Annabel Abbs

In a novel perfect for fans of Hazel Gaynor's A Memory of Violets and upstairs-downstairs stories, Annabel Abbs, the award-winning author of The Joyce Girl, returns with the brilliant real-life story of Eliza Acton and her assistant as they revolutionized British cooking and cookbooks around the world. Before Mrs. Beeton and well before Julia Child, there was Eliza Acton, who changed the course of cookery writing forever. England 1837. Victorian London is awash with exciting new ingredients from spices to exotic fruits, but Eliza Acton has no desire to spend her days in the kitchen. Determined to be a poet and shamed by the suggestion she write a cookery book instead, she at first refuses to even consider the task. But then her father is forced to flee the country for bankruptcy, shaming the family while leaving them in genteel poverty. As a woman, Eliza has few options, so she methodically collects recipes while teaching herself the mysteries of the kitchen. And to her surprise, she discovers she is not only talented at cooking--she loves it. To assist her, she hires seventeen-year-old Ann Kirby, the impoverished daughter of a war-injured father and a mother losing her grip on reality. Under Eliza's tutelage, Ann learns about poetry, cookery, and love, while unravelling a mystery in her mistress's past. Through the art of food, Eliza and Ann develop an unusual friendship and break the mold of traditional cookbooks by adding elegant descriptions and ingredient lists, that are still used today. Told in alternate voices, this is an amazing novel of female friendship, the ensuring struggle for freedom, the quiet joy of cookery, and the place of food in creativity all while bringing Eliza Acton out of the archives and back into the public eye.

A Novel of Victorian Cookery and Friendship

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen

'I love Abbs's writing and the extraordinary, hidden stories she unearths. Eliza Acton is her best discovery yet' Clare Pooley, author of The Authenticity Project Eliza Acton, despite having never before boiled an egg, became one of the world's most successful cookery writers, revolutionizing cooking and cookbooks around the world. Her story is fascinating, uplifting and truly inspiring. Told in alternate voices by the award-winning author of The Joyce Girl, and with recipes that leap to life from the page, The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs is the most thought-provoking and page-turning historical novel you'll read this year, exploring the enduring struggle for female freedom, the power of female friendship, the creativity and quiet joy of cooking and the poetry of food, all while bringing Eliza Action out of the archives and back into the public eye. England 1837. Eliza Acton is a poet who dreams of seeing her words in print. But when she takes her new manuscript to a publisher, she's told that 'poetry is not the business of a lady'. Instead, they want her to write a cookery book. England is awash with exciting new ingredients, from spices to exotic fruits. That's what readers really want from women. Eliza leaves the offices appalled. But when her father is forced to flee the country for bankruptcy, she has no choice but to consider the proposal. Never having cooked before in her life, she is determined to learn and to discover, if she can, the poetry in recipe writing. To assist her, she hires seventeen-year-old Ann Kirby, the impoverished daughter of a war-crippled father and a mother with dementia. Over the course of ten years, Eliza and Ann developed an unusual friendship - one that crossed social classes and divides - and, together, they broke the mould of traditional cookbooks and changed the course of cookery writing forever.

"a Recipe Can Be As Beautiful As a Poem"

The Language of Food

In this wondrous and provocative work, acclaimed writer Annabel Abbs follows the footsteps of extraordinary women who walked in wild landscapes throughout history.

Windswept

"Abbs has found a gripping and little-known story at the heart of one of the 20th century's most astonishing creative moments, researched it deeply, and brought the extraordinary Joyce family and their circle in 1920s Paris to richly-imagined life."--Emma Darwin, bestselling author of A Secret Alchemy and The Mathematics of Love For readers who adored novels like The Paris Wife, Z, and Loving Frank, comes Annabel Abbs highly praised debut novel, where she spins the story of James Joyce's fascinating, and tragic, daughter, Lucia. "When she reaches her full capacity for rhythmic dancing, James Joyce may yet be known as his daughter's father . . ." The review in the Paris Times in November 1928 is rapturous in its praise of Lucia Joyce's skill and artistry as a dancer. The family has made their home in Paris--where the latest ideas in art, music, and literature converge. Acolytes regularly visit the Joyce apartment to pay homage to Ireland's exiled literary genius. Among them is a tall, thin young man named Samuel Beckett--a fellow Irish expat who idolizes Joyce and with whom Lucia becomes romantically involved. Lucia is both gifted and motivated, training tirelessly with some of the finest teachers in the world. Though her father delights in his daughter's talent, she clashes with her mother, Nora. And as her relationship with Beckett sours, Lucia's dreams unravel, as does her hope of a life beyond her father's shadow. With Lucia's behavior growing increasingly erratic, James Joyce sends her to pioneering psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Here, at last, she will tell her own story--a fascinating, heartbreaking account of thwarted ambition, passionate creativity, and the power of love to both inspire and destroy. The Joyce Girl creates a compelling and moving account of the real-life Joyce Girl, of unrealized dreams and rejection, and of the destructive love of a father.

