Only Time Will Tell is a first part of the seven in the Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer. The book was published worldwide in 2011. It was launched by Jeffrey Archer himself in Bangalore, India in March 2011, as the beginning of a global book tour. [1] Plot [ edit ] The epic tale of Harry Clifton’s life begins in 1920, with the chilling words, ‘I was told my father was killed in the war.’ Richly imagined and populated with remarkable characters, The Clifton Chronicles will take you on a powerful journey, bringing to life one hundred years of family history in a story neither you, nor Harry, could ever have dreamt of. Maisie Clifton - Harry's mother who after sudden death of her husband Arthur, tries to make ends meet to support her family and Harry's education.

The economy and precision of Archer's prose never fails to delight. The criminal doesn't always get away with his crime and justice doesn't always prevail, but the reader wins with each and every story.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on CAT O'NINE TALES The first in the series, Only Time Will Tell takes a cast of memorable characters from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take his place at Oxford, or join the fight against Hitler’s Germany. To begin with, I didn't notice that anyone who sat near me in church on a Sunday morning stopped singing whenever I opened my mouth. I wouldn't have given it a second thought if Mum hadn't suggested I join the choir. I laughed scornfully; after all, everyone knew the choir was only for girls and sissies. I would have dismissed the idea out of hand if the Reverend Watts hadn't told me that choirboys were paid a penny for funerals and tuppence for weddings; my first experience of bribery. But even after I'd reluctantly agreed to take a vocal test, the devil decided to place an obstacle in my path, in the form of Miss Eleanor E. Monday.She opened a hymn book, handed it to me and sat down at the piano. I smiled at the thought that I might still be able to make the second half of our Sunday morning football game. She began to play a familiar tune, and when I saw my mother glaring at me from the front row of pews, I decided I'd better go through with it, just to keep her happy. From the internationally bestselling author Jeffrey Archer comes Only Time Will Tell, the first in the ambitious Clifton Chronicles series that tells the story of one family across generations, across oceans, from heartbreak to triumph.

I’m a big fan of sweeping, multi-generational, decade-spanning novels. I love learning about the life and loves of a particular character and those people that mean the most to him. Jeffery Archer is one of the authors that made me love this genre. And he has certainly done it again with Only Time Will Tell. Hannah’s new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II. Maisie's sacrifices and the secret of Harry's parentage are the main focus of Only Time Will Tell. Harry has grown up thinking Arthur Clifton is his father and that he died in the war. Maisie knows the truth about Harry's parentage, and a few people know the truth about Arthur Clifton's death, but no one tells Harry anything. Murder and a high-stakes art-world theft are cleverly blended [in this] exciting...global thrill-ride.” — Vancouver Sun on FALSE IMPRESSION An exercise in wish fulfillment. The good may suffer, but the bad will get theirs in the end. The fun is watching it unfold.” — St. Petersburg Times (Florida) on A PRISONER OF BIRTHArcher’s latest saga introduces a bright young man facing an uphill battle. Harry Clifton is born in Bristol, England, in 1920 to Maisie and Arthur Clifton, a young working-class couple, but Arthur disappears mysteriously, and the boy grows up without a father. Maisie is illiterate, but she takes work as a waitress to support them, and she never gives up on making a better life for her talented son. The first book in a new series, a family saga called The Clifton Chronicles, slated to cover 100 years.

Whenever I questioned my mother about his death, she didn't say any more than that he'd served with the Royal Gloucestershire Regiment and had been killed fighting on the Western Front only days before the Armistice was signed. Grandma said my dad had been a brave man, and once when we were alone in the house she showed me his medals. My grandpa rarely offered an opinion on anything, but then he was deaf as a post so he might not have heard the question in the first place. But it will be another twenty years before Harry discovers how his father really died, which will only lead him to question who was his father? I promised my mum I'd be on time for the first choir practice, even though I knew it would be my last, as Miss Monday would soon realize I couldn't read or write. And it would have been my last, if it hadn't been obvious to anyone listening that my singing voice was in a different class to that of any other boy in the choir. In fact, the moment I opened my mouth, everyone fell silent, and the looks of admiration, even awe, that I had desperately sought on the football field, were happening in church. Miss Monday pretended not to notice. The rest of the Barrington family play a large role in the book, too. Elizabeth Barrington, Giles’ mother, is always sweet and encouraging. Giles’ grandfather, Walter, is also hugely supportive. Hugo, Giles’ father, is the antithesis of that, and leaves much to be desired. It is Giles’ middle sister, though, who has Harry’s heart. Emma Barrington is Harry’s one true love. But will their love last? Will there be more obstacles to overcome? “If you make a deal with a fool, don’t be surprised when they act foolishly.” The countdown is the thing; the pace, the pursuit, the what-next, the how-is-it-going-to-come-out…” — Boston Globe on SHALL WE TELL THE PRESIDENT?By the time I was seven it was clear to anyone who knew anything about the game of football that I was never going to get into the school team, let alone captain Bristol City. But that was when I discovered that God had given me one small gift, and it wasn't in my feet.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, Archer really connects his characters. Second, he fleshes out the aforementioned characters. Third, he tells a gripping tale that has twists and turns that I certainly did not see coming. Last, he leaves you wanting more. The choir mistress turned a blind eye to the fact that I placed theft ahead of murder, couldn't spell "adultery," and certainly didn't know what it meant. Only after two other miscreants were summarily dismissed for lesser offenses did I realize just how exceptional my voice must be. Only Time Will Tell covers the years from 1920 to 1940, and includes a cast of memorable characters that The Times has compared to The Forsyte Saga. Volume one 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 Hitler’s Germany. I didn't realize Mum had other plans for my future, which didn't include joining Uncle Stan in the shipyard. All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small. All things wise and wonderful…" A smile had appeared on Miss Monday's face long before I reached " the Lord God made them all."I was pleased to have fallen at the first hurdle. But as I was to discover, Miss Eleanor E. Monday didn't give up easily. I’m a history nerd, and love to read things that truly incorporate a particular time period into a story. Jeffrey Archer has managed to seamlessly intertwines the years and going-ons of Great Britain and the world together in his newest tale. Even if it is a little mention of a newscast, a new book or movie, the reader can definitely tell that he did his research. On Sundays I was transported into another world, but I feared this state of delirium could not last forever.