Three Words for Goodbye

by Hazel Gaynor, Heather Webb

Overview

From Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, the bestselling authors of Meet Me in Monaco, comes a coming-of-age novel set in pre-WWII Europe, perfect for fans of Jennifer Robson, Beatriz Williams, and Kate Quinn.  

Three cities, two sisters, one chance to correct the past . . .

New York, 1937: When estranged sisters Clara and Madeleine Sommers learn their grandmother is dying, they agree to fulfill her last wish: to travel across Europe—together. They are to deliver three letters, in which Violet will say goodbye to those she hasn’t seen since traveling to Europe forty years earlier; a journey inspired by famed reporter, Nellie Bly.

Clara, ever-dutiful, sees the trip as an inconvenient detour before her wedding to millionaire Charles Hancock, but it’s also a chance to embrace her love of art. Budding journalist Madeleine relishes the opportunity to develop her ambitions to report on the growing threat of Hitler’s Nazi party and Mussolini’s control in Italy.

Constantly at odds with each other as they explore the luxurious Queen Mary, the Orient Express, and the sights of Paris and  Venice,, Clara and Madeleine wonder if they can fulfil Violet’s wish, until a shocking truth about their family brings them closer together. But as they reach Vienna to deliver the final letter, old grudges threaten their reconciliation again. As political tensions rise, and Europe feels increasingly volatile, the pair are glad to head home on the Hindenburg, where fate will play its hand in the final stage of their journey.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063090422
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/27/2021
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	1,103,762
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author. Her 2014 debut The Girl Who Came Home won the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award, A Memory of Violets was a 2015 WHSmith Fresh Talent pick, The Girl from The Savoy was shortlisted for the 2017 Irish Book Awards, and The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter was shortlisted for the 2019 HWA Gold Crown Award. Last Christmas in Paris (co-written with Heather Webb) won the 2018 Women's Fiction Writers Association Star Award. Their most recent collaboration is Meet Me in Monaco. Hazel's forthcoming historical novel, When We Were Young & Brave, set in China during WW2, will be published in North America in October 2020.

Hazel was selected by Library Journal as one of Ten Big Breakout Authors for 2015. Her work has been translated into fourteen languages to date. She is co-founder of creative writing events The Inspiration Project, and lives in Ireland with her husband and two children. 

For more information, visit www.hazelgaynor.com

Heather Webb is the award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of The Last Ship Home, The Phantom's Apprentice, Rodin's Lover, and Becoming Josephine. Heather is also a freelance editor, and teaches craft courses at a local college. Her novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages, worldwide. She lives in Connecticut with her family and one feisty rabbit. 

Editorial Reviews

"Utterly delightful and the perfect escape. I loved being swept away to 1930s Paris, Venice, and Vienna alongside Maddie and Clara who, despite their differences, have come together to fulfill their dying grandmother’s final wish...A heartwarming and wonderful story about the power of forgiveness and the unbreakable bond of sisters.” — Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Secret

"Vibrant and laced with fascinating historical references...this tale of the complicated love between sisters and the mending of fractured relationships will move you, entertain you, and maybe even inspire you to seek out a truer path of your own." — Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names and The Forest of Vanishing Star

"Illuminating the importance of family and the power of forgiveness, Three Words for Goodbye beautifully renders the romance of France, Italy and Austria with picturesque streets and culinary delights...I couldn’t stop turning the novel's pages until I’d reached the high-octane conclusion."  — Meredith Jaeger, USA Today bestselling author of The Dressmaker’s Dowry

“What a treat! Three Words for Goodbye is an absorbing, escapist, uplifting read... Reading this novel is like reclining in a comfortable beach chair with warm sun on your skin and a glass of champagne at your elbow: you won’t want it to end.” — Gill Paul, bestselling author of The Secret Wife

"The perfect escapist read, full of heart." — Liz Fenwick, award-winning author of The Path to the Sea

"Three glorious locations, two different but equally engaging sisters, family secrets to uncover and hearts to be won and lost, plus one big, shocking finale, Three Words for Goodbye is the very best of immersive, escapist historical fiction. I loved it from the first page. " — Liz Trenow, author of The Forgotten Seamstress 

"Oh, how I adored this. I missed Clara and Madeleine every time I had to put the book down and felt like I was with them on their journey." — Prima Magazine

