Christopher Nicholson

In Christopher Nicholson’s delicate and heart-rending new novel, Winter, we delve into the later life of novelist Thomas Hardy.

The celebrated author, in the winter of his life, awaits a visit from the beautiful young actress Gertrude Bugler – the leading lady in a staging of his most famous tragedy, Tess of the d’Urbervilles. As Tess is prepared for the stage, Hardy’s relationship with the leading lady deepens, leaving his wife, Florence, troubled. An anxious and sickly woman, she watches the growing intimacy between her husband and the young woman and becomes tormented by the prospect of their betrayal.

Delicately-wrought and imbued with melancholy, Winter is a profound psychological portrayal of one of England’s greatest writers and of life’s ironies, disappointments and desires. An exhilarating tale that deserves to be read.