'Manning expertly guides readers back and forth ... Like a skilled lapidary, she shapes and polishes the narrative to gradually reveal character facets and the stories that gems carry over time ... Characteristics of the gems themselves are carefully etched to reveal surprises, answers to riddles, and moments of deep emotion. Plotline layers unfold, illuminating shades of dark and light. This is indeed a treasure.' - The Historical Novel Society
'...seamlessly blending fact with fiction to create a truly stunning story, it's a heartwarming tale by one of Australia's best historical fiction writers that will keep you turning pages long into the night.' - The Daily Telegraph
Inspired by a true story, The Lost Jewels unfolds an incredible mystery of thievery, sacrifice and hope through the generations of one family.
In the summer of 1912, a workman's pickaxe strikes through the floor of an old tenement house in Cheapside, London, uncovering a cache of unimaginably valuable treasure that quickly disappears again.
Present day. When respected jewellery historian, Kate Kirby, receives a call about the Cheapside jewels, she knows she's on the brink of the experience of a lifetime.
As Kate peels back layers of concealment and deception, she is forced to explore long-buried secrets concerning Essie, her great-grandmother, and her life in Edwardian London. Soon, Kate's past and present threaten to collide and the truths about her family lie waiting to be revealed.
'There is something very appealing about a well-written novel that skillfully weaves the past and present, especially when there is a little known nugget of history woven deftly through its story. The Lost Jewels by Kirsty Manning is just such a book.' - The Free Lance-Star
'From an Indian boy working in the mines of Golconda to a sailor catching a glimpse of an emerald as big as his fist, Manning gives a voice to those so often unheard in the jewelry industry. A tale of transferred wealth, power, and passion, Manning's novel will appeal to fans of Penny Vincenzi's A Perfect Heritage, Paula McLain's The Paris Wife, and Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian.' - Booklist
Praise for The Jade Lily:
'Kirsty Manning weaves together little-known threads of World War II history, family secrets, the past and present into a page-turning, beautiful novel.' Heather Morris, author of the bestselling The Tattooist of Auschwitz
