Rose Macaulay was a woman of originality. The author of 36 books - several best-selling novels, culminating in "The Towers of Trebizond", criticism, poetry, history and travel - she was also in demand as a journalist and broadcaster, but more than anything else as a friend. Her zest for life, her razor-sharp mind, her caustic but never cruel wit and her brilliant conversation won her friends as various as Rupert Brooke and Gilbert Murray, Virginia Woolf and E.M.Forster, Rosamond Lehmann and Ivy Compton-Burnett. By the 1950s no social or literary event was complete without her. Indominatable, indefatigable, she was everywhere to be seen, a neat bird-like figure "like a furled umbrella", or perched in a black bathing-suit before diving into the Serpentine or wading into the Mediterranean Sea. She was an inveterate party-goer, an enthusiastic traveller, and a terrifying force behind the wheel of a car. This was the rose most people know, yet behind this animated and energetic figure was another entirely private one; a woman of deep if troubled spirit, faith, and one whose life for 25 years centred around her passionate love for a married man, Gerald O'Donovan. Jane Emery's portrait illuminates the secret corners of this writer's life. She shows how closely her fiction reflected her experience, and in doing so unravels the essence of a complex and fascinating character. Rose Macaulay's greatest achievement in the end was her life, a triumph of spirit over adversity, and Jane Emery does full justice to this extraordinary story.
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Under EU consumer law, you have the right to withdraw from your purchase within 14 days of receiving your order, without giving a reason. To formally exercise this right, use the button below. This is a distinct function separate from our general returns process.
Notice of Withdrawal
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Your right to cancel
If you order online, you have the right to cancel your order within 14 days of receiving your goods, without giving a reason. This cooling-off period runs from the day you (or someone you nominate) receives the last item in your order. To cancel, contact us at shop@chaptersbookstore.com stating your order number and your wish to withdraw from the purchase. Once we've confirmed your cancellation, you have 14 days to send the goods back to us.
Condition of returned items
To be eligible for a refund, your item must be returned unworn, unused and unread, in its original packaging, and in the same condition you received it. You'll also need your receipt or proof of purchase. If your return is based on the item's condition on arrival, please include a photo so we can advise the best resolution.
Faulty or damaged items
Please inspect your order on arrival and contact us immediately if an item is defective, damaged, or not what you ordered. Separately from the 14-day cancellation right above, you're entitled to a repair, replacement or refund on faulty goods for up to two years from purchase, under standard consumer guarantee rights.
This guarantee covers manufacturing faults only, such as printing errors, missing pages, or binding defects present at the time of purchase. It does not cover damage arising from normal use or wear, including creased spines, worn covers, marked pages or general signs of reading. If you're unsure whether an issue qualifies, send us a photo and we'll be happy to advise.
How to return
To start a return, contact us at shop@chaptersbookstore.com. If your return is accepted, we'll send you a return shipping label and instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted. If a return is due to an error on our part, we'll cover the postage cost.
Exceptions and non-returnable items
Certain items cannot be returned, including custom products, special orders, sale items and gift cards.
Trade-In Programme
If you're trading in previously owned books rather than returning a purchase, please see our separate Trade-In Programme terms, which operate independently of this policy.
Refunds
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