A Novel of Jazz Age Paris

The Joyce Girl

The moving story of Frieda von Richthofen, wife of D.H. Lawrence - and the real-life inspiration for Lady Chatterley's Lover, a novel banned for more than 30 years Germany, 1907. Frieda, daughter of aristocrat Baron von Richthofen, has rashly married English professor Ernest Weekley. Visiting her family in Munich, a city alive with new ideas of revolution and free love, and goaded by a toxic sibling rivalry with her sisters, Frieda embarks on a passionate affair that is her sensual and intellectual awakening. England, 1912. Trapped in her marriage to Ernest, Frieda meets the penniless but ambitious young writer D.H. Lawrence, a man whose creative energy answers her own needs. Their scandalous affair and tempestuous relationship unleashes a creative outpouring that will change the course of literature - and society - forever. But for Frieda, this fulfilment comes at a terrible personal cost. A stunning novel of emotional intensity, Frieda tells the story of an extraordinary woman - and a notorious love affair that became synonymous with ideas of sexual freedom. 'Annabel Abbs's poignant Frieda: A Novel of the Real Lady Chatterley captures the Lawrences' shifting emotions' The Australian 'I loved this novel so very much. Abbs's writing is glorious' MELISSA ASHLEY, The Birdman's Wife 'Emotionally intense . . . A gripping story' Daily Telegraph ** Contains bonus chapters from Annabel Abbs' stunning debut novel, The Joyce Girl**

A Novel of the Real Lady Chatterley

Frieda

Gerçek Lady Chatterley'in Romani

Efore Mrs. Beeton and well before Julia Child, there was Eliza Acton, who changed the course of cookery writing forever.

Joyce’un Kızı

Die Tänzerin von Paris

'A triumph ... I felt as though I were being lifted, carried up to peaks.' - Charlotte Peacock, author of. Into the Mountain: A Life of Nan Shepherd 'I couldn't put it down. Quite extraordinary... written in such a free flowing, readable style. I'm in awe.' - Maggie Humm, author of Talland House The story of extraordinary women who lost their way - their sense of self, their identity, their freedom - and found it again through walking in the wild. A feminist exploration of the power of walking in nature, following in the footsteps of Gwen John, Georgia O'Keeffe, Frieda Lawrence, Clara Vyvyan, Simone de Beauvoir, Daphne Du Maurier and Nan Shepherd. For centuries, the wilds have been male territory, while women sat safely confined at home. But not all women did as they were told, despite the dangers; history is littered with women for whom rural walking became inspiration, consolation and liberation. In this powerful and deeply inspiring book, Annabel Abbs uncovers women who refused to conform, who recognised a biological, emotional and artistic need for wilderness, water and desert - and who took the courageous step of walking unpeopled and often forbidding landscapes. Part wild-walk, part memoir, Windswept follows an exhilarating journey from Abbs' isolated car-less childhood to her walking the remote paths trodden by extraordinary women including Georgia O'Keeffe in the empty plains of Texas and New Mexico, Nan Shepherd in the mountains of Scotland, Gwen John following the Garonne, Simone de Beauvoir in the mountains and forests of France and Daphne du Maurier following the River Rhone. A single question pulses through their walks: How does a woman change once she becomes windswept?

