Barbara Erskine’s THE STORY SPINNER has jumped straight to the Number 1 spot in the UK hardback Original Fiction bestseller chart, achieving a clear lead after just three days on sale, with Waterstones and the independent bookstores playing a big role in this success. THE STORY SPINNER was published by HarperCollins on 1st August and is the ninth of Barbara’s novels to become a Top Ten bestseller.
As the Bookseller wrote: ‘Historical fiction legend Barbara Erskine has scored her first number one since accurate records began’, with her record launch week sales for THE STORY SPINNER adding to a very happy birthday week for the author!
Read more about THE STORY SPINNER here in Barbara’s interview with Rest Less and you can find more interviews and news on Barbara’s Facebook page.
THE STORY SPINNER is a spellbinding tale of love, ambition, and secrets that have lain silent for over a thousand years…
The land of the Silures, 382 AD. Elen is a princess promised to a general of Rome. Macsen came to Wales seeking an alliance that would advance his quest for power. Despite warnings her marriage is destined for heartache, Elen is determined to honour her vows. But this union will change her destiny forever…
Camp Meadow, 2024. Cadi is a writer who has discovered Elen’s lost story. As she puts pen to paper, she hears the sound of ghostly marching feet. Opening the gate to the ancient meadow behind her cottage, could the secret behind Elen’s fate lie closer than she thinks? But someone is desperate to keep the past buried, plotting to destroy the meadow… Can Cadi uncover Elen’s story before it’s lost to time?
THE STORY SPINNER was a hit with early readers, garnering high praise from authors:
‘THE STORY SPINNER is another delicious feast of love, drama, suspense, mystery, history, and a ghostly magic that is Barbara’s alone. She’s simply unputdownable! I think this book is very special.’ – Santa Montefiore
‘Barbara Erskine has triumphed again. With her usual consummate skill, she has brilliantly crafted an enchanting story from myths, legends and fragments of history, set in Wales’ distant past. Beautifully written and vividly evoking the magic of lost worlds, this novel is so breath-taking in its scope that it left me longing for more.’ – Alison Weir
‘Barbara Erskine is the Grand Dame of the time-slip novel and this is her best yet. Gripping, constantly intriguing and brilliantly satisfying.’ – Peter James
‘A thoroughly enjoyable novel – this is Barbara Erskine at her best. Both stories were so absorbing and so well intertwined. I looked forward every day to my reading time knowing this was waiting for me – what a treat! Definitely going on my best books of the year list.’ – Elizabeth Chadwick
‘What a wonderful book! Unputdownable. It has all the ingredients Barbara Erskine’s fans would expect; real history, myth and mysticism all sewn together into a gripping plot. I love timeslip novels and this is one of the best… Cadi and Elen are fantastic characters, each distinct and belonging to their respective periods, and I was particularly fond of Uncle Meryn!’ – Deborah Swift
‘I have long been an admirer of Barbara Erskine. Her magical stories rise effortlessly off the page and this one, so aptly titled, THE STORY SPINNER, is no exception. There is romance, mystery, history, long-buried feuds and secrets all wrapped up in Barbara’s marvellously evocative descriptions. She sets her scenes so vividly that you can hear the trees whispering in the wind, the horses whinnying as they appear like phantoms from out of the mist... For lovers of top-quality historical and time slip fiction, I highly recommend THE STORY SPINNER.’ – Carol Drinkwater
‘I enjoyed THE STORY SPINNER hugely. Intriguing, dramatic, beautifully researched, with characters that bring past and present alive, it shows Barbara Erskine on excellent form.’ – Rachel Hore
‘Barbara Erskine is a divine storyteller, a clever spider who spins a golden web around her readers. This is a glorious dual-narrative tale, full of wonderful characters, atmosphere and magnificently researched history. I absolutely loved THE STORY SPINNER: one of her very best books.’ – Jane Johnson
THE STORY SPINNER is the first in two Barbara Erskine historical novels recently acquired by HarperCollins. The second, THE VALLEY OF RAVENS, will be published in print, ebook and audio in 2026.
Photo credit: Chris Norton
About the Author
Historian and novelist, Barbara Erskine was the first writer to become a major bestseller with dual time period novels. Her first novel, LADY OF HAY, catapulted her to international success and has been constantly in print for 38 years. Often imitated, never equalled, Barbara’s work is published all around the world in English and in 26 other languages. Her books are regular Sunday Times bestsellers in both hardback and paperback, with millions of copies sold.
Barbara Erskine has 16 novels and 3 original short story collections to her name. Euromedia published ‘The Best of Barbara Erskine’ short story collection in the Czech Republic in October 2020.
She lives in an old police station in Hay-on-Wye, the setting of LADY OF HAY and SLEEPER’S CASTLE, and near Offa’s Dyke, a key location in THE DREAM WEAVERS. Wales is also the setting of THE STORY SPINNER and the forthcoming THE VALLEY OF RAVENS.
Praise for Barbara Erskine
‘Fascinating, absorbing, original. But perhaps the most suitable word is hypnotic.’ – SHE
‘Erskine never disappoints.’ — Historical Novel Society
'My perfect storm of escapist bliss.' – Saga
‘The acknowledged queen of the historical time-slip novel.’ – Daily Mail
‘Whether you class her as historical or supernatural, she is certainly a first-rate storyteller.’ – The Bookseller