Skip to product information
1 of 0

A Fugue in Time

A Virago Modern Classic
  • Author
    • Rumer Godden
Format
Regular price £10.99
Regular price Sale price £10.99

Anticipated publication date

Mar 12, 2026

We will deliver the product within a reasonable period of time following the publication date

The publication date is an estimated date only and is subject to change.

We anticipate that the book will be published on this date. However, should the estimated publication date change for whatever reason, we will notify you within a reasonable period of time.

Ghosts past, present, and future haunt an old London house in this masterful work of fiction from a New York Times Bestselling author.

'A genius for storytelling' EVENING STANDARD

'One of our best and most original novelists' PHILIP HENSHER

'Her craftsmanship is always sure . . . pure, delicate, and gently witty' NEW YORK TIMES


Grizel Dane, a bold young servicewoman in the US army, arrives at the London home of her great-uncle Sir Rollo Dane, seeking refuge from the chaos of wartime. Through the old man, Grizel learns the surprising history of the Dane family and Lark Ingoldsby.

Orphaned by a train crash, Lark was taken in by the Danes as an adoptive daughter but soon found herself caught in a web of sibling rivalry, love and attrition. Selina Dane, racked with jealousy, sets out to destroy Lark's dreams of love. When Grizel falls for Pax Masterson, a wounded airman, Rollo urges her to seize her chance for happiness, as he was not able to.

A century of a family's history remains alive and vibrant within these walls, the events that defined their lives unfolding over and over again. But that living history is not ending quite yet, for the war is bringing a stranger from America to Number 99 Wiltshire Place to leave her indelible mark on it.

A different kind of ghost story, Rumer Godden's poignant, stylistically brilliant A Fugue in Time is a story rich in wonder, imagination, and heart - a favourite for the many devoted fans of the bestselling author of Black Narcissus and In This House of Brede. A passionate story of romance and tragedy also inspired the classic film Enchantment starring David Niven and Teresa Wright.
  • Published: Mar 12 2026
  • ISBN: 9780349017617
View full details

Press Reviews

  • Evening Standard
    A genius for storytelling
  • Philip Hensher

    One of our best and most original novelists
  • New York Times
    Her craftsmanship is always sure; her understanding of character is compassionate and profound; her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty
  • Irish Times
    Godden has never been out of print
  • Los Angeles Times
    All [Godden's novels] have one important thing in common: They are beautifully and simply wrought by a woman of depth and sensitivity