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Absent Lives

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Pub Date 28 Apr 2026 | Archive Date 27 May 2026


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Description

A haunting tale of the ripples of war, the endurance of memory and the unbreakable threads of family.

1915. When the RMS Lusitania is torpedoed by a German U-boat off the Irish coast, young parents Anita and Elmore are torn from their happy lives. They survive, but amid the chaos their infant son, John, is lost. Grief drives Elmore to vengeance on the battlefields of France, where he is reported missing in action. Shattered and alone, Anita seeks solace across the Atlantic, carving out a fragile existence on her aunt’s Californian ranch and with the wealthy McKinneys in colonial Nassau, before finally settling in the shadows of New York’s skyline.

Scotland, 1960. Twenty-two-year-old Charles is summoned to his grandfather’s deathbed and handed a mysterious package containing a child’s jacket and a bracelet. As curiosity turns to obsession, Charles embarks on a journey that will span decades, unravel a half-century-old mystery and lead him to a woman whose story was almost lost to time.

A haunting tale of the ripples of war, the endurance of memory and the unbreakable threads of family.

1915. When the RMS Lusitania is torpedoed by a German U-boat off the Irish coast, young parents...


A Note From the Publisher

Rebecca Pells lives in the heart of the Shropshire countryside. Following careers in banking and the charitable sector, she embraced her creative passions, becoming a full-time artist, with her work collected across the globe. Her focus has now turned to painting with words. Her debut historical novel, Absent Lives, marks the beginning of this new journey — an exploration of memory, loss and the quiet power of untold stories.

Rebecca Pells lives in the heart of the Shropshire countryside. Following careers in banking and the charitable sector, she embraced her creative passions, becoming a full-time artist, with her work...


Advance Praise

'Rebecca Pells has delivered a propulsive, dramatic saga that spans generations and continents, while at its heart is a mystery that's sure to keep you guessing.'

Kim Izzo, best selling author of Seven Days in May

'Rebecca Pells has delivered a propulsive, dramatic saga that spans generations and continents, while at its heart is a mystery that's sure to keep you guessing.'

Kim Izzo, best selling author of ...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781835745434
PRICE £4.99 (GBP)
PAGES 344

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