I’m delighted to be sharing my thoughts about The Golden Hour by Kate Lord Brown.
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- Category : Historical Fiction/Historical Romance
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster UK (10 April 2025)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 448 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1398534781
- ISBN-13 : 978-1398534780
Archaeologist Lucie Fitzgerald’s mother is dying – she’s also been lying. As her home, the ‘Paris of the East’, Beirut, teeters on the brink of war in the ‘70s, Polly Fitzgerald has one last story to tell from her deathbed. It’s the story of her childhood best friend Juno and their life in 30s Cairo. Lucie travels home to be with her dying mother and discovers the truth about her family, Juno’s work and their shared search for the greatest undiscovered tomb of all – Nefertiti’s.
The Golden Hour Review
Ten years ago, I read my first Kate Lord Brown novel, and The Golden Hour reminds me why I love this author’s writing. Kate delivers a rich, sweeping story that blends history, emotion, and unforgettable characters with such vivid detail that it’s impossible not to be transported.
Set across two timelines – 1930s Cairo and 1970s Beirut – this is a story about love, loss, legacy, and the meaning of home. At the heart of it are two women: Polly, who is nearing the end of her life, and her daughter Lucie, who returns to Beirut to be with her. As Polly reveals the secrets of her past and the extraordinary life of her childhood friend Juno, Lucie begins to piece together a history that stretches from the golden sands of Egypt to the volatile beauty of war-torn Lebanon.
From the first scene – Polly and Juno climbing a pyramid in 1939 – I was captivated. Juno’s spirited independence, Polly’s quieter resilience, and Lucie’s search for belonging all struck a chord.
Kate Lord Brown’s ability to immerse the reader in time and place is exceptional. Cairo’s heat, Cairo’s secrets, Cairo’s allure – it’s all there. And the archaeology! The excitement and wonder of the dig, the textures and smells of the desert – I was completely swept up.
But it’s not just the settings that stay with you. It’s the emotional weight of the story – the sacrifices made, the relationships lost and found, the quiet strength of women who carry on in the face of heartbreak.
There’s a slow-burn romance for Lucie, subtle but meaningful, and moments of quiet catharsis that left me in tears (a particular scene related to the horses undid me entirely).
Themes of identity and belonging run deeply throughout – both Polly and Lucie grapple with the idea of “home,” and the book explores how it can mean different things at different times in our lives. For Lucie, Beirut may be home, even if she hasn’t quite found where she belongs in the world. For Polly, perhaps it was always Cornwall – or maybe something less tangible.
This is the kind of novel I would have shared with my mum – the kind we would have stayed up late talking about, passing tissues back and forth as we read.
I still think about these characters. The Golden Hour is a story that lingers, that stays with you in the quiet moments. Beautifully told and deeply felt.
About the Author
Kate Lord Brown was a finalist in ITV’s The People’s Author contest, and her novel The Perfume Garden, which has been published in nine languages, was shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year 2014. Her books have been top ten bestsellers in the UK, Canada, and several European countries. In 2020 she was highly commended in the RNA Elizabeth Goudge Trophy. Kate has also written editorial, reviews and regular columns for Traveller, Conde Nast, Good Housekeeping, the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Express and others. She wrote the first book club column in the Middle East, introducing a host of writers to the region through the pages of Ahlan! After many years living overseas, she has returned to the wild and beautiful south-west of England, where she grew up. Find out more: https://www.katelordbrown. com and connect with Kate on Instagram and Facebook @KateLordBrown