walking in the footsteps of remarkable women

Un engouement mondial. Droits étrangers vendus dans 15 pays (États-Unis, Espagne, Italie, Allemagne, Portugal, Corée, Chine...) Angleterre, 1835. Lorsque Eliza Acton reçoit la commande par son éditeur d'un livre de cuisine au lieu de la poésie qu'elle affectionne, elle refuse. Jusqu'à ce que son père en faillite soit contraint de fuir le pays. En tant que femme, Eliza a peu d'options. Elle commence à collectionner des recettes et à apprendre à cuisiner. À sa grande surprise, elle se découvre un talent – et une passion – pour les arts culinaires. Pour l'aider, elle engage Ann Kirby, dix-sept ans, fille démunie d'un père blessé par la guerre et d'une mère qui perd son emprise sur la réalité. Sous la tutelle d'Eliza, Ann apprend la poésie, la cuisine et l'amour, tout en perçant un mystère dans le passé de sa maîtresse. À travers l'art de la cuisine, Eliza et Ann développent une amitié inhabituelle et réinventent les livres de cuisine. Basé sur l'histoire vraie de la première auteure de cuisine moderne, Miss Eliza est un roman envoûtant sur l'amitié féminine, la lutte pour l'indépendance des femmes, la maternité, la volonté de réussir pour une femme et, bien sûr, la passion de la cuisine et les prémices d'une cuisine saine.

Miss Eliza

Walking in the Footsteps of Remarkable Women

As the daughter of an impoverished, struggling poet, Annabel Abbs spent her childhood in circumstances not dissimilar to Lucia's - travelling and moving school/home/language with a 'present-but-absent' father fixated on his inner world. Annabel grew up in Bristol, Wales and Sussex, before studying English Literature at the University of East Anglia. Her debut novel, The Joyce Girl, won the 2015 Impress Prize and was longlisted for the 2015 Bath Novel Award and the 2015 Caledonia Novel Award. She is now completing her second novel, based on the life of Frieda von Richthofen, wife and muse to D.H. Lawrence. Before Annabel began writing, she spent 15 years running a marketing consultancy where her clients included Reuters, Sony and the FT. She lives in London and Sussex with her husband and four children

Sekret panny Elizy

'Effervescent . . . a wonderful portrait of an extraordinary woman' The Times Historical Fiction Book of the Year 2018 pick 'Annabel Abbs has done a superb job of chronicling Frieda's early life . . . wonderfully drawn' The Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month 'A convincing evocation of a remarkable woman' The Sunday Times 'Lushly written . . . compelling' Observer 'A lush and absorbing portrait of a fascinating woman who refused to compromise on what really matters: to be known, to love, to be beloved.' Polly Clark, author of Larchfield The extraordinary story of Frieda von Richthofen, wife of D. H. Lawrence and the inspiration for Lady Chatterley's Lover. Germany, 1907 Aristocrat Frieda von Richthofen has rashly married English professor Ernest Weekley. Visiting her sisters in Munich, she is captivated by a city alive with ideas of revolution and free love, and, goaded by sibling rivalry with her sisters and the need to be more than mother and wife, Frieda embarks on a passionate affair that is her sensual and intellectual awakening. England, 1912 Trapped in her marriage to Ernest, Frieda meets the penniless but ambitious younger writer D. H. Lawrence. Their scandalous affair and tempestuous relationship unleashes a creative outpouring that influences the course of literature forever. But for Frieda, this fulfilment comes at a terrible personal cost. 'Hard to put down thanks to its heroine's audacity and strength' Stylist 'Another absolutely superb novel from Annabel Abbs' Historical Novel Society 'An incredible piece of storytelling' The Lady 'A compassionately imagined tale' Daily Mail 'Fascinating' Red 'Another superbly written biographical novel by an author who probes deep into her characters' lives in a way that makes them instantly accessible' Sussex Express PRAISE FOR THE JOYCE GIRL 'A hugely impressive debut' Observer 'A powerful portrait of a young woman yearning to be an artist'Guardian 'The best 20th-century fiction of the year' Historical Novel Society

