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The Daughter’s Goodbye
A 1930s Historical Romantic Mystery
This page-turning novella offers an unexpected romance mixed with cozy suspense. Set during a high-stakes transition in 1935, it unfolds against the backdrop of a remote South African small town. Perfect for fans of Kate Breslin and Roseanna M. White looking for an inspirational read.
The Daughter’s Goodbye Tropes
- Forced Proximity
- Heroine in Peril
- Uniformed Hero
- Small Town
- South African Setting
Whispers, Shadows, and Forced Proximity at Our House on Jakaranda Laan. Preorder Note: Releasing November 13, 2026. Buy direct to read 3 days early on November 10! Our
House on Jakaranda Laan, House 2
Our House, Book 3
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More about The Daughter's Goodbye
A murder connects them. A matchmaking plot could save them.
Cedarfontein, South Africa, 1935—Ilse van der Berg’s mother is dying, and her last request is for Ilse to travel to her mother’s hometown of Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Though she and her widowed mother are unwelcome amongst the locals after her Afrikaans father sided with the British during the Maritz rebellion, Ilse can't imagine leaving the people she knows for a country of strangers.
Lieutenant Quincey Pryor of His Majesty’s Royal Navy arrives in Cedarfontein on orders from his father, who works for the Admiralty and British Intelligence. He must personally collect and ferry back to London a package from a retired captain who lives in this small town near Knysna. What Quin doesn’t expect to find upon his arrival is a beautiful young woman kneeling over the captain's dead body.
Unexpectedly tied together by an undercurrent of espionage, Ilse and Quin must untangle the thread of secrets before the dark clouds of Nationalsozialismus overtake them and Ilse has to flee the only home she's ever known.
Read the Whole Underground Romance at Our House Series!
Book One: The Italian Musician's Sanctuary (Our House on Sycamore Street, Eden Cove, England)
Book Two: The Recluse's Vindication (Our House on Heather Wynd, Bieldfel, Scotland)
Book Three: The Daughter's Goodbye (Our House on Jakaranda Laan, Cedarfontein, South Africa)
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Published by Hearth Spot Press © 2026 Danielle Grandinetti
Read the Opening Scene
Late November 1935
Cedarfontein, South Africa
Ilse van der Berg walked down Jakaranda Laan, headed toward the Kerk of Cedarfontein. Overhead the jacaranda trees were in full bloom, spreading a canopy of gorgeous purple blossoms. Their sweet scent wrapped around her like a comforting cup of tea, and the spring air soothed her soul after the news she’d just received.
Ribono sjel Olam … The prayer drifted from her lips to God’s ears while sending a pang through her heart. That’s how Ma prayed because that’s how her mother had prayed. Soon Ma would see her mother again and Ilse would be left … alone.
Fighting a public display of emotion, she tucked her chin, hoping to avoid her neighbors until after she had unburdened her soul. Then she could face the gauntlet of errands she needed to run on this, her afternoon off. Necessary errands to ensure Ma’s comfort. Still, she needed to tell Pa the devastating news first. Not tell exactly, but close enough.
The Kerk of the Dutch Reformed congregation sat as a pillar in the community, but Ilse and her mother attended the Anglican Church on the other side of town. Neither had been welcomed in the kerk since Pa died. Tannie Charlize hadn’t invited them out to the Van der Berg farm since then, either. In essence, she and Ma had been cast out. And all because Pa chose to help the British.
The gate creaked as she swung it open and stepped into the fenced-in cemetery behind the Kerk. The Van der Bergs were a respected farming family, as were the Baards, the family Tannie Charlize had married into. Both family plots were nestled close to the yellowwood tree on the far corner where they’d allowed Pa to be buried. Would Ma be given the same dignity when the time came?
Ilse’s nose tingled with the tears she tried to keep at bay. Why had Pa’s family rejected them so completely? They said it was because Ma was a foreigner and because Pa served as a scout against his family during the Maritz rebellion back in ‘14, but they’d allowed Pa to be buried in the family plot. So, was it really about Ma being Dutch?
She wove through the gravestones, noting all the Dutch-inspired names. Ma never talked about family. Nor about her life back in The Netherlands. In fact, Ilse hadn’t known Ma was originally from Amsterdam until a few years ago when they received news Ma’s mother had died. Even then, Ma’s father remained a legend in a far-away land.
Until today.
Ilse fought against the tightening of her jaw. Ma wanted to send her to this grandfather, but what did Ilse know of him?
No. For all the dismissive looks, Cedarfontein was her home.
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