In post-World War I London, Frances Wray and her mother face financial ruin and decide to take in tenants, or 'paying guests,' to help make ends meet. The newcomers, an unconventional couple, ignite a spark in Frances that leads her into a dangerous relationship filled with passion and betrayal. As secrets unravel, the boundaries of desire and morality blur, thrusting Frances into a web of obsession. When a crime occurs, the fallout forces her to confront her deepest fears and darkest instincts. 'The Paying Guests' masterfully explores themes of love, class, and the consequences of choice in a society teetering on the edge of modernity.
By Sarah Waters
Published: 2015
"In a world of secrets and silences, love and passion are the only truths that can break free."
The “volcanically sexy” (USA Today) bestseller about a widow and her daughter who take a young couple into their home in 1920s London. It is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned; the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. And in South London, in a genteel Camberwell villa—a large, silent house now bereft of brothers, husband, and even servants—life is about to be transformed, as impoverished widow Mrs. Wray and her spinster daughter, Frances, are obliged to take in lodgers. With the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the “clerk class,” the routines of the house will be shaken up in unexpected ways. Little do the Wrays know just how profoundly their new tenants will alter the course of Frances’s life—or, as passions mount and frustration gathers, how far-reaching, and how devastating, the disturbances will be. Short-listed for the Man Booker Prize three times, Sarah Waters has earned a reputation as one of our greatest writers of historical fiction.
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“In a world of secrets and silences, love and passion are the only truths that can break free.”
The Paying Guests
By Sarah Waters
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
Sarah Waters is a renowned British author celebrated for her compelling and evocative historical fiction that often explores themes of gender, sexuality, and social class. Her notable works include 'Fingersmith', 'Tipping the Velvet', and 'The Night Watch', each renowned for their intricate plots and richly detailed settings. Waters' writing style is characterized by her ability to blend suspense and emotional depth, often featuring LGBTQ+ characters and experiences, which have garnered her widespread acclaim and a dedicated readership.
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