The Original Lady Chatterley

A Country Living Best Book of Fall! In a novel perfect for fans of Hazel Gaynor’s A Memory of Violets and upstairs-downstairs stories, Annabel Abbs, the award-winning author of The Joyce Girl, returns with the brilliant real-life story of Eliza Acton and her assistant as they revolutionized British cooking and cookbooks around the world. Before Mrs. Beeton and well before Julia Child, there was Eliza Acton, who changed the course of cookery writing forever. England, 1835. London is awash with thrilling new ingredients, from rare spices to exotic fruits. But no one knows how to use them. When Eliza Acton is told by her publisher to write a cookery book instead of the poetry she loves, she refuses—until her bankrupt father is forced to flee the country. As a woman, Eliza has few options. Although she’s never set foot in a kitchen, she begins collecting recipes and teaching herself to cook. Much to her surprise she discovers a talent – and a passion – for the culinary arts. Eliza hires young, destitute Ann Kirby to assist her. As they cook together, Ann learns about poetry, love and ambition. The two develop a radical friendship, breaking the boundaries of class while creating new ways of writing recipes. But when Ann discovers a secret in Eliza’s past, and finds a voice of her own, their friendship starts to fray. Based on the true story of the first modern cookery writer, Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen is a spellbinding novel about female friendship, the struggle for independence, and the transcendent pleasures and solace of food.

«Amo la scrittura di Annabel Abbs e le straordinarie storie nascoste che riporta alla luce. Eliza Acton è di certo la sua riscoperta migliore». Clare Pooley Inghilterra, 1835. Eliza Acton spera che la sua nuova raccolta di poesie la conduca al successo. I sogni di gloria, però, si infrangono contro l'oltraggioso rifiuto dell'editore, Mr Longman, che la invita a dedicarsi a un libro di ricette - del resto i lettori non si aspettano altro da una donna. Eliza s'indigna: in casa degli Acton la cucina riguarda solo la servitú. Ma quando suo padre, sull'orlo della bancarotta, si dà alla fuga, quell'assurda proposta si rivela l'unico modo per sopravvivere. Eliza allora impara a conoscere i segreti di pentole e fornelli e, con l'aiuto della giovane Ann, finisce per scoprire che in ogni ricetta riuscita c'è sempre un pizzico di poesia. E di amore.

La cucina inglese di Miss Eliza

Named a Pick of the Month by Apple Books and a Best Book of Fall by Powell's and The Story Exchange “A gorgeous and revelatory blend of memoir, travelogue, and long-forgotten history.”—Abbott Kahler Annabel Abbs’s Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women is a beautifully written meditation on connecting with the outdoors through the simple act of walking. In captivating and elegant prose, Abbs follows in the footsteps of women who boldly reclaimed wild landscapes for themselves, including Georgia O’Keeffe in the empty plains of Texas and New Mexico, Nan Shepherd in the mountains of Scotland, Gwen John following the French River Garonne, Daphne du Maurier along the River Rhône, and Simone de Beauvoir—who walked as much as twenty-five miles a day in a dress and espadrilles—through the mountains and forests of France. Part historical inquiry and part memoir, the stories of these writers and artists are laced together by moments in Abb’s own life, beginning with her poet father who raised her in the Welsh countryside as an “experiment,” according to the principles of Rousseau. Abbs explores a forgotten legacy of moving on foot and discovers how it has helped women throughout history to find their voices, to reimagine their lives, and to break free from convention. As Abbs traces the paths of exceptional women, she realizes that she, too, is walking away from her past and into a radically different future. Windswept crosses continents and centuries in a provocative and poignant account of the power of walking in nature.

Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women

Le destin d'une femme exceptionnelle. Une histoire d'amour qui est devenue synonyme de libération sexuelle. En 1912, une jeune baronne allemande vivant à Nottingham commet l'irréparable : elle quitte son confortable foyer et ses trois adorables enfants pour vivre son amour. La décision de Frieda von Richthofen va donner naissance à l'un des plus grands scandales de son temps. Mais qu'est-ce qui peut pousser une femme à quitter ses enfants ? Quel amour peut être plus fort que celui d'une mère ? Inspiré d'une histoire vraie, Frieda raconte le parcours courageux de celle qui a inspiré l'œuvre de D.H. Lawrence et notamment le très sulfureux roman L'Amant de lady Chatterley. Il explore les sentiments et les émotions complexes qui traversent une femme qui se bat pour être à la fois libre et mère. Des questions qui résonnent encore aujourd'hui.

Annabel Abbs

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