'Based on the true story of this talented botanical illustrator, Holmes’s thoroughly researched novel tells of how the practical, hardworking Elizabeth came into her own...I could almost feel the burin between my fingers ....'
Historical Novels Review
Now an audiobook - see Amazon
Forthcoming talks 2023
27 July, The Garden Museum
28 September, The Old Operating Theatre
'Wry, vivid and deftly plotted, this account of how youthful follies can come back to haunt you in middle age is a real delight.'
John Preston
'This is a book you’re dying to get back to. Holmes creates a quiet air of tension as she deftly describes the carelessness of youth and its consequences in her endearingly flawed characters. I loved it.'
Hilary Boyd
'The best new novel of 2016 for me, was The Huntingfield Paintress by Pamela Holmes ….. The story is a true one, but Holmes has written a profound novel about Mildred Holland’s marriage.'
A.N.Wilson, Spectator 2016
‘A slice of Suffolk history brought beautifully to life’
Esther Freud
'An atmospheric and enjoyable story of a singular and free-thinking woman'
Deborah Moggach