a bit of magic don't we? Well I certainly do The Cottingley Secret took me right back to my childhood where we follow a beautiful mesmerizing, enchanting, magical story.

The story alternates between the two timelines and starts off in Cottingley Yorkshire august 1921 with a prologue that will make you fall in love with this story. We then transported to Ireland in the present day where we meet 35 year old Olivia Kavanagh. Who doesn't believe in happy endings. She inherits her grandfather's old bookshop and has some decisions to make. Olivia finds an old manuscript and photograph in the book shop about two young cousins Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright who announce they have taken photographs of fairies at the bottom of the garden.

The Cottingley Secret is based around the Cottingley fairy photographs which some of you may have heard of but I must admit I had never heard of them until reading this.


I cannot begin to tell you how beautifully written this story is and it isn't normally my kind of read. But the whole fairytale storyline totally sold it to me and I sure as hell wasn't disappointed

This is definitely a book that you can curl up on a sofa and read which takes you into another world. I absolutely adored it everything about it. Which I highly recommend giving it 5 massive stars.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for a honest unbiased review.

This story had me hooked from the beginning to end. What a wonderful story set in 1917 with another story running parallel 100 years later. I think the story of the two young girls, Francis and Elsie, who found and photographed fairies at the bottom of their garden is known worldwide so this was a great way to put the story together. The journey it took you on was truly magical and then to combine the story of Olivia 100 years later who found the manuscript of their story was very cleverly crafted.

Each story although separate never is, because you know the connection is there and when it comes out it makes it even better. This story had many layers to it and each one was worth the time spent exploring it.

A great story already has been made even better.

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for a while now. The topic of the Cottingley fairies has always fascinated me and I was interested to see how the author would approach it. I wasn’t expecting the dual time setting of modern day Ireland versus early 20th Century Yorkshire, but it is well done with enough interest and intrigue in both sets of narratives to keep the attention without wanting to rush on to the next bit. Having said that though, I did enjoy the sections with Frances and Elsie a little more, possibly because of the childlike delight that exudes from the characters.
The book is extremely well written, and by the end I realised I had highlighted half a dozen passages that particularly spoke to me. I enjoyed the way the historical and modern tales interweaved and linked together, and the way that Olivia’s history is gradually revealed.
I think the author has managed to find the fine balance in this book between fact and fiction, and it was nice to discover from the notes at the end that the family of Frances were consulted and played their part in the extensive research the author has clearly put in. Overall, a fascinating and delightful story.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little cautious of this book because I usually shy away from fiction based around real events or people, I always question whether the author's take is correct or possible.
But the subject matter was of interest and so I was keen to read it.
I love the idea of creating a modern take on an old-fashioned story whilst trying to keep the magic inherent within it - and I think the author managed that well.
But personally I found the whimsy a little too chocolate boxy, and I couldn't help myself from questioning the truth of events - of course the author is using artistic licence so this is my problem!
Also I found the historical timeline dragged a little for me and I was more interested in finding out what happened to Olivia than the girls.
I am absolutely sure there is still interest in this story today and therefore this author's modern version.

What a lovely little book this was, based on the story the surrounded the photographs taken back in Yorkshire in 1917 it tells the story of Elsie and her cousin Frances who photographed the “fairies in the garden”.

It flits from the past too present day giving the back story and the current life of Olivia (who owns a bookshop and finds an old manuscript in the shop she reads which then leads her to believe her grandmother knew the fairy girls”....

I loved reading about Elsie and Frances escapades and the back story of the photographs was well written, loved the connections and the back and forth and really enjoyed the book. A lovely little read.

I believe!!

I found this to be a magical, charming and wonderful story that mixes fact with fiction in a delightful story that kept me enthralled from start to finish!

It mixes the 'then' storyline of 1917 when 2 girls, Frances and Elsie, fooled the world with their photographs of the fairies they saw playing at the beck in Cottingley, and how it consumed their lives and often left them feeling they hadn't let the world know of their secret!

And in the present day we follow Olivia who is struggling to connect with her life as she loses close relatives, is struggling to keep her beloved bookshop open and is facing her wedding day with major doubts over her relationship with the odious Jack. As she is decluttering she stumbles across a manuscript written by Frances and details her life and she is enthralled by what she finds and sets about trying to find the truth behind the story she reads and how it connects to her family.

The characters were a major strength in this book. The young girls and their story was fascinating as their lives weren't easy, but they found comfort in spending time with each other and the garden visitors and it helped them make sense of the world. And Olivia was delightful in her devotion to her family, especially her grandparents, after her tragic youth and her inquisitive mind was perfect to let the story develop while she discovered more about herself - both of her past and for her own personal decisions she needed to make. The fairy magic begins to creep into the bookshop too and maybe life is about to be transformed for Olivia!

I found this really easy to read and can highly recommend it to those who love history and a story full of magic!

I was able to read this story because Netgalley and the book’s publishers Harper Collins. The title,’ The Cottingley Secret’ for some reason resonated straight away, with the thought of the fairies in the garden.
Which is of course what the book is based on, the photographs published in 1917 and 1920 of the fairies in the garden. The book is a delightfully old fashioned story of the young girl who first saw the fairies, Frances and her best friend, Elsie and the generations of women in France’s family and Ellen Hogan her teacher. It is a charming, courteous book which is well written and romantic.
I would recommend this book as a wonderful interlude from today’s busy lives and a stepping back in time to youthful innocence.
Highly recommended.