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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
This book was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a twisty thriller but this was more of a historical mystery. Even though it wasn’t what I expected it was still a very good read. The mystery kept me reading because I just had to find out what happened. There were several other pieces of the plot that made this book so good. Just to keep from spoilers I won’t mention them but they are very important issues and I think the author approached them very well.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
Hannah and her son Nicky leave America for England to care for an elderly family friend. Nicky comes upon the skeleton of a woman that no one recognizes from the home's history. Hannah is also dealing with the betrayal of her husband, and finds a different kind of family in England. Lots of interesting history along with a well written story.
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love historical fiction and though it’s set in the present, Ashton Hall delved into the past as well. I appreciated the many layers to the story…from Hannah, to the health of her Uncle Christopher, to the challenges of her son (it’s never actually disclosed but it’s hinted that he is on the spectrum), to the mystery surrounding the skeleton and the history of Ashton Hall. While there’s a lot going on, it never felt like too much and was never difficult to follow along.
I devoured this book. And as I got closer and closer to the end I read more and more slowly, because I didn’t want it to end. I sympathized with Hannah, cheered her on, felt as if I knew her. The characters are all well developed and (mostly) likable.
If you like mysteries, or history, or reading about Cambridge, or just enjoy a well written book…be on the lookout for Ashton Hall June 7, 2022!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing, and especially to Lauren Belfer for writing the book.
I devoured this book. And as I got closer and closer to the end I read more and more slowly, because I didn’t want it to end. I sympathized with Hannah, cheered her on, felt as if I knew her. The characters are all well developed and (mostly) likable.
If you like mysteries, or history, or reading about Cambridge, or just enjoy a well written book…be on the lookout for Ashton Hall June 7, 2022!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing, and especially to Lauren Belfer for writing the book.
This book is full of ambiance which made it really fun! We visit Ashton Hall, an old manor house that is now split up into different apartments with a house manager. This allows this large and historic "home" to remain open and enjoyed.
Two Americans, Hannah and her son Nicky visit Ashton Hall and a family member for the summer. Soon after arriving Nicky explores deep into the house. Upon doing so, he finds skeletal remains--the story then splits into two stories. Of the ancient bones and how they got there, and also the current life of Nicky and Hannah.
I definitely preferred the older story of Ashton Hall and the mystery of unraveling the story of the bones. I almost felt like I was the explorer and researcher into the past!
I did not care for the current story line for a couple of reasons. I did not care for the relationships and how they were handled. It seemed unnecessary and even a bit preachy to me. I also didn't care for how Nicky's problems were addressed and handled. I hate to say more without spoilers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the e-copy in return for my honest review.
Two Americans, Hannah and her son Nicky visit Ashton Hall and a family member for the summer. Soon after arriving Nicky explores deep into the house. Upon doing so, he finds skeletal remains--the story then splits into two stories. Of the ancient bones and how they got there, and also the current life of Nicky and Hannah.
I definitely preferred the older story of Ashton Hall and the mystery of unraveling the story of the bones. I almost felt like I was the explorer and researcher into the past!
I did not care for the current story line for a couple of reasons. I did not care for the relationships and how they were handled. It seemed unnecessary and even a bit preachy to me. I also didn't care for how Nicky's problems were addressed and handled. I hate to say more without spoilers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the e-copy in return for my honest review.
{2.5 stars}
"That's the point of books, isn't it? To be passed from hand to hand, until they fell apart. Part of the great river of life."
-------------------------------
When Hannah and her neurodivergent son, Nicky, move from the US to England to care for a family member's home for the summer they stumble upon a skeleton in a long forgotten part of the house.
Sounds intriguing, right?
Well, unfortunately I found this one to be a bit of a snoozefest. It's more women's fiction than historical fiction or mystery. The structure reminded me a little of The Lost Apothecary only instead of seeing the timeline in the past we are told about it, in very brief snippets. Sometimes via long lists of entries in a budget ledger or a library check out list. I like these elements in theory but the execution here didn't work for me.
