May, 1914. 

Nestled in Sussex, the Summerhayes mansion seems the perfect country idyll. But with a long-running feud in the Summers family and tensions in Europe deepening, Summerhayes’ peaceful days are numbered.

For Elizabeth Summer, the lazy quiet of her home has become stifling. A chance meeting with Aiden Kellaway, an architect’s assistant, offers the secret promise of escape, but her marriage to a man of trade has no place in her father’s plans. In the ensuing conflict, Elizabeth along with her family faces a dangerous future.

As the sweltering heat of 1914 builds to a storm, she faces a choice between family loyalty and an uncertain life with the man she loves.

One thing is definite: this summer will change everything.

An absorbing, atmospheric novel, with nuanced characters and a plot that gradually winds tighter and tighter towards its dramatic climax. A work of high quality. Highly recommended.  Editor’s Choice, Historical Novels Review, May 2017

A smashing dramatic narrative.  The People’s Friend

The novel is delightfully written and Allingham’s prose is eloquent and evocative. A true delight.  QVC Blog

The Buttonmaker’s Daughter is a beautiful book. I was completely immersed in the story…The setting is idyllic, the characters are clearly drawn and the sense of life in the immediate pre-war period made me feel I was there in the midst of it all, experiencing the social conventions and class distinctions.   Books Please

This book gives a wonderful insight into the rules of polite society and the domestic lives of the wealthy elite just before the Great War. If you’re still missing Downton Abbey on our screens, then this may well be for you.   Mature Times