The Cornwall Collection
Manderley Press is delighted to have published two titles set in, and inspired by, the English county of Cornwall: The House in Cornwall by Noel Streatfeild is brand new edition of a forgotten children’ classic - an adventure story written at the start of the Second World War which is set not far from the Cornish town of Truro; China Court by Rumer Godden is the story of a country house close to St Austell and the five generations to the family who lived there, inspired by the houses the author visited throughout her lifetime. Both novels are the perfect introduction to this part of the world - a chance to escape into the Cornish countryside and revel in the nostalgia of a time gone by.
China Court | Plot Spoilers versus Content Warnings
I had a message from a reader last week who was shocked by the ending of China Court by Rumer Godden, and wondered whether we should have included a trigger warning at the start of the book. Without giving too much of the plot away, this has been a constant talking point since the original publication of the novel in the 1960s. It’s no surprise that the ending still elicits strong feelings over 60 years later.
Linda Grant | an introduction to China Court by Rumer Godden
I am thrilled to announce that the international bestselling and prizewinning author Linda Grant has written the introduction to our brand new edition of China Court by Rumer Godden. This book has been illustrated by Emily Maude and is the latest Manderley Press title for 2023, published right in time for Christmas!
Researching ‘China Court’ by Rumer Godden
As many of you will know already, we have another title in the pipeline: a brand new edition of 'China Court' by the luminous writer Rumer Godden. This book is set in a country house near St Austell in Cornwall, and I have been researching the area and the history of the local china clay mines and the nearby grand old houses, as well as the inspirational surrounding countryside too. All of which led me to The White Road by Edmund de Waal - a history of porcelain.