Oriental Lake Series by Ann Bennett

The Lake Pavilion: a sweeping story of secrets and betrayal in wartime England and 1930s British India...India 1935: Amelia Collins, a missionary’s daughter, left destitute by the death of her parents, leaves their home in the Himalayan foothills to find work in Darjeeling. There she meets District Officer Reginald Holden, a powerful older man, who spirits her away from poverty and prejudice to start a new life as his wife in Ganpur... moreThe Lake Pavilion: a sweeping story of secrets and betrayal in wartime England and 1930s British India...India 1935: Amelia Collins, a missionary’s daughter, left destitute by the death of her parents, leaves their home in the Himalayan foothills to find work in Darjeeling. There she meets District Officer Reginald Holden, a powerful older man, who spirits her away from poverty and prejudice to start a new life as his wife in Ganpur.Amelia soon forms a bond with Reginald’s young son, Arthur, and resumes missionary work in the villages around Ganpur. There, she discovers a pavilion on a lake where the wives of maharajahs once bathed, now abandoned and cloaked in mystery. ​When the Indian independence movement flares in Ganpur and Reginald struggles to contain it, Amelia's world begins to fall apart as she uncovers the shattering truths he has been keeping from her. Decades later, when Kate Hamilton inherits a rambling country house from her great aunt Amelia, she returns to the village in Buckinghamshire that she left as a teenager in 1944. Sorting through long-hidden papers, she begins to unearth Amelia’s secrets from her years in British India. But Kate is harbouring a secret of her own – a devastating betrayal from that last summer of the war. She has lived in the shadow of that day ever since, but Kate is convinced that unlocking the truth about Amelia’s Indian past will hold the key to her own future… less

From Ann Bennett, bestselling author of The Orphan House, comes The Lake Pagoda, a captivating story of love and loss set in war-torn Indochina.Perfect for fans of Dinah Jeffries and Victoria Hislop.Indochina 1945: Arielle, who is half-French, half-Vietnamese, is working as a secretary for the French colonial government when the Japanese storm Hanoi. Although her Asian blood spares her from imprisonment, she is forced to work for the occupiers... moreFrom Ann Bennett, bestselling author of The Orphan House, comes The Lake Pagoda, a captivating story of love and loss set in war-torn Indochina.Perfect for fans of Dinah Jeffries and Victoria Hislop.Indochina 1945: Arielle, who is half-French, half-Vietnamese, is working as a secretary for the French colonial government when the Japanese storm Hanoi. Although her Asian blood spares her from imprisonment, she is forced to work for the occupiers. The Viet Minh threaten to reveal dark secrets from her past if she won’t pass them information from her new masters.Drawn ever deeper into the rebels’ dangerous world, will Arielle ever escape the torment of her past? Or will she find love amidst the turmoil of war?A novel of love, loss, war, and survival against all odds.Praise for Ann Bennett“Brilliant: I loved this book and believed in the characters immediately…Didn't want it to finish and several hours after reading the last line, it’s still going round in my head. Great book!” Five Stars Amazon reviewer“I raced through this book in just over twenty-four hours. I literally could not put it down…’ Bibilobeth Goodreads“Unputdownable: This was an engrossing read. I love how Ann Bennett crafts a story. Highly recommended.” Five Stars. Amazon reviewer.“Fabulous!!!!!! One of the very best books I've read! Really keeps your interests piqued… Absolutely loved, loved, this story!” Five Stars. Goodreads reviewer less