It was the contents of her mum's bookshelf that finally drove Ellie out of hiding; Moira Fitzgerald's taste in literature was chalk and cheese to her daughter's. Heaving bosoms versus timeless classics. And two weeks of plot lines where the guy gets the girl and everything turns out hunky-dory was just too much.
In a desperate bid to fill her days, Ellie had devoured a dozen old editions of 'The Kerryman' scattered here and there about the house, read the crumpled ageing news of local sporting victories and items lost and found. When she'd asked Moira to pick up the 'Guardian' from the village shop, her mum had loyally obliged, bringing the paper back each day between two fingers as thought it might be contagious...
***
My Dearest T, Whatever you hear, do not believe it for a moment…
1940: In south-west Ireland, the young and beautiful Lady Charlotte Rathmore is pronounced dead after she mysteriously disappears by the lake of Blackwater Hall. In London, on the brink of the Blitz, Nancy Rathmore is grieving Charlotte’s death when a letter arrives containing a secret that she is sworn to keep – one that will change her life for ever.
1958: Nancy's daughter Hattie finds herself growing up at the mysterious Blackwater Hall, where she overhears the secrets whispered above and below stairs. Secrets that she will carry with her for the rest of her life.
2019: Decades later, Ellie Fitzgerald is forced to leave Dublin disgraced and heartbroken. Abandoning journalism, she returns to rural Kerry to weather out the storm. But, when she discovers a faded letter, tucked inside the pages of an old book, she finds herself drawn in by a long-buried secret. And as Ellie begins to unravel the mystery, it becomes clear that the letter might hold the key to more than just Charlotte’s disappearance.
***
This novel made for a gripping and engaging read and I found myself being forced to put it down. Not literally, but that thing called life kept getting in the way of my returning to this book.
It is hard to believe that this highly accomplished novel is a debut. It has a triple timeline, which in the hands of a lesser author could have been convoluted. However, it flows seamlessly through from one time to the next, and the reader is able to connect the dots as the story progresses.
However, it is never predictable, and this is what made it so engaging for me. There are a number of unexpected twists and turns with a number of well crafted characters to carry us along on their journey. I appreciated the family tree at the beginning of the book as it was a useful tool to remembering the connection between the characters.
Perhaps not surprisingly if we consider the title, the house itself forms one of the characters as much as the setting and most of the action focuses around it. The author has depicted rural Ireland beautifully, and it was easy to immerse myself in the scenery surrounding the characters.
Whilst the principal theme of this book is secrets and the impact that they can have on subsequent generations, it is equally about friendship, loyalty and love.
When I turned the final page I could have happily gone back to the first page and started all over again. I will definitely want to read this again at some point, and I envy you all that you will be able to enjoy this book for the first time.
Publishing today, I unreservedly recommend getting your hands on a copy.
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ISBN:978 1472283702
Publisher: Headline Review
Formats: Hardback, e-book and audio.
No. of Pages: 432 (hardback)
About the Author:
Born in Australia, Amanda Geard has lived all over the world, from a houseboat in London to a Norwegian Island, before settling in County Kerry in Ireland. Her writing has appeared in The Irish Times, The Journal, writing.ie, Nordic Reach and Vertical Magazine. Her short story Not Yet Recycled won the New Irish Writing Award in October 2019.
(author photo, ARC and bio. information courtesy of Headline Review)
*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.
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