Helena is a middle-aged, unfulfilled library assistant. She's single, lives in a grotty studio flat, and is in constant pain. She wishes her boss would just let her disappear between the pages in the library's History section.

But then history comes to her. Cynthia, an elderly library user, shares a selection of fascinating letters collected by her historian daughter. Women whom history has largely forgotten step off the page as Helena is transported into the lives of pharaohs and queens, artists and radicals.

Cynthia encourages her to compile the letters into a book. Helena refuses, weighed down with self-doubt. But the more letters she reads, the more she views life and relationships differently. These letters from the past have become entwined with her own future. Can she find the confidence to write the book, and will giving these women a voice finally allow her to find her own?

This historical fiction spans thousands of years and reveals snapshots of women throughout history in a series of imagined letters written by real historical figures. Become immersed in the letters as Helena discovers them in this unique and refreshing look at the changing roles women have played, and reflect on how relevant many of their experiences still are today.

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