The Golden Thread by Tèa Cooper is a rollicking, twisty twiney (thank you Dr Who) mystery involving a beloved grandmother, Nell, her granddaughter, Connie, and a gorgeous silk dress that once belonged to Governor Bligh’s daughter. Told across dual timelines and set in Maitland and Paramatta in the 1800s, the story starts when Connie, expecting to go about her day as she usually does, wakes to find her grandmother gone. Knowing something is amiss, Connie is dogged in her determination to find Nell but it‘s what else she discovers when she does that turns her world, and her ideas about her family, upside down.
I love Tèa’s books, the way she brings little-known periods of Australian history and the events surrounding them, to life. Her characters are so richly and realistically drawn and their humanity beautifully brought out and you find yourself anxious for them, celebrating their victories, admiring their moral choices (or not) and grieving their losses. There are also a host of flawed folk with less than noble motives and they add beautifully to the drama and intrigue. Female friendships and familial relationships take centre stage in this book, as does the role of a precious dress and I particularly loved Connie and Nell’s very special bond.
This novel is a page turner and I read it one sitting, not wanting to leave either the characters or the past they inhabit. A fabulous addition to Tèa’s amazing and growing body of work that can only enhance her already stellar reputation. Put it on your Christmas present list – stat!