Dark of the Moon

Fiona Valpy spent seven years living in France, before returning to live in Scotland. Her love for both of these countries, their people and their histories, has found its way into the books she’s written.She draws inspiration from the stories of strong women, especially during the years of the Second World War, and her meticulous historical research enriches her writing with an evocative sense of time and place.An acclaimed Number 1 bestselling author, Fiona Valpy’s books have been translated into thirty languages worldwide.

‘The novel is well researched and full of fascinating information about codebreaking and the French resistance, and Finn’s voice makes it come alive.’ —Historical Novels Review‘The Dark of the Moon is an involving and very touching read. It offers readers a fascinating exploration of a too-little-known element of Bletchley Park history and a moving personal story. The present day narrative interweaves cleverly with the past and I was gripped throughout.’ —Anna Stuart, author of The Midwife of Auschwitz‘The Dark of the Moon is a dazzling and tremendously moving story about love, courage, and the importance of finding answers. Told from the points of view of ATA pilot and Bletchley Park codebreaker Philly Delaney and Finn, her friends’ young son who helps Philly as she tries to locate her husband’s final resting place, this gorgeous novel is both a tale of wartime daring and bravery as well as a tender exploration of grief. Fiona’s beautiful prose brings the characters and their struggles into vivid perspective and the settings in Britain and on sunny Île de Ré off the coast of France are wonderfully immersive. Atmospheric and thoroughly captivating, I couldn’t put it down!’ —Linda Wilgus, author of The Sea Child‘The Dark of the Moon is a poignant, compelling and charming novel, taking us back to wartime France and immersing us in the work of the women pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary and the codebreakers of Bletchley Park. Told through two distinct voices, and with a dual timeframe, I felt empathy for both narrators and willed Philly to find her much-needed “closure”. Well-researched and sensitively told, Fiona Valpy celebrates women’s courage and the behind-the-scenes heroes of wartime, while also giving us a tender and touching portrait of an intergenerational friendship.’ —Caroline Scott, author of The Photographer of the Lost‘Fiona Valpy has written yet another captivating WWII novel, showing us the war through the eyes of a woman in her 90s. Cleverly weaving the past with the present, The Dark of the Moon is a thought-provoking and beautifully written historical story that I thoroughly enjoyed.’ —Soraya M. Lane‘A captivating and poignant story of wartime bravery and enduring love, told with warmth and heart. Unforgettable.’ —Imogen Clark, bestselling author of In a Single Moment