Searching for Grace by Carol Henderson
This book published by Steele Roberts is a beautifully written portrayal of Heather Tovey's search for answers. Her daughter, Carol Henderson finished the book and it is one of the most beautifully written glimpses of high society and a world so far away from the home and life she made for herself in New Zealand. A must read for those people who love the manners and mystique of Downton Abbey in this often amusing, sometimes sad and always charming book.
Throughout her childhood Heather longs to find and know her mother. Ironically she is invited to meet her birth mother at different times, never dreaming that this beautiful, assured and immensely wealthy woman is the mother she seeks. How their true relationship stayed hidden for so many years is a question Heather Tovey, who was born in London and spent most of her life in New Zealand, and her daughter Carol set out to answer. Intimate and often amusing details entwine the lives of those involved, but at the centre of them is the fascinating and obsessively manipulative woman who was Heather's mother.
Author's Bio
Heather Tovey was born in London in 1911 and raised by an elderly governess. At 18 she secretly married artist Gordon Tovey, who went on to revolutionise the way art was taught in New Zealand schools. In her early 60s Heather finally uncovered the identity of her mother, and in 1975 she travelled to England to pursue her quest to find her family. In later years she began to record memories of her life. The truth behind all the secrecy is the subject of Searching for Grace. Heather died in 2004, aged 93. Carol Henderson was born in Dunedin in 1935. She is Heather and Gordon's only child. She trained and worked as a specialist in art and craft, and as a primary teacher. In 1998, having retired to follow more personal creative ventures, she published a biography of her father, Gordon Tovey. She also worked with Heather to record her early memories. In 1980, with husband Neil, Carol travelled to England on the first of several trips to meet with Heather's newly discovered relations and seek further answers. Carol and Neil live in Wellington, New Zealand. They have four sons and five grandchildren.
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NZ $39.90
incl GST
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