"Charming historical fiction." — Booklist

“Three Words for Goodbye takes us there: inside the cultural and class norms, the social pressures, the sense of duty and propriety, unrealized dreams, plus all the complexities that test and form relationships along the way: from sisterhood to family, courtship, engagement, friendship, even an encounter with a charming stranger.” — BookTrib

“The suspense of decisions to be made and secrets to be revealed are intensified as the sisters travel to each destination. In Three Words for Goodbye, the anticipation of what lies ahead for Clara and Maddy adds to this enriching, enjoyable journey.” — Historical Novels Review

From the Publisher

"Three glorious locations, two different but equally engaging sisters, family secrets to uncover and hearts to be won and lost, plus one big, shocking finale, Three Words for Goodbye is the very best of immersive, escapist historical fiction. I loved it from the first page. "

Liz Trenow

"Utterly delightful and the perfect escape. I loved being swept away to 1930s Paris, Venice, and Vienna alongside Maddie and Clara who, despite their differences, have come together to fulfill their dying grandmother’s final wish...A heartwarming and wonderful story about the power of forgiveness and the unbreakable bond of sisters.

Natasha Lester

"Vibrant and laced with fascinating historical references...this tale of the complicated love between sisters and the mending of fractured relationships will move you, entertain you, and maybe even inspire you to seek out a truer path of your own."

Kristin Harmel

"Charming historical fiction."

Booklist

"Illuminating the importance of family and the power of forgiveness, Three Words for Goodbye beautifully renders the romance of France, Italy and Austria with picturesque streets and culinary delights...I couldn’t stop turning the novel's pages until I’d reached the high-octane conclusion." 

Meredith Jaeger

"The perfect escapist read, full of heart."

Liz Fenwick

Everyone from shop owners to paparazzi and movie stars arrive in glamorous Monaco against the backdrop of Grace Kelly’s ‘Wedding of the Century’ to Prince Rainier. A delightful beach read.

New York Post

"Vibrant and laced with fascinating historical references...this tale of the complicated love between sisters and the mending of fractured relationships will move you, entertain you, and maybe even inspire you to seek out a truer path of your own." %COMM_CONTRIB%Kristin Harmel

Webb and Gaynor’s latest collaboration is a historical fiction home run. The duo brings to life a vivid, engaging heroine, a glorious Côte d’Azur setting, and the ultimate princess, Grace Kelly. MEET ME IN MONACO is smart, romantic, and heartbreaking, and the tale captivates from the start.

Michelle Gable

Meet Me in Monaco offers a fabulous you-are-there glimpse into the lives of the rich and famous—and real. From Grace Kelly’s royal ‘wedding of the century’ to the luxe lifestyles on the Riviera and in Paris and New York, this novel swept me away.

Karen Harper

Everyone from shop owners to paparazzi and movie stars arrive in glamorous Monaco against the backdrop of Grace Kelly’s ‘Wedding of the Century’ to Prince Rainier. A delightful beach read.” 

null New York Post on Meet Me in Monaco

Gaynor and Webb’s first collaboration is beautifully told [...] the authors fully capture the characters’ voices as each person is dramatically shaped by the war to end all wars.” 

null Booklist on Last Christmas in Paris

"Oh, how I adored this. I missed Clara and Madeleine every time I had to put the book down and felt like I was with them on their journey."

Prima Magazine

"Charming historical fiction."

Booklist

The suspense of decisions to be made and secrets to be revealed are intensified as the sisters travel to each destination. In Three Words for Goodbye, the anticipation of what lies ahead for Clara and Maddy adds to this enriching, enjoyable journey.

Historical Novels Review

Three Words for Goodbye takes us there: inside the cultural and class norms, the social pressures, the sense of duty and propriety, unrealized dreams, plus all the complexities that test and form relationships along the way: from sisterhood to family, courtship, engagement, friendship, even an encounter with a charming stranger.

BookTrib

What a treat! Three Words for Goodbye is an absorbing, escapist, uplifting read... Reading this novel is like reclining in a comfortable beach chair with warm sun on your skin and a glass of champagne at your elbow: you won’t want it to end.

Gill Paul

An enchanting novel...Gaynor & Webb weave a wonderful tale of love and loss, graced with the scents of perfumes, magnificent vistas and characters you will not soon forget. A delight for Francophiles, perfumistas, filmbuffs, and everyone who loves a good cry and happy ending.

MJ Rose