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A review by ipekreading
The House in the Orchard by Elizabeth Brooks
4.0
Peggy, a war widow, inherits Orchard House from her late husband's Aunt Maude. Upon visiting the property she feels unsettled and comes across Maude's teenage diary.
Maude, orphaned, was forced to move to the Orchard House to live with a stranger, Miss Greenaway. Everyone, especially her brother (Frank), told Maude not to trust her new guardian but Maude can't help but feel charmed by her. She tries to make sense of the adult world she get glimpses of and tries to figure out her future and her decisions lead to a tragedy.
This was quite a cozy read/listen. While there were some gothic elements to it, I thought the comparison to classics such as The Secret Garden and A Little Princess was apt. Things moved slowly in 1876 and this book nailed the vibe of that era perfectly. Maude is a naive and properly brought up girl, so her confusion, despite her age, made sense. The story builds up such that you aren't necessarily shocked by the outcome, but I loved the way it made me question what the truth actually was. I can't say I found Maude nor Frank likable, but that seemed intentional. In lots of stories the teenager girls are rebellious against the world order and patriarchy but in this one it was interesting to read about a character that wasn't like that. I have no excuses for Frank though. I did like the kitten side characters as well as Miss Greenway. The audio was great, and captured the tone really well.
Thank you so much Tin House for the ARC and RB Audio and NetGalley for the ALC.
View this and more of my reviews on my instagram @ipekreading
Maude, orphaned, was forced to move to the Orchard House to live with a stranger, Miss Greenaway. Everyone, especially her brother (Frank), told Maude not to trust her new guardian but Maude can't help but feel charmed by her. She tries to make sense of the adult world she get glimpses of and tries to figure out her future and her decisions lead to a tragedy.
This was quite a cozy read/listen. While there were some gothic elements to it, I thought the comparison to classics such as The Secret Garden and A Little Princess was apt. Things moved slowly in 1876 and this book nailed the vibe of that era perfectly. Maude is a naive and properly brought up girl, so her confusion, despite her age, made sense. The story builds up such that you aren't necessarily shocked by the outcome, but I loved the way it made me question what the truth actually was. I can't say I found Maude nor Frank likable, but that seemed intentional. In lots of stories the teenager girls are rebellious against the world order and patriarchy but in this one it was interesting to read about a character that wasn't like that. I have no excuses for Frank though. I did like the kitten side characters as well as Miss Greenway. The audio was great, and captured the tone really well.
Thank you so much Tin House for the ARC and RB Audio and NetGalley for the ALC.
View this and more of my reviews on my instagram @ipekreading