The Many Lives & Loves of Hazel Lavery

In the heart of tumultuous times, amidst the grandeur of Victorian opulence, there existed an American socialite whose influence altered the course of the Anglo-Irish treaty:

Lady Hazel Lavery

Boston-born Hazel ascended from her Irish roots to become the quintessential Society Queen of Chicago, and later London, where she lived a delicate dance between two worlds: one with her esteemed husband, Sir John Lavery, a portrait artist to royalty, and the other with Michael Collins, the daring Irish rebel whose fiery spirit ignited her heart. Together, they formed a love triangle that echoed through the corridors of power at 10 Downing Street, London.

Hazel's wit and charm touched on the lives of the who's-who of England including Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw and Evelyn Waugh. The image of her memorable face graced the Irish note for close to half-a-century.

Advanced Praise

“Like one of John Lavery’s portraits, Lois Cahall’s Hazel Lavery oozes love and passion, intrigue and imagination. To that canvas add chiaroscuro—loyalty and infidelity, diplomacy and assassination—and you have a novel almost Shakespearean.”

– Larry Loftis, New York Times

bestselling author of The Princess Spy

“This novel is based on the true story of one of the most fascinating women of the early 20th century, American-born socialite Hazel Lavery. Hers was the face on Irish currency for decades, and it’s rumored that she had an affair with Irish hero Michael Collins. She apparently even taught Winston Churchill to paint! I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of her before; kudos to Cahall for bringing her alive in a novel.”

- Kristen Harmel, FriendsandFiction Instagram book reviewer

“Lois Cahall presents us with a wonderful and warming account of a life truly lived to the full. The story is packed with incidents and memorable occurrences in which famous and notable figures of the time make their various entrances and exits. Hazel lived a busy life, one very well lived, so when the readers arrive, with regret, at the final page, they will realise and understand that hers is a life with more than its fair share of unbearable tragedies, each of which are treated with humanity and compassion. The Many Lives & Loves of Hazel Lavery by Lois Cahall is a powerful and at all times eminently readable book, a fine work which will undoubtedly win the praise and plaudits it so richly deserves.”

- Julian de la Motte, author of “Senlac: A Novel of the Norman Conquest” and HFC Reviewer – The Historical Fiction Company 'Highly Recommended' Award of Excellence