Kayte Nunn on The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant

Kayte Nunn discusses her new novel The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant with Meredith Jaffé. The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant is a deeply atmospheric, resonant novel that charts the heart's wild places, choices and consequences.

About the Book

A cache of unsent love letters from the 1950s is found in a suitcase on a remote island in this mysterious love story by top ten bestselling author, Kayte Nunn

1951. Esther Durrant, a young mother, is committed to an isolated mental asylum by her husband. Run by a pioneering psychiatrist, the hospital is at first Esther's prison but soon becomes her refuge.

2018. Free-spirited marine scientist Rachel Parker embarks on a research posting in the Isles of Scilly, off the Cornish coast. When a violent storm forces her to take shelter on a far-flung island, she discovers a collection of hidden love letters. Captivated by their passion and tenderness, Rachel determines to track down the intended recipient.

Meanwhile, in London, Eve is helping her grandmother, a renowned mountaineer, write her memoirs. When she is contacted by Rachel, it sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to reveal secrets kept buried for more than sixty years.

The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant is a deeply atmospheric, resonant novel that charts the heart's wild places, choices and consequences. If you love Elizabeth Gilbert and Kate Morton you will devour this book. 

Praise for The Botanist's Daughter

"I loved The Botanist's Daughter. I was transported to the 1880s and Chile, to contemporary Sydney and Kew. A gripping read." - Joy Rhoades, author of The Woolgrower's Companion.

"The riveting story of two women, divided by a century in time, but united by their quest to discover a rare and dangerous flower. Fast-moving and full of surprises, The Botanist's Daughter brings the exotic world of 19th-century Chile thrillingly to life." - Kate Forsyth.

About the Author

Kayte Nunn is a former book and magazine editor, and the author of two contemporary novels, Rose's Vintage and Angel's Share. The Botanist's Daughter was Kayte's first novel of transporting historical fiction.

Her new novel The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant, is set largely in the atmospheric Isles of Scilly. If you would like to see the wonderful images inspired by the book, Kayte's Pinterest page is here, and you can find her at kaytenunn.com.

About Meredith Jaffé

Meredith Jaffé is the author of two published works of fiction, The Fence (2016) and The Making of Christina (2017). She is the Festival Director for StoryFest held on the NSW South Coast and regularly facilitates at other writers’ festivals, literary lunches and author events. For four years she wrote the weekly literary column The Bookshelf for the online women’s magazine The Hoopla. Her reviews, author interviews, feature articles and opinion pieces have appeared in The Hoopla, Australian Author, Guardian Australia, The Huffington Post and Mamamia.