I was frustrated at Hannah about the decisions she was making in her life. Her husband was awful, her son wasn't getting proper care and yet they had plenty of time to moan about potentially what could have happened to this skeleton. Meanwhile, we didn't really get enough details about the prior timeline to put real meat on the bones.
Thanks to Netgalley for advanced access to this one. All opinions above are my own but just because I didn't love this one doesn't mean you won't.
"That's the point of books, isn't it? To be passed from hand to hand, until they fell apart. Part of the great river of life."
-------------------------------
When Hannah and her neurodivergent son, Nicky, move from the US to England to care for a family member's home for the summer they stumble upon a skeleton in a long forgotten part of the house.
Sounds intriguing, right?
Well, unfortunately I found this one to be a bit of a snoozefest. It's more women's fiction than historical fiction or mystery. The structure reminded me a little of The Lost Apothecary only instead of seeing the timeline in the past we are told about it, in very brief snippets. Sometimes via long lists of entries in a budget ledger or a library check out list. I like these elements in theory but the execution here didn't work for me.
I was frustrated at Hannah about the decisions she was making in her life. Her husband was awful, her son wasn't getting proper care and yet they had plenty of time to moan about potentially what could have happened to this skeleton. Meanwhile, we didn't really get enough details about the prior timeline to put real meat on the bones.
Thanks to Netgalley for advanced access to this one. All opinions above are my own but just because I didn't love this one doesn't mean you won't.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this one was but was pleasantly surprised. It has so much to unpack! Motherhood and what we are willing to do for our children, neuro-diversity and the challenges it can include, family illness, marital dilemmas, expat living and a mysterious death that takes us into research on British history and teaches us so much about the past, which in turn reflects to boldy in the present. This book made me consider many things about life and happiness and choices we make. I love a book that makes me think introspectively but keeps me enthralled as I do. I liked following Hannah's journey, and her subsequent following of Isabel. I enjoyed the atmospheric writing and profoundness throughout. I wish there was an epilogue of a more in the future recap of how it all turned out as I was invested in what became of these characters. But it still ended with a hopeful outcome, and a slight twist to the mysterious death too!
I’m short, art buff Hannah and her son Nicky travel to Ashton Hall to act as companions for a dying family friend. When they arrive, Hannah is reeling from a devastating betrayal and throws herself into the mystery of a woman’s remains discovered by her son in the walls of the storied home.
I wasn’t at all sure what I was getting into when I requested this ARC (thanks Random House / Ballentine!), but was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with a thoughtful exploration on what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how little that has (and hasn’t) changed over time. Additionally, Ashton Hall provides great windows into the parenting of neurodiverse children, the culture clash between the English and Americans, and how the definitions of marriage and family have more fluidity than some would like to believe.
While the portrayal of the dreary weather and the brusque manner of the British is a tad stereotypical, I found the imagery of Ashton Hall and its inhabitants to be both charming and dynamic. Despite the fact that a possible murder has taken place (albeit some time ago), the story never wades into the heavy emotional territory that I was expecting. It provides somewhat dueling perspectives on everything from matrimony to religious devotion, from parenting to abuse. While the book touches on various topics, I didn’t find it crowded or overwhelmed by any of them.
Lastly, a bit of a spoiler, I thought the very final chapter was a lovely epilogue of sorts, and I was thrilled to see it included. While it wasn’t at all necessary, and I felt the story was nicely wrapped up with Hannah and Nicky’s future before them, I was delighted to get a glimpse into Isabella’s faith and how our treatment of women over the centuries and our limited expectations of them turned each of Katherine and Isabella to extremes we would fine abhorrent in modern times.
