Two Good Men

Synopsis

A life of secrets. A century of love.

Sofia Lambert is ninety-six, and she has dementia. At least, that is what the staff at Einheim believe – the celebrated dementia village near Maastricht that Sofia herself founded. In secret, Sofia is writing. She has a story to tell, and she is running out of time. Born to an undocumented Belgian chambermaid, Sofia grew up across the railways and borders of interwar Europe. She became a wartime censor, an interpreter at Potsdam and at the signing of the Treaties of Rome – and, for forty years, the lover of two remarkable men. One English, one German. Both pacifists. Neither, perhaps, quite what he seemed.

Praise for Previous Work

‘(On Grace Williams Says It Loud) There is tenderness, joy, romance (not to mention inventive sex) and heartbreak. The language is tricksy, the subject disturbing. But this book is energetic, passionate and not easily forgotten.’ —The Sunday Times

‘(On Grace Williams Says It Loud) Books of the Year Far more inspiring than a hundred feel-good tomes.’ —Independent

‘(On Grace Williams Says It Loud) Grace’s story from child to adult, told to stunning effect. Beautifully written, funny, sad and unforgettable, a love story like no other, it could be your book of the year.’ —Choice

‘(On The Valentine House) A beautifully written, tender book, which rewards patient reading.’ —Antonia Senior, The Times

‘(On The Valentine House) This poetic and nuanced novel expertly reveals the complexity of Mathilde’s relationship with the glamorous yet troubled family that has fuelled her feelings of exclusion yet fired her imagination … [a work] of illuminating beauty.’ —Emma Claire Sweeney, Financial Times

‘(On The Valentine House) Henderson’s Grace Williams Says It Loud was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and this more than matches it. Gripping and poignant, it is also a passionate love letter to a landscape that has captivated the author.’ — Elizabeth Buchan, Daily Mail

‘A lively, complex novel, and Mathilde is a splendid character.’ —Anthony Gardner, Mail on Sunday