When Jeannie arrives in the Bay of Naples to join a prestigious archaeological dig, she expects dust, history and hard work. She doesn’t expect her life to split open.

Haunted by a mysterious family photograph discovered in childhood, Jeannie has always felt like an outsider in her own skin. But inside a ruined Roman villa - sealed for two thousand years beneath the ash of Vesuvius - she uncovers fragments of ancient lives that begin to mirror her own questions about identity, belonging and love.

As Jeannie works alongside an international team - warm, sharp, chaotic, and sometimes flawed - she is drawn into a world of friendship, rivalry, cultural clashes and unexpected emotional awakenings. The scrolls they uncover speak of power, sex, ownership and freedom in Rome’s slave society… and force Jeannie to confront the unspoken power dynamics in her own relationships.

A drunken, unwanted advance from a fellow student reminds her sharply of the misogyny women still navigate - but Jeannie refuses to be pushed off course.

Instead, she steps into her strength.

And then Will walks back into her life - a young lecturer she once admired from afar, now a man with a daughter who looks at Jeannie as if she’s already family. Their unexpected reunion ignites something warm, hopeful and deeply right… but Jeannie must choose how much of her heart she’s willing to risk.

As the scrolls reveal the voices of the past, Jeannie begins to rewrite the story of her future.

This sweeping, emotionally rich novel blends the thrill of archaeological discovery with a powerful journey of self-acceptance, love, and finding your place in the world.

Perfect for readers who love:

Jojo Moyes – heartfelt women’s fiction

Kate Morton – secrets, families, emotional depth

Elif Shafak / Maggie O’Farrell – identity, heritage, found family

Dual-timeline / historical-echo narratives

Strong female leads who grow, fight, love and evolve

Expect

A heroine you root for

A slow-building emotional love story

Ancient secrets that resonate across centuries

Family wounds, cultural tensions and quiet courage

Naples, Rome and the shadows of Vesuvius

A deeply satisfying, hopeful ending

Secrets of the Scrolls is a compelling, unputdownable novel about who we are, what we inherit, and the brave choices that define us.

If you love atmospheric women’s fiction with heart, history and irresistible emotional pull - this is your next read.