Mrs. Walford

Brenda Tyedmers

Book cover for Mrs. Walford
Book cover for Mrs. Walford
Image for variant 9781069545701
Image for variant 9781069545718
Book cover for Mrs. Walford
Book cover for Mrs. Walford
Image for variant 9781069545701
Image for variant 9781069545718

Mrs. Walford

Mrs. Walford

Brenda Tyedmers

Member Benefits

  • 30% Off All Books - Savings that support storytellers, not stock prices.
  • Fight Book Bans - Every membership sends a book to LGBTQ+ youth in affected states.
Member Book Price
$18.99 $13.29
Non-Member Book Price $18.99

An annual membership will be billed at $48/year.

Discount applies to first-time members only. Already a member? Log in here.

View full details

Description

A dark secret. A second chance.

Sadie Walford, the wife of a prominent Brooklyn ship broker and mother of two, registers at the Queen Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia, using a false name. Two weeks later she is buried in the local cemetery. Or is she?

Without family or friends, health or hope, Sadie arrives already contemplating a drastic next step. But she hasn't counted on the likes of Eleanor, the hotel's no-nonsense bookkeeper, or Maggie, the annoyingly helpful head maid, who both have other ideas.

A chance encounter with a thief sets events in motion, and Sadie will be forced to choose: How far is she willing to go, to conceal her past, preserve her freedom, and claim the future she desires?

Inspired by actual events, this epistolary tale of heartbreak, healing, and hope unfolds through journal entries, letters, recollections and accounts. Set in Halifax, Manhattan, and on Long Island during the Gilded Age, Mrs. Walford is a story of found family, love delayed, and the power of friendship in turbulent times.

Enter the world of Mrs. Walford:

  • โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹From a raucous boarding house in verdant Flushing, New York, to the upscale Queen Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia...
  • From the heavenly windows department of Louis C. Tiffany's glass and decorating company in Manhattan, toโ€‹ a doctor's private practice in a quiet Brooklyn brownstone...โ€‹โ€‹
  • From the moving of the Brighton Beach Hotel on Coney Island, to the dedication of the statue of Liberty Enlightening the World...
  • From the bustling green market and waterfront of Halifax, to the tranquil shores of Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island ... โ€‹you won't want to leave.

Meet the storytellers:

  • Discreet, unruffled ELEANOR, who keeps the Queen Hotel's books, and one or two of its secrets
  • โ€‹Forthright MAGGIE, who's undaunted by her difficult beginnings and unfazed by the oddities of the hotel's guests
  • Enigmatic SARAH, who's buoyed by her new employment as an artisan, and burdened by her past
  • Chatty young MATILDA from the African Nova Scotian farming community of Preston, and her tiny observant Mi'kmaw friend HANAH from across the harbour in Turtle Grove, who together notice everything that goes on at the green market
  • Thrill-seeking JENNIE, who's never seen a pocket, or a mirror reflection, that she didn't like
  • And perceptive, empathetic FRED, who's seeking atonement the only way she knows how

If you liked the friendships and atmosphere of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and A Gentleman in Moscow, you'll love Mrs. Walford.

โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹

Critical Reviews

"Drawing on a real-life story about a suicide at Halifax's Queen Hotel in 1887, Mrs. Walford take seeds of truth and makes them flourish into a tale of secrets, addiction, and, eventually, redemption. With exceptional historical detail and unique character perspectives, Tyedmers takes us on a fulsome journey of heartbreak, healing, and ultimately, hope."

DONNA JONES ALWARD, bestselling author of When the World Fell Silent and Ship of Dreams

"Must read. A masterpiece of historical fiction and an absorbing mystery, brilliantly written, with fascinating insights into an art to add flavour...Mrs Walford is clearly the work of a skilled writer with deep subject knowledge and a passion for diligent research. It's an amazing story, superbly written. It will delight lovers of historical fiction, but also lovers of great women's fiction, mysteries, family sagas... and, really, anyone who just loves a great story written by an author with impressive ability. I will look for more by Brenda Tyedmers. Mrs Walford was a rare reading treat." LORRAINE COBCROFT, Reedsy Discovery

Publishing Information

Publisher: Brenda Tyedmers
Pub date: 2025-10-11
Length: 410 pages

The Allstora Membership

Membership Perks:

  • Save 30% on all online store purchases
  • Exclusive access to author's content
  • You pay less, but authors still earn double

Membership Terms:

First Month: $0.00
Monthly price: $5.00
  • To access membership discount simply log in and add to cart, discount applied automatically.
  • One month free trial, cancel anytime. Membership renews on the 15th of each month.