Weekly Wine: THE HOUSE IN THE ORCHARD

BUY

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The book this week is #TheHouseintheOrchard

QOTD: What’s a book that you liked more than you expected to?

SUMMARY:

A startling gothic tale of corrupted innocence that asks―when we look closely―what it really means to know the truth.

When a World War II widow inherits a dilapidated English estate, she uncovers a diary written by an adolescent girl named Maude Gower. Looking for answers, she begins reading, only to unravel more questions about the mysterious past and many secrets hidden deep within the walls of Orchard House.

In 1876, orphaned Maude is forced to leave London, and her adored brother, Frank, to live with a stranger. Everyone―especially Frank―tells her not to trust Miss Greenaway, the enigmatic owner of Orchard House, but Maude can’t help warming to her new guardian. Encouraged by Miss Greenaway, Maude finds herself discovering who she is for the first time, and learning to love her new home. But when Frank comes for an unexpected visit, the delicate balance of Maude’s life is thrown into disarray. Complicating matters more, Maude witnesses an adult world full of interactions she cannot quite understand. Her efforts to regain control result in a violent tragedy, the repercussions of which will haunt Orchard House for the rest of Maude’s life―and beyond.

MY TAKE:

Wow! I did not think I would like this novel as much as I did.

First of all, it is elegantly written in such a way that I could not stop hi-lighting. Many reviews have already pointed out this gothic novel’s resemblance to Daphne du Maurier and the Brontë sister, but I would like to add that Brooks’s writing is also humorous. She’s funny in the way Jane Austen was in NORTHANGER ABBEY. This is a woman who knows her genre, but she also knows how to satirize the antiquated society her novel displays.

Overall, this is an amazing read that I will be recommending to everyone I meet. (Seriously, please read this so we can talk about that ending!)