One of The Times' 40 books not to miss this autumn

Brought to life with the captivating narration of Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Luther and Oedipus at The Old Vic).

Continuing the story of one of the most beloved families in British literature, The Golden Hours is the brilliant new novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s iconic Cazalet Chronicles written by her niece, the bestselling author Louisa Young.

Our lives have changed so much . . .

It’s December 1962, and the Cazalet family are gathering to celebrate Christmas. With the family’s beloved Home Place long sold, Polly and Gerald have offered up their rambling stately pile, Fakenham Hall in Norfolk, to parents, siblings, cousins and children.

The old guard – brothers Hugh, Edward, Rupert and their sister Rachel – look on as the England they knew and understood fades from view. Cousins Polly, Louise and Clary, all now on the brink of turning forty, are struggling to balance the demands of midlife with their personal desires – however secret. And then there are the young – a new generation growing up in a society on the cusp of real change.

In this spellbinding novel, familiar faces reappear, newcomers are introduced, and the legacy of the Cazalets carries on into the Swinging Sixties.

‘Effortlessly authentic, pitch-perfect, funny, sexy and heart-wrenching, I can't remember the last time I lost myself so deliciously in a novel!’ - Julie Myerson, author of Something Might Happen

‘I'm overjoyed to have this . . . The Golden Hours is a wonderful read’ – Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina