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Emily Hourican''s gripping new 2026 novel Princess Margaret trapped in an Irish house as a marriage unravels. Shop now at Chapters Bookstore, free delivery.
"A princess, a crumbling marriage, and forty-eight hours no one can escape.
From Emily Hourican bestselling author of The Glorious Guinness Girls comes a gripping new work of Irish historical fiction, inspired by a remarkable true event.
January 1965. Princess Margaret and her husband, Lord Snowdon, arrive at his sister''s grand house in Abbeyleix for what should be a glittering private visit. Instead they find themselves trapped outside, local opposition and IRA petrol-bomb attacks confine them to the house for forty-eight fraught hours, with no electricity and no easy way out. Inside, the tension is just as dangerous a marriage quietly coming apart, a sharp-tongued mother-in-law ready to hasten its collapse, and a princess whose glamour hides how little control she has over her own life.
In the village nearby, a young local woman named Cait is caught in a captivity of her own bound by family duty and the narrow horizons of small-town Irish life, and quietly longing for more. As these two very different worlds brush against each other across a handful of charged winter days, Hourican draws a sharp, compassionate portrait of duty, marriage, class, and the many forms a cage can take.
Atmospheric, richly observed and utterly absorbing, it''s been praised by authors including Alison Weir and Louise O''Neill a must-read for fans of royal drama and immersive historical fiction. One of the standout Irish fiction releases of 2026, and one to watch on our bestseller charts.
historical fiction - https://chaptersbookstore.com/collections/general-fiction-hardback-trade-paper-back
Irish fiction - https://chaptersbookstore.com/collections/irish-fiction
Irish books range - https://chaptersbookstore.com/collections/irish-all-irish-books"
FAQ''s
"What is A House in Winter by Emily Hourican about?
Set in January 1965, it follows Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon''s visit to a grand house in Abbeyleix, cut short when local unrest and IRA petrol-bomb attacks trap them inside. As the couple''s marriage unravels, a nearby village woman, Cait, fights her own quiet battle for freedom."
"Is A House in Winter based on a true story?
Yes, it''s a work of fiction inspired by the real 1965 visit of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon to Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, when local protest confined them to the house. Hourican builds an imagined drama around those true events."
"Who is Emily Hourican?
Emily Hourican is a bestselling Irish author and journalist, best known for The Glorious Guinness Girls. She writes atmospheric historical fiction often rooted in real Irish social history."
"What is historical fiction based on real events?
It''s a genre that blends real historical events, settings and figures with fictional characters and storylines. Authors research the period closely, then use imagination to fill the gaps giving readers a factual backdrop brought to life through a personal, human story."
"What''s the difference between historical fiction and a true story?
A true story sticks to documented fact, while historical fiction uses real events as a framework and invents characters, dialogue and scenes around them. It aims for authenticity and emotional truth rather than a strict factual record."
"A princess, a crumbling marriage, and forty-eight hours no one can escape.
From Emily Hourican bestselling author of The Glorious Guinness Girls comes a gripping new work of Irish historical fiction, inspired by a remarkable true event.
January 1965. Princess Margaret and her husband, Lord Snowdon, arrive at his sister''s grand house in Abbeyleix for what should be a glittering private visit. Instead they find themselves trapped outside, local opposition and IRA petrol-bomb attacks confine them to the house for forty-eight fraught hours, with no electricity and no easy way out. Inside, the tension is just as dangerous a marriage quietly coming apart, a sharp-tongued mother-in-law ready to hasten its collapse, and a princess whose glamour hides how little control she has over her own life.
In the village nearby, a young local woman named Cait is caught in a captivity of her own bound by family duty and the narrow horizons of small-town Irish life, and quietly longing for more. As these two very different worlds brush against each other across a handful of charged winter days, Hourican draws a sharp, compassionate portrait of duty, marriage, class, and the many forms a cage can take.
Atmospheric, richly observed and utterly absorbing, it''s been praised by authors including Alison Weir and Louise O''Neill a must-read for fans of royal drama and immersive historical fiction. One of the standout Irish fiction releases of 2026, and one to watch on our bestseller charts.
historical fiction - https://chaptersbookstore.com/collections/general-fiction-hardback-trade-paper-back
Irish fiction - https://chaptersbookstore.com/collections/irish-fiction
Irish books range - https://chaptersbookstore.com/collections/irish-all-irish-books"
FAQ''s
"What is A House in Winter by Emily Hourican about?
Set in January 1965, it follows Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon''s visit to a grand house in Abbeyleix, cut short when local unrest and IRA petrol-bomb attacks trap them inside. As the couple''s marriage unravels, a nearby village woman, Cait, fights her own quiet battle for freedom."
"Is A House in Winter based on a true story?
Yes, it''s a work of fiction inspired by the real 1965 visit of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon to Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, when local protest confined them to the house. Hourican builds an imagined drama around those true events."
"Who is Emily Hourican?
Emily Hourican is a bestselling Irish author and journalist, best known for The Glorious Guinness Girls. She writes atmospheric historical fiction often rooted in real Irish social history."
"What is historical fiction based on real events?
It''s a genre that blends real historical events, settings and figures with fictional characters and storylines. Authors research the period closely, then use imagination to fill the gaps giving readers a factual backdrop brought to life through a personal, human story."
"What''s the difference between historical fiction and a true story?
A true story sticks to documented fact, while historical fiction uses real events as a framework and invents characters, dialogue and scenes around them. It aims for authenticity and emotional truth rather than a strict factual record."
- Publisher Name:Bonnier Books Ltd
- Product Format:Trade paperback
- ISBN: 9781804442401
- Author:Hourican, Emily
- Publication Date:2026-09-03
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