Two women, half a century apart, bound by secrets and the light of an Egyptian summer ... moving between 30s Cairo and 70s bohemian Beirut in luminous sun drenched prosed
The
Golden
Hour
Cairo · Beirut
Kate Lord Brown
About the book
From the glittering cabarets of wartime Cairo to the bohemian rooftops of 1970s Beirut — an epic story of friendship, sacrifice and a long-buried secret.
Cairo, 1939. On the eve of war, glory-seeking desert archaeologists, priceless treasures and the cabarets of Cairo conceal the search for the greatest undiscovered tomb of all — Nefertiti's.
Beirut, 1970s. As the 'Paris of the East' teeters on the brink of another war, Polly Fitzgerald has one last story to tell from her deathbed — the story of her childhood best friend Juno, and a life in 30s Cairo Polly has spent decades concealing.
Archaeologist Lucie travels home to be with her dying mother and uncovers the truth about her family, Juno's work, and a shared search that would shape three lives forever. A transporting, moving story of a lost generation transformed by war — and of great love and sacrifice in all its forms.
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster UK
- Format
- Hardback · eBook · Audiobook
- Price
- £18.99
- ISBN-13
- 9781398534780
- Setting
- Cairo 1939 · Beirut 1970s
- Publication
- 10 April 2025
© Lucy Williams
About the author
Kate Lord Brown
Kate Lord Brown's engrossing novels immerse readers into the cultural, historical and, of course, romantic lives of her characters.
Famous for her dual timeline novels, Kate slowly reveals how the events, secrets and protagonists of the past resonate across time.
Kate's ability to evoke the visually rich worlds of whichever time period she is writing about, with finely drawn details of art, culture and fashion, is no doubt due to her graduate studies at the prestigious Courtauld Institute of Art in London, and her experience in curating art collections for palaces and embassies across Europe and the Middle East.
Kate also holds a Master's with Distinction in Creative Writing from the Manchester Writing School and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Her novels — epic, emotionally intelligent stories rooted in twentieth-century history — have earned her a devoted international readership, with top ten bestsellers in the UK, US, Germany, Norway and Canada.
The Perfume Garden was shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year, and Kate has been a regional winner in the BBC International Radio Playwriting Competition and a finalist in ITV's The People's Author contest.
Kate is also a talented journalist and has written for many publications including The Daily Telegraph, Good Housekeeping and Condé Nast Traveller.
After many years travelling and living abroad in Europe, the Middle East and Japan, Kate recently returned to the wild southwest of England where she grew up.
The Golden Hour — Praise
Lush settings, vibrant characters and an epic story, packed with secrets — a gorgeous novel to curl up with and escape the world.
Epic, sweeping and gloriously romantic — the kind of book we have all been longing for. An absolute delight.
Pure gold.
Headily romantic, richly detailed, with marvellous characters and a vividly stirring landscape — escapism of the most elegantly seductive sort.
Wonderfully escapist with beautifully drawn characters, stunning locations and an unashamedly romantic heart.
Epic romance, not to be missed.
The Edition
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster UK
- Format
- Hardback · eBook · Audiobook
- Price
- £18.99
- ISBN-13
- 9781398534780
- Setting
- Cairo 1939 · Beirut 1970s
- Publication
- 10 April 2025
Order your copy.
The Golden Hour is out now from Simon & Schuster UK. Orders through independent bookshops, libraries and high-street retailers help keep the story travelling.