Second Time Around: A touching story of family, friendship and belonging

Description

When Mathilda Rainbird bequeaths her beautiful house in a Devonshire cove to three unknown relatives, she brings together a group of people who all secretly yearn for a sense of belonging. Tessa, a delightful twenty-two-year-old, still misses her dead parents and brother but has learned that it is better to be alone than to be with the wrong people. Will, a retired widow, is by nature a positive man. Enchanted by Mathilda's house and drawn to Isobel, Mathilda's housekeeper who still lives in the cove, he sees life taking an exciting turn. Beatrice, a retired prep-school matron, thinks the idea of living with her cousins is preposterous. But a magical Christmas spent in the cove soon wins her over. As they muck in together it is as though they have known each other all their lives. Isobel, who still grieves for her dear friend, recognises Mathilda in each one of them as she is warmly accepted as part of this delightful and truly extraordinary family.

Marcia Willett was born in Somerset, the youngest of five girls. After training to become a ballet dancer, she joined her sister's Dance Academy as ballet mistress. She then became a naval wife and her son was born in 1970. She now lives in Devon with her husband, Rodney, who first encouraged Marcia to write, and their Newfoundland, Trubshawe.