Hour of the Bells: A Short Story from Fall of Poppies

In this breathtaking short story, Heather Webb, the acclaimed author of Becoming Josephine, explores the heartbreak and devotion of a mother searching for peace in war-torn France.

Madame Beatrix Joubert has lived her life by the rhythm of the clocks, the call of a cuckoo bird, and the gongs of bells. These once comforting sounds, accompanied by the laughter of her husband and son, now only remind her of the emptiness of her home and the anger that grows inside her. Of German birth, she is an outcast in her French village, but her homeland is the enemy that stole all she held dear. As she plots and plans, fueled by grief and the need for revenge, Beatrix will embark on upon a dangerous journey that could forever alter the life she once knew.

Originally published in the moving collection Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War, this e-book also includes an excerpt from Webb’s latest novel, Rodin’s Lover, available now.

© 2023 William Morrow Paperbacks (Ebook): 9780062476579

Release date

Ebook: December 15, 2023