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judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
A special thank you to Penguin First to Read for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Erika Robuck, the "queen" of bringing historic literary characters of times past- alive, on the pages with passion and inspiration, delivering THE HAWTHORNE HOUSE, a remarkable and vivid portrayal of talent, tragedy, loss, and love in an era of unrest and complication.
From letters and journals, paint brushes and canvases, words; a couple, a love, sadness, fame, poverty, and beauty. An unlikely marriage between Nathaniel Hawthorne and novelist, Sophia Peabody, the invalid artist, was indeed a romance of two souls content with words, passion, and creativity, while other things of the world continue to get in the way of this couple’s happiness and contentment.
From Massachusetts, England, Portugal, Italy to Cuba, crossing continents, children, family, and turbulent times, an inspiration of a couple, caught in a time of opposition, health, needs, and desire. From the 1830s to the Civil War, two devoted talented and strong willed personalities, driven by desire and creativity, a forgotten woman who inspired one of the greatest American writers.
Sophie was Nathaniel’s dove. Sophie, an artist from an early age and her sister met Nathaniel first; however, when he met Sophie he was in love. However, there were outside interference from both sides of the family. No one was urging them to marry.
As so many highly creative people, the couple enjoyed their solitude, away from the world and all its loudness and clamor, even though they were acquainted with some of the most talented literary minds in American literary history, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. As Sophie found to be true, authors are forever unsettled. Longing for solitude to work, but when the words would not come, he acknowledged the interaction with people would indeed stimulate his ideas.
A beautiful and absorbing love story, Robuck transports readers to a time when one extraordinary woman, managing her family, the demands of motherhood, and a constant encouragement to her husband, to get his stories down on paper, content to fill her days with her child, though feeling some measure of guilt for neglecting her own art. They are happy and poor and content, while each night they cling to one another for dear life.
Highly recommend to readers of historical fictional, and well-researched account of literary writers, with passionate storytelling and a vivid view at mid-19th century times - a moving and rich literary journey. Look forward to reading more from this talented and insightful author!
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
Erika Robuck, the "queen" of bringing historic literary characters of times past- alive, on the pages with passion and inspiration, delivering THE HAWTHORNE HOUSE, a remarkable and vivid portrayal of talent, tragedy, loss, and love in an era of unrest and complication.
From letters and journals, paint brushes and canvases, words; a couple, a love, sadness, fame, poverty, and beauty. An unlikely marriage between Nathaniel Hawthorne and novelist, Sophia Peabody, the invalid artist, was indeed a romance of two souls content with words, passion, and creativity, while other things of the world continue to get in the way of this couple’s happiness and contentment.
From Massachusetts, England, Portugal, Italy to Cuba, crossing continents, children, family, and turbulent times, an inspiration of a couple, caught in a time of opposition, health, needs, and desire. From the 1830s to the Civil War, two devoted talented and strong willed personalities, driven by desire and creativity, a forgotten woman who inspired one of the greatest American writers.
Sophie was Nathaniel’s dove. Sophie, an artist from an early age and her sister met Nathaniel first; however, when he met Sophie he was in love. However, there were outside interference from both sides of the family. No one was urging them to marry.
As so many highly creative people, the couple enjoyed their solitude, away from the world and all its loudness and clamor, even though they were acquainted with some of the most talented literary minds in American literary history, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. As Sophie found to be true, authors are forever unsettled. Longing for solitude to work, but when the words would not come, he acknowledged the interaction with people would indeed stimulate his ideas.
“Nathaniel was wrong about the limitations of words.” In that most holy book, it says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Words are the bridge to the Eternal. They hold the power in the cosmos to conjure, transport, condemn, unite, and destroy. “If Nathaniel had understood that the words were arrows in his bag instead of barriers, perhaps then he would have found peace.”
“I know the power of words and the way they reach off the page to the reader, dissolving all borders of time and space. I understand how words expand the minds digesting them, allowing those who sit in quiet rooms to embark upon grand adventures with people they could never meet with the circumference of their own lives. For those who do not fear the vocation, it is our change to put down the words, one after another. To make a case. To make a story. I must share his life, because the world needs his story, my story.”
A beautiful and absorbing love story, Robuck transports readers to a time when one extraordinary woman, managing her family, the demands of motherhood, and a constant encouragement to her husband, to get his stories down on paper, content to fill her days with her child, though feeling some measure of guilt for neglecting her own art. They are happy and poor and content, while each night they cling to one another for dear life.
Highly recommend to readers of historical fictional, and well-researched account of literary writers, with passionate storytelling and a vivid view at mid-19th century times - a moving and rich literary journey. Look forward to reading more from this talented and insightful author!
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
kdurham2's review against another edition
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Sophia Peabody is a daughter, sister, wife and mother. Many know her husband the famous author - Nathaniel Hawthorne, but many don't know the story behind their introduction and their love story. Through five stories and moments, the reader gets to meet Sophia before she has meet Nathaniel and then as they meet and then into their marriage and old age.
