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Library | Shelf Number | Material Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Hattiesburg Library | FICTION FOX | Book | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
"Steeped in Gothic eeriness."--Nicola Cornick, USA Today bestselling author
In Salem, they burned. Now, they will rise.
New Oldbury, 1821
The house holds its breath, trying to outlast me...
Something has awakened in Willow Hall. Eighteen-year-old Lydia Montrose can feel it. But she has no idea what it is.
Rocked by rumor and scandal, Lydia, her parents, and her sisters, Catherine and Emeline, fled their sparkling life in Boston for the sleepy country estate. But bone-chilling noises in the night have Lydia convinced their idyllic new home wasn't exactly vacant when they arrived.
The Salem witch trials cast a long shadow over the Montrose family as the cloying heat of summer in Massachusetts mingles with something sinister in the air. The sprawling history of Willow Hall is no stranger to secrets, and its dark past soon calls to Lydia, igniting ancient magic she never knew she possessed. But with menacing forces unwilling to rest, threatening to tear her family apart, Lydia must learn to harness her newly discovered power or risk losing everyone she holds dear.
Delve into the magical power of flowers in Hester Fox's captivating new novel, THE BOOK OF THORNS, where long-lost sisters reunite on opposite sides of the Napoleonic Wars and must uncover the secrets of their mother's disappearance and their mystical powers...
Look for these other gothic mysteries from Hester Fox:
The Last Heir to Blackwood Library The Widow of Pale Harbor The Orphan of Cemetery Hill A Lullaby for Witches
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Fox's spins a satisfying debut yarn that includes witchcraft, tragedy, and love, set in 1821 New England. Ten years ago, Lydia Montrose unwittingly summoned a dark power from within herself to torment a neighborhood bully. Now 18, her family is forced to move from Boston to Willow Hall estate in New Oldbury, Mass., to escape scandalous rumors concerning her older sister, Caroline. While Caroline detests the countryside, Lydia and her younger sister, Emeline, relish the fresh air and the less constricting society; they also enjoy the acquaintance of their father's new business partner, John Barrett. But as Lydia starts to fall for John, disturbing things begin to happen at Willow Hall. Lydia sees ghosts and hears voices who try to convince her to do bad things. Following a monumental tragedy, she will have to discover who she is in order to set things right. Despite the lack of character development for side characters, Fox effectively portrays Lydia as sympathetic, stuck between a sister with no regard for propriety and parents who can't or won't discipline her. The inclusion of gothic elements adds a visceral feel that fans of historical fiction with a dash of the supernatural will enjoy. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
In 1821, scandal forces Lydia Montrose and her family to leave the city of Boston. Upon arriving in the country hamlet of New Oldbury, the Montrose family settle in at Willow Hall, their new estate recently purchased from Mr. Montrose's business partner, young Mr. Barrett. The family hopes that Willow Hall will eventually feel like home. But the house has a tragic past that seems to make its presence known only to Lydia. When a tragedy befalls her own family, a power is awakened in Lydia that has laid dormant for far too long. As