From the internationally bestselling author of Kane and Abel and A Prisoner of Birth comes Only Time Will Tell , the first in an ambitious new series that tells the story of one family across generations, across oceans, from heartbreak to triumph.
The epic tale of Harry Cliftonโs life begins in 1920, with the words โI was told that my father was killed in the war.โ A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father, but he learns about life on the docks from his uncle, who expects Harry to join him at the shipyard once heโs left school. But then an unexpected gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boysโ school, and his life will never be the same again.
As he enters into adulthood, Harry finally learns how his father really died, but the awful truth only leads him to question, was he even his father? Is he the son of Arthur Clifton, a stevedore who spent his whole life on the docks, or the firstborn son of a scion of West Country society, whose family owns a shipping line?
This introductory novel in Archerโs ambitious series The Clifton Chronicles includes a cast of colorful characters and takes us from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take up a place at Oxford or join the navy and go to war with Hitlerโs Germany. From the docks of working-class England to the bustling streets of 1940 New York City, Only Time Will Tell takes readers on a journey through to future volumes, which will bring to life one hundred years of recent history to reveal a family story that neither the reader nor Harry Clifton himself could ever have imagined.
Review
Praise for *Only Time Will Tell
*โArcher delivers another page-turning, heart-stopping saga, with delightful twists, and a surprise endingโฆ readers will surely wait for the next with bated breath.โ
โGeneral readers as well as Archer fans will enjoy this unforgettable tale, which abounds with cliff-hangers that propel its intriguing and intricate plot.โ
โWhat appears at the outset to be a straightforward coming-of-age tale becomes, by the end, a saga of power, betrayal, and bitter hatred. The novel ends on a deliberately dark note, setting the stage for the sequelโฆAn outstanding effort from a reliable veteran.โ
โI was utterly hooked. It was an absurdly enjoyable read.โ
Praise for Jeffrey Archer
โA dynamite commercial novelโฆArcher brings it off with panache.โ
โA compelling readโฆThe pace never flags.โ
โOne of the top ten storytellers in the world.โ
โArcher is a master entertainer.โ
โA storyteller in the class of Alexandre Dumas.โ
โThere isnโt a better storyteller alive.โ
โ Kane and Abel โฆthat classic of modern literature.โ
From the Back Cover
The first novel in the Clifton Chronicles, an ambitious new series that tells the story of a family across generations and oceans, from heartbreak to triumph, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Archer
The epic tale of Harry Cliftonโs life begins in 1920, with the words โI was told that my father was killed in the war.โ A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father and expects to continue on at the shipyard, until a remarkable gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boysโ school, and his life will never be the same again...
โIf there were a nobel prize for storytelling, Archer would win.โ *โ**** Daily Telegraph** (London) ***
As Harry enters into adulthood, he finally learns how his father really died, but the awful truth only leads him to question: Was he even his father? Is he the son of Arthur Clifton, a stevedore, or the firstborn son of a scion of West Country society, whose family owns a shipping line? From the ravages of the Great War and the docks of working-class England to the streets of 1940 New York City and the outbreak of the Second World War, this is a powerful journey that will bring to life one hundred years of history to reveal a family story that neither the reader nor Harry Clifton himself could ever have imagined.
_โArcher is a master entertainer.โ โ Time_