Books like The Children's Book by A. S. Byatt

The Children’s Book traces the Wellwood family as they navigate the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Olive Wellwood, a celebrated author of children’s stories, writes private novels for each of her seven children while hosting lavish gatherings at her country house. When Olive’s eldest son introduces a working‑class boy named Philip—sketching in the new Victoria and Albert Museum—he becomes woven into the Wellwoods’ story, revealing hidden betrayals and long‑held secrets. As the family confronts personal betrayals and hidden desires, the Great War’s upheaval eclipses their private dramas, moving them from England’s cliffs to Paris, Munich, and the trenches of the Somme. A masterful blend of intimate family life and historic upheaval, the novel showcases the profound impact of war on personal lives.

First publish date: 1998