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eserafina42 's review for:
Ashton Hall
by Lauren Belfer
At the beginning of Ashton Hall, Hannah Larson and her son Nicky travel to Cambridge in England to spend the summer with her beloved “honorary uncle,” Christopher, who is suffering from cancer. They find, however, that Christopher has decided to go to the US to try a new treatment but wishes them to remain at his “apartment” in the centuries-old manor house Ashton Hall.
After only a few days Nicky discovers a hidden room containing the skeleton of a woman, apparently a Catholic who lived during the Elizabethan era, when her faith would have put her at risk. As a result a team led by Matthew, a personable archeologist, comes to the Hall, and Hannah and Nicky are sucked into the mystery of who the woman was, why she had been shut away, and how she died. In addition, Hannah, who has just discovered that her husband has been unfaithful and is in the process of reevaluating her marriage, finds herself attracted to Matthew, who has a daughter who, like Nicky, is very bright but also faces significant challenges due to neurodivergence. In the course of learning to let go of Christopher and finding out more about Isabella Cresham, her life, and the constraints placed on her as both a woman and a Catholic in an earlier age, Hannah comes to better understand herself and find the courage to make the changes that need to be made in her own life.
While I enjoyed this book, I have to admit that it was not what I expected. The historical part, including the research, was lovingly detailed and Belfer obviously did some serious research of her own to achieve this, but the mystery, which I found more interesting,) was limited to the past and took a decided back seat to the domestic drama. This is a matter of taste, however.
I did have two minor quibbles. One character, whom I will not name, so as not to spoil the story, devolved into something of a cartoon character villain when I felt they could have been more believably portrayed. Secondly, it was implied that Catholics were persecuted during Elizabeth I’s reign solely due to religious bigotry. While that no doubt played a large part, the situation was more complicated. in 1570 the Pope officially excommunicated Elizabeth and released English Catholics from their allegiance to her, which, however loyal individuals may have been, made each of them a potential traitor. I don’t feel that it would have been difficult to add that key bit of context. I did, however, appreciate the afterword, explaining how the book came to be written, the bibliography, and of course the references to our mutual hometown of Buffalo, NY. 3.5 stars.
After only a few days Nicky discovers a hidden room containing the skeleton of a woman, apparently a Catholic who lived during the Elizabethan era, when her faith would have put her at risk. As a result a team led by Matthew, a personable archeologist, comes to the Hall, and Hannah and Nicky are sucked into the mystery of who the woman was, why she had been shut away, and how she died. In addition, Hannah, who has just discovered that her husband has been unfaithful and is in the process of reevaluating her marriage, finds herself attracted to Matthew, who has a daughter who, like Nicky, is very bright but also faces significant challenges due to neurodivergence. In the course of learning to let go of Christopher and finding out more about Isabella Cresham, her life, and the constraints placed on her as both a woman and a Catholic in an earlier age, Hannah comes to better understand herself and find the courage to make the changes that need to be made in her own life.
While I enjoyed this book, I have to admit that it was not what I expected. The historical part, including the research, was lovingly detailed and Belfer obviously did some serious research of her own to achieve this, but the mystery, which I found more interesting,) was limited to the past and took a decided back seat to the domestic drama. This is a matter of taste, however.
I did have two minor quibbles. One character, whom I will not name, so as not to spoil the story, devolved into something of a cartoon character villain when I felt they could have been more believably portrayed. Secondly, it was implied that Catholics were persecuted during Elizabeth I’s reign solely due to religious bigotry. While that no doubt played a large part, the situation was more complicated. in 1570 the Pope officially excommunicated Elizabeth and released English Catholics from their allegiance to her, which, however loyal individuals may have been, made each of them a potential traitor. I don’t feel that it would have been difficult to add that key bit of context. I did, however, appreciate the afterword, explaining how the book came to be written, the bibliography, and of course the references to our mutual hometown of Buffalo, NY. 3.5 stars.