A violent surfacing of adolescence (which has little in common with Tarkington's earlier, broadly comic, Seventeen) has a compulsive impact. Eve Chase writes this book so beautifully. These are just a couple of passages which took my breath away whilst reading: Chase deserves high marks for her atmospheric setting and vivid prose, and fans of old-fashioned gothic stories will find this a winner.” –-Publishers Weekly

The basic set up here is that you have the Altons: owners of a rambly pile in Cornwall, the traditionally English father fell in love with a warm-hearted American heiress, because don’t they always. Anyway, they had four kids (two twins, Amber and Toby, then Barney, then Kitty) who had a pretty much idyllic childhood with their stupidly-in-love parents and their country house to spend their summers in. But then Nancy dies in a horse-riding accent and everything unravels from there. Clues are dropped throughout the novel so you know something terrible has happened, but you don’t know the details. At several points I believed I had figured out the mystery, only to be proven wrong. There are moments where some of the events are just too much of a coincidence, but I’m happy to overlook that when I love the story. The old house definitely is a trove of memories and untold secrets and stories. You can smell the dust, see the family’s comings and goings, hear the water dripping from the leaky roof, and visualize the people who lived there. This is the title I was most looking forward to in my “Most anticipated titles of 2016” blog post and I was not disappointed! A wonderful saga of family secrets, tragic loss, and enduring love with a dual storyline, it will appeal to fans of Kate Morton, Rosamund Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Sarah Waters.Aglorious, beautifully written fairy tale for grownups.”–Lisa Jewell, bestselling author of The Girls in the Garden A twisting gothic of family secrets, forbidden lust, and an extraordinary family.”–Miranda Beverly-Whittemore,author of Bittersweet This book was recommended to me by a friend ages ago! It was sitting in my to-read pile for weeks, until finally I managed to sit down and begin. I was hooked from the start. The only thing I questioned was why had I taken so damn long to read it?! Winner of Saint Maur en Poche prize for bestforeign fiction, 2019 (published in France as UnManoir en Cornouailles) A gorgeously written novel describing the love and affection that hold families together and the powerful forces that can tear them apart.”– Huffington Post

Decades later, Lorna is drawn to a crumbling Cornish manor house she hazily remembers from childhood - feels a bond she does not understand. I love books with parallel storylines, especially those that involve grand houses, a mystery that has to be solved and skeleton in the closet. So, when I saw this book I just knew I had to read it. And, I wasn't disappointed. I was instantly hooked and couldn't wait out to find out more about what really happened in the 60s that could destroy a family so. Like the setting of Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Chase’s novel is lovely, dark and deep..”— Richmond Times-Dispatch How gloriously gothic! There are hundreds more beguiling passages like these, but I don’t want to give anything away! You’ll have to read it for yourself.

There are two storylines which weave and connect throughout the novel. The author, Eve Chase, did a fantastic job of keeping my attention piqued within each storyline throughout the book. I had a hard time putting this down. stars (REALLY close to 5 stars)! I loved this book! It was published in early 2016, yet I hadn't heard of it until very recently - special thanks to my GR friend Frances. The blurb mentions a Kate Morton comparison which is what made me decide to read it (I love Kate Morton!). I am so glad I read it. And isn't this cover gorgeous?!? Ghosts are everywhere, not just the ghost of Momma in the woods, but ghosts of us too, what we used to be like in those long summers ... Before long, Lorna becomes involved with the matriarch of the house and the housekeeper, vowing to help bring in more clients by writing up an article regarding the history of the house, and its family legacy. Little did she know her vague memories of the house connect her in a direct way to its past and could possibly shape her future.

This absorbing tale and family saga is full of dark secrets, betrayals, and manipulations, but as the two storylines begin to merge, the ghosts of the past will finally rest in peace, paving the way for healing and new beginning for all. For the four Alton children, it's the perfect summer escape where not much ever happens - until one stormy evening their idyllic world is shattered.

Media Reviews

I liked the book very much. I was intrigued by the mystery of the Alton family and the mystery of Lorna's connection to the mansion. I think this book will appeal to those that like me like to read books about secrets, old mansions and the people that used to live there. It's a well-written book and I hope to read more from Eve Chase! And while I don’t inherently consider inspiring ANY sort of human feeling as evidence of merit, I think in this case it sort of was. I felt stuff because I discovered I cared. And in another time, place, world I would have been moved and appreciated the bittersweetness of it all and any shifty tears I might have shed. An enthralling and deeply moving novel about family secrets, loss, and love.”—Margaret Leroy, author of The Soldier’s Wife Beautifully, poetically written and reminiscent of everything from I Capture The Castle to Hansel And Gretel' Daily Mail Two storylines., the past getting to know the children, experience the changes in their family after the tragedy. The future, thirty years later when a young bride is looking for a place to have her wedding. Remember the hall from when she, her mother and father would travel to the Cornish coast each summer. Although now dilapidated and needing extensive work she falls under its spell.