Belfer exquisitely executed an analysis of the faithful without judging their practice, their right to believe, and the comfort and peace they receive from religion
As someone who now detests organized religion but was raised with a religious education and had a Christian deity infused into nearly every aspect of my young life, I found the portrayal of the faithful delicately and tactfully done. It’s rare to see an objective view that doesn’t preach or proselytize, or conversely, condemn the godless to an eternity of misery and hell. We seem, as a society, to have forgotten how to coexist with differing beliefs, and part of that magical recipe requires an understanding of why and when people do what they do, and how the benefits they receive from their behaviors outweigh the tolls. Specifically, faith, in the Tudor era, may have been a way for many women to avoid the pain of constant pregnancy and child-bearing, the misery of losing so many children to disease and violence, and servitude to their husbands. Is Katherine really what she seems? Is Isabella? And then, is Hannah really much different, and what are the avenues of freedom available to her that may not have been available to her predecessors?
Things aren’t always as they appear, especially for women, and Ashton Hall was a refreshing commentary on that.
I wasn’t at all sure what I was getting into when I requested this ARC (thanks Random House / Ballentine!), but was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with a thoughtful exploration on what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how little that has (and hasn’t) changed over time. Additionally, Ashton Hall provides great windows into the parenting of neurodiverse children, the culture clash between the English and Americans, and how the definitions of marriage and family have more fluidity than some would like to believe.
While the portrayal of the dreary weather and the brusque manner of the British is a tad stereotypical, I found the imagery of Ashton Hall and its inhabitants to be both charming and dynamic. Despite the fact that a possible murder has taken place (albeit some time ago), the story never wades into the heavy emotional territory that I was expecting. It provides somewhat dueling perspectives on everything from matrimony to religious devotion, from parenting to abuse. While the book touches on various topics, I didn’t find it crowded or overwhelmed by any of them.
Lastly, a bit of a spoiler, I thought the very final chapter was a lovely epilogue of sorts, and I was thrilled to see it included. While it wasn’t at all necessary, and I felt the story was nicely wrapped up with Hannah and Nicky’s future before them, I was delighted to get a glimpse into Isabella’s faith and how our treatment of women over the centuries and our limited expectations of them turned each of Katherine and Isabella to extremes we would fine abhorrent in modern times.
Belfer exquisitely executed an analysis of the faithful without judging their practice, their right to believe, and the comfort and peace they receive from religion
As someone who now detests organized religion but was raised with a religious education and had a Christian deity infused into nearly every aspect of my young life, I found the portrayal of the faithful delicately and tactfully done. It’s rare to see an objective view that doesn’t preach or proselytize, or conversely, condemn the godless to an eternity of misery and hell. We seem, as a society, to have forgotten how to coexist with differing beliefs, and part of that magical recipe requires an understanding of why and when people do what they do, and how the benefits they receive from their behaviors outweigh the tolls. Specifically, faith, in the Tudor era, may have been a way for many women to avoid the pain of constant pregnancy and child-bearing, the misery of losing so many children to disease and violence, and servitude to their husbands. Is Katherine really what she seems? Is Isabella? And then, is Hannah really much different, and what are the avenues of freedom available to her that may not have been available to her predecessors?
Things aren’t always as they appear, especially for women, and Ashton Hall was a refreshing commentary on that.
Thank you to Lauren Belfer and Ballantine Books for the free copy!
There were so many different sub-lots in this book but they were really well done. I loved Nicky so much and enjoyed seeing him through everyone else's eyes that he met. His curious little mind led to some huge discoveries at Ashton Hall as well as within his own family. This book was filled with history, unlikely heroes, changing family dynamics, adventure, and mystery. This book was a wonderful surprise to my list for this year. I knew it sounded interesting but I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I actually did :)
There were so many different sub-lots in this book but they were really well done. I loved Nicky so much and enjoyed seeing him through everyone else's eyes that he met. His curious little mind led to some huge discoveries at Ashton Hall as well as within his own family. This book was filled with history, unlikely heroes, changing family dynamics, adventure, and mystery. This book was a wonderful surprise to my list for this year. I knew it sounded interesting but I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I actually did :)