The Cottingley Secret

Author: Hazel Gaynor

This was a recommendation from Regan and it was available from the library without much of a wait.

I enjoyed the story – part of which happens during and after WW1 and another part that is happening in current day Ireland. The place in Ireland, Howth, is one of the first spots Pat and I visited after arriving in Dublin. The story talks about the wind in the harbour and I remember that it was a very windy day when we were there.

Although the story is a novel it is based on true facts about the Cottingley Fairy photos. Be sure to look up Cottingley Fairies on Google to read all about the stir they created.

Two young girls in England make frequent visits to the beck (a stream or small river) at the bottom of the garden. The youngest, Francis, claims to see fairies; her older cousin, Elsie, decides they should take photos of the fairies to prove to their parents that the fairies exist. When the photographs they take come to the attention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and several photography experts it sparks a number of investigations over the next 100 years. The story that unfolds in the present is quite predictable but an enjoyable read.

Goodreads Rating: * * *