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The Infamous Gilberts
- Author
- Angela Tomaski
- Narrator
- Michael Bertenshaw
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 20 January 2026
- Run Time
- 8 hours 2 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
‘We shall be forgotten.’ he said. ‘We shall be lost. They will scrub us away like a set of dirty fingerprints on a plastic kettle.’
The crumbling Gothic mansion of Thornwalk, long-term home of the Gilbert family, is being handed over to a chain of luxury ‘historic’ hotels. Millions will be spent in its restoration. But for every ‘improvement’, what will be lost? What value can there possibly be in a threadbare carpet, a tarnished spoon and a thousand empty jam jars?
Before the hotel people arrive, with their clipboards and their skips and their bottles of bleach, Maximus, loyal guardian of the Gilberts’ legacy, invites us on a final tour of the once-stately home, where each room holds a secret. From the bolt on the blue room door to the tiny dents in the bars at the nursery window … these are the keys that will unlock the lives of the five fatherless Gilbert children.
A frustrated romantic, a stubborn traditionalist, a dreamer, a diva and an explorer: The Infamous Gilberts will be cast adrift on the irresistible tides of the twentieth century, buoyed by love, buffeted by loss, and tangled together in an unputdownable story where the lines between eccentricity and madness, cruelty and love become hilariously, heartbreakingly blurred.
'Completely captivating: I absolutely loved it. A compelling, ingenious, mischievous blend of tragedy, comedy and intrigue' Nina Stibbe
© Angela Tomaski 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Critics Review
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Vivid, poignant, infuriating, hilarious and tragic: the most rewarding and beautiful novel I've read in ages
Barbara Trapido
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A family saga like no other. Gloriously off-beat, darkly comedic and totally bewitching. A bravura performance
Sarah Winman, author of Still Life
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Completely captivating: I absolutely loved it. A compelling, ingenious, mischievous blend of tragedy, comedy and intrigue
Nina Stibbe
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Eccentric and deliciously addictive ... a gorgeous portrayal of a family caught in a privileged world that no longer exists
Rachel Joyce
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Can a tragedy be cozy? ... Tomaski puts a quirky spin on Gothic storytelling... with rare control and evident relish
New York Times
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An absolute gem
Sunday Times Style
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Funny, and silly, and brilliantly crazy, and so poignant it made me cry. One of the best books - if not the best - I've read this year
Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground
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Exquisite, unsettling and utterly unique
Jessica Stanley, author of Consider Yourself Kissed
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Dazzlingly original and told with wit, heart and humanity, it's the kind of novel you cannot bear to put down until you know the fate of every character
Joanna Miller, author of The Eights
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Romantic misadventures, dastardly characters, lost boys and lashings of atmosphere: it’s all here
The Guardian, 70 brilliant books for the summer
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Angela Tomaski
- Narrator
- Michael Bertenshaw
- Duration
- 8 hours 2 minutes
- Release Date
- 20 January 2026
- ISBN
- 9781405985413
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Narrative theme: interior life / psychological fiction
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin.‘We shall be forgotten.’ he said. ‘We shall be lost. They will scrub us away like a set of dirty fingerprints on a plastic kettle.’The crumbling Gothic mansion of Thornwalk, long-term home of the Gilbert family, is being handed over to a chain of luxury ‘historic’ hotels. Millions will be spent in its restoration. But for every ‘improvement’, what will be lost? What value can there possibly be in a threadbare carpet, a tarnished spoon and a thousand empty jam jars?Before the hotel people arrive, with their clipboards and their skips and their bottles of bleach, Maximus, loyal guardian of the Gilberts’ legacy, invites us on a final tour of the once-stately home, where each room holds a secret. From the bolt on the blue room door to the tiny dents in the bars at the nursery window … these are the keys that will unlock the lives of the five fatherless Gilbert children.A frustrated romantic, a stubborn traditionalist, a dreamer, a diva and an explorer: The Infamous Gilberts will be cast adrift on the irresistible tides of the twentieth century, buoyed by love, buffeted by loss, and tangled together in an unputdownable story where the lines between eccentricity and madness, cruelty and love become hilariously, heartbreakingly blurred.'Completely captivating: I absolutely loved it. A compelling, ingenious, mischievous blend of tragedy, comedy and intrigue' Nina Stibbe© Angela Tomaski 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
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