Enlightenment

Thomas Hart and Grace Macaulay have lived their whole lives in the small Essex town of Aldleigh, attending the local Baptist chapel. Despite a thirty-year age gap, they have much in common – both are torn between their faith and a yearning for something more. Their lives are turned upside down when several new people arrive, bringing with them love, hatred, and secrets. Thomas falls in love with James, the director of the local museum, with whom he shares a connection to the mystery of the missing lady of a ruined Victorian mansion. Will they manage to uncover her fate, intertwined with the stars, from the letters and diaries they gradually find? Meanwhile, Grace is captivated by Nathan, a boy from a completely different family background. Is their relationship doomed from the start? And will the dance of celestial bodies help them find clarity in their earthly relationships? In this magnificent work about love, faith, and astronomy, Sarah Perry returns in full force as one of the most interesting contemporary British authors.