Scan barcode
what_heather_loves's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
"Houses are never just houses, I'm quite sure of this now. We leave particles behind, dust and dreams, fingerprints on buried wallpapers, our tread in the wear of stairs. And we take bits of the houses with us. In my case, a love of the smell of wax polish on sun-warmed oak, late-summer sun light filtering through stained glass. We grow up. We stay the same. We move away but we live for ever where we were most alive."
The Summer of 1959 becomes one of more tragedy for the Wilde family, four daughter's staying with their aunt and uncle at Applecote Manor in the Cotswolds. There's ethereal Flora, determined Pam, 'Strange Margot' (called 'Margot-A-go-go' by her late Pa) and little Dot, the youngest sister. Aunt Sybil and Uncle Perry (their Pa's brother)'s lives have stagnated since their daughter Audrey disappeared five Summers before.
Present day and Jessie, mother to toddler Romy and disgruntled stepdaughter Bella, purchases Applecote Manor with her beloved, new husband Will, having fled London for some peace. Peace is not what they find in this rural idyll, which is hiding secrets.
Reminding me of the glorious and nostalgic writing of Kate Morton, this is glorious, historical, mystery fiction. Told from likeable Margot's perspective, the metaphorical presence of their missing cousin hangs over her and her sisters during this languid summer, where they start to become women. In the present day, Jessie feels she is competing with Bella's late mother, dispairing that Applecote is not the escape she longed for her blended family.
There is tragedy but also family, hope and love to be found in these beautiful and rural Cotswolds. Spellbinding and atmospheric, this is a mysterious tale of secrets and sisters, which will definitely result in me seeking out the author's other novels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Sexual content and Sexual assault
More...