The House at Tyneford


The cover of the book states if you are a fan of Kate Morton you will love The House at Tyneford. I am a big Morton fan. This book was good, but is what one comes to expect of a World War II fictional read. Suffice to say, Morton’s stories are much more enthralling. Unfortunately, Natasha Solomons’ story was predictable with few surprises.

Probably the most interesting part of the book is the very last two pages, titled Author’s Note. Solomons informs the reader that this work was based on an actual village in the English countryside near the ocean. The village and Elizabethan manor was requisitioned for military occupation to be returned at the end of the war. The villagers left notes asking the soldiers to care for their magical town on the coast. The soldiers did not head the request and destroyed this charming village. Even worse, Churchill did not return the house or village after the war. In these two pages, the reader also learns that Elise is based on the author’s family. I had no idea that young bourgeois were allowed to leave their home of luxury and become servants. This was a new piece of history for me. 

No comments:

Post a Comment