This is a stunning book by Fern, telling the story of three generations of women from the same family, whose lives are interwoven. Set against the backdrop of two world wars, we learn about the lives and loves of these three women.

The daughters of Cornwall by Fern Britton

Set in Cornwall about three generations where, with each timeline, lives are changing secrets kept , babies love and loss. Strong women in a period from WW1, WW2 and present day. Strong women in the face of their own adversity. How they cope and that will impact on future generations in some way or another .

A well written book.

Though I like this type of book I found the style a bit annoying to read it didn’t flow well as it kept jumping back and firing forward losing it's flow. Although it remained a Good story though.

3.75/5

A nice, enjoyable, easy read. Perhaps not as gripping as I would have liked but certainly enjoyable.

I did enjoy this book but somehow I felt it was slightly less gripping than some of her earlier works. I sound like a swot but I think I have read every one.
Having said that it is once again well written and it offered me a little escapism from miserable old lockdown. Ms Britton seems to capture the spirit of the pre-war era and I enjoyed the multiple perspectives.

My first Fern Cotton book. A light read, and good for the beach or airport. Good sense of place and time and the characters are beleivable, but it was. quite confusing as it jumped about between time periods and main characters.

This felt like a slight departure from the author's usual style of writing although it was still set predominantly in her favoured Cornwall locations. It begins with a story from World War I and the first 'daughter of Cornwall' and moves on to look at the fates of her ancestors, all of whom have faced challenges and had difficult lives. What binds them together is their love of Cornwall and this shines through in the author's descriptions of the place.

This story tells the lives of three generations of Cornish women.
Clara 1915 who had met and fell in love with Bertie Bolitho.
Hannah in 1936 who had fallen under the spell of Greg.
Caroline present day who was with Ade.
The story follows the lives of the three generations. Where love, loss, babies and secrets are intertwined through the generations. An enjoyable read, different to Fern’s usual style of storytelling. It had me gripped wanting to know more as the chapters unfurled.

Although this book was different to previous Fern Britton books I have read I loved it. This one spans the time from WWI to the present day and isn't set entirely in Cornwall The story is told through the female side of Clara's family. Caroline in the present day receives a trunk from Malaysia which reveals family secrets and follows Clara's life through the years.
Believable characters which draw you into the story with the full sense of the hardship suffered through the war years. There is a glimpse of colonial life in the Far East, and the effects of the atrocities the soldiers experienced in the trenches which had far reaching effects on them.

Having read all of Ferns other books and loved them, I was not disappointed. Absolutely loved it and the era that this was set in (pre war) made this boo for me, a must. Thankyou so much Netgalley and the publisher for this copy, it’s highly recommended!

Enjoyable, a great holiday read but unfortunately it didn't grab me as much as other novels from Fern Britton. The beautiful backdrop does create a wonderful ambiance.

I am a huge fan of Fern Britton’s books, especially her stand alone stories. The Holiday Home is my favourite, but this comes a very close second for me. The story of multi generations and their family secrets takes you through two world wars to the present day. I found it a very absorbing read which I thoroughly enjoyed. It is not often I find books that I want to just curl up with for hours but this was one of those for me. The characters were very well drawn and believable and I quickly wanted to know more of Clara’s story and not be interrupted in my reading! A very heartwarming story that leaves all the loose ends neatly tied in a satisfying, moving conclusion.
My thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for an advanced digital copy for review.

Sent from my iPad

This was different to the previous books I've read by Fern Britton. I love books set around the war years and this one spans from WWI to the present day. The story is told through the generations of Clara's family. Caroline in the present day, receives a trunk which reveals family secrets and explains what happened to Clara through the years.
Wonderfully drawn characters and the full sense of hardship through the war years, a glimpse of colonial life in the Far East, and the effects of the attrocities that the soldiers experienced in trenches, which had far reaching effects on them.

This book I found very different from Ferns other books. I found it difficult to get into the story at first, but found that the more I read. I became in grossed. Wanting to find out Clara,s life, loves and family

Thanks for the opportunity to read this. Not for me, sadly although I was very much looking forward to reading it. Historical detail a little flaky and a bit of a slow pace had me skipping sections.

This is written in an era that I have never associated with the writing of Fern but she does it brilliantly and from the very start you feel all the complexities of the characters. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend reading it to others

I know who the author is of course, but I’ve never read any of her books. I thought Daughters of Cornwall was great so I might check out her other books. This book uses my favourite kind of narrative structure; non-linear, moving between the past and present and the use of more than one narrative voice. The time period often shifts within individual chapters as well but it’s sight-posted so I never lost the thread of what was happening. I loved the characters. Such strong women who manage to survive the various trials life cruelly throws at them. The book is well written and completely pulled me into the linked lives of these very different women. This is a book about families and secrets, completely riveting. I’m glad I got a chance to spend some time with this book.

Many thanks to Pigeonhole, Fern Britton and the publishers, for the opportunity to read Daughters of Cornwall.
I have read all of Fern Britton's previous books (and loved them), but this is a very different departure. This is a family saga ranging from the death and destruction of WW1 to present day.
We follow the lives of the titular daughters of Cornwall, Clara, her daughter Hannah, her daughter Caroline and finally a fleeting mention of her daughter Natalie. I found I had mixed feelings for Clara - she is a strong woman, who carves a life for herself and most of her children. However she is manipulative and not very likeable.
The descriptions of life in the trenches for Ernest, were heart wrenching and so detailed, you felt you could be there!
As the story unfolds through the generations that detail decreases, which is a shame and perhaps leaves more questions asked, than answered.

Overall I did enjoy this book, but do prefer Fern Britton's previous novels.

It feels like I’ve been waiting absolutely ages for a new Fern Britton novel. The anticipation for this was high and happily this is such a brilliant book it made the wait worthwhile. As always the writing style makes you sink into the book and feel like you’re living it.

Enjoyed this gentle story spanning several generations of the Bolitho family. Quite different to her other books which have all been set in the current day. The ending I felt was a little rushed but funny how history repeats itself. An easy read.

This family saga set mainly in Cornwall, traces the lives of the Bolitho women during the twentieth century.

Clara marries into the family after the First World War, but cannot forget her first love who was killed in the conflict. Daughter Hannah, grand-daughter Caroline and great grand-daughter baby Natalie are all strong independent characters with secrets and stories of their own.

i enjoyed this change of direction by Fern but found the male characters flawed and the female ones rather unforgiving and self righteous.

I understand from an interview given by Fern, that the story was inspired in part by her .family history; an unknown Uncle wrote to her some years ago.