White Motley: A Novel

A forgotten gem of early 20th-century fiction, White Motley unfolds across the snow-dusted peaks of the Swiss Alps, where a troupe of British winter sports enthusiasts gathers at the resort of Andana. At its center stands Mrs. Kennaird, the enigmatic 'little widow,' whose cool elegance conceals secrets entangled with the past. She is pursued by the ghosts of New House at Holmswell, where Sir Luton Delayne and Lady Delayne once presided over a marriage now shattered by tragedy. Into this world of refined surfaces and buried history stumbles Benny Benson, a well-meaning but bumbling young man whose desperate desire to become an aviator masks a deeper hunger to transcend his humble origins. Drawn to Mrs. Kennaird despite their vast differences in station, Benny finds himself navigating a landscape where class boundaries feel as permeable as the Alpine mist. Amidst ghostly rumors and the thrill of new beginnings, the novel explores what happens when the pursuit of happiness collides with the weight of who we were and who we long to become. This is a story of ambition, identity, and the lies we tell ourselves about second chances.