I loved this way of story telling. I loved seeing glimpses at moments of their life instead of only a book that focuses on one of these moments. To read about their full story without a huge chunk of a book was nice, I felt like I got a full glimpse of their marriage and life.
Sophia Peabody is a daughter, sister, wife and mother. Many know her husband the famous author - Nathaniel Hawthorne, but many don't know the story behind their introduction and their love story. Through five stories and moments, the reader gets to meet Sophia before she has meet Nathaniel and then as they meet and then into their marriage and old age.
I loved this way of story telling. I loved seeing glimpses at moments of their life instead of only a book that focuses on one of these moments. To read about their full story without a huge chunk of a book was nice, I felt like I got a full glimpse of their marriage and life.
scubacat's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review:
Beautifully written and a wonderful story of a strong, creative woman and her life married to a gifted, famous man. There were small parts that bothered me - things like Sophia's mysterious difficulty with painting. She is creative and talented and inspired by everything around her, but gets crippling headaches every time she picks up a brush. I would have liked some sort of explanation about why this happened - it seems like an artificial barrier to her talent and success. I also found it a bit annoying how Sophia was ruled by the seasons. If the sun broke through the clouds at the right moment, she decided it was time to shrug off her depression about a miscarriage. What would have happened if the clouds had persisted? What if she hadn't been looking out the window at that very moment? These are small objections, however, and were outnumbered by what I did like about the book. The writing was truly beautiful. The imagery described through Sophia's artistic eyes was stunning. The turbulence of her husband's moods and their marriage felt possible and even likely. The need to put her art aside as she focused on her children and husband's well-being will ring true with anyone who is a mother. Overall, I highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys historical or biographical fiction.
Beautifully written and a wonderful story of a strong, creative woman and her life married to a gifted, famous man. There were small parts that bothered me - things like Sophia's mysterious difficulty with painting. She is creative and talented and inspired by everything around her, but gets crippling headaches every time she picks up a brush. I would have liked some sort of explanation about why this happened - it seems like an artificial barrier to her talent and success. I also found it a bit annoying how Sophia was ruled by the seasons. If the sun broke through the clouds at the right moment, she decided it was time to shrug off her depression about a miscarriage. What would have happened if the clouds had persisted? What if she hadn't been looking out the window at that very moment? These are small objections, however, and were outnumbered by what I did like about the book. The writing was truly beautiful. The imagery described through Sophia's artistic eyes was stunning. The turbulence of her husband's moods and their marriage felt possible and even likely. The need to put her art aside as she focused on her children and husband's well-being will ring true with anyone who is a mother. Overall, I highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys historical or biographical fiction.
ilseoo's review against another edition
2.0
I liked both the beginning and ending, but unfortunately, I felt bored throughout everything in between. The writing style failed to make the topic of married family life interesting for me. I hoped for an interesting character study, for which there was much potential since many impactful events occurred throughout the novel which each would have been a great topic to delve into, but I felt that everything was rushed and we never got beyond the surface-level. Moreover, the romance aspect felt unrealistic and the way in which the dialogue between the two lovers was formulated often left me cringing to the point where I read passages aloud to my friend, so we could both laugh at them.
debbiecuddy's review against another edition
2.0
I found this to be overly dramatic & too saccharine.
janesdaughter's review
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
princessleia4life's review against another edition
5.0
This was amazingly written.
I received this novel for free, only request an honest review. I had never known anything about Sophia Hawthorne, wife of [a:Nathaniel Hawthorne|7799|Nathaniel Hawthorne|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1291476587p2/7799.jpg]. Not only was this book informative as it discussed the life of Sophia; along with her own artistic endeavors (writing and painting), but extremely entertaining.
This book covers from the time Sophia was in Cuba and the plantation life and slavery she witnessed, to her initial meeting of Nathaniel, her marriage to him, he ups and down and travels of their life together; covering the positives along with the pitfalls.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as the characters seemed so fresh and vital that I found myself struggling to pause or put the book down, being unsatisfied until I had completed it. I highly recommend it!
I received this novel for free, only request an honest review. I had never known anything about Sophia Hawthorne, wife of [a:Nathaniel Hawthorne|7799|Nathaniel Hawthorne|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1291476587p2/7799.jpg]. Not only was this book informative as it discussed the life of Sophia; along with her own artistic endeavors (writing and painting), but extremely entertaining.
This book covers from the time Sophia was in Cuba and the plantation life and slavery she witnessed, to her initial meeting of Nathaniel, her marriage to him, he ups and down and travels of their life together; covering the positives along with the pitfalls.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as the characters seemed so fresh and vital that I found myself struggling to pause or put the book down, being unsatisfied until I had completed it. I highly recommend it!
meeka55's review against another edition
4.0
While the book is a Fictional account of Nathaniel & Sophia Hawthorne's life. Erica Robuck's story runs parallel with the events and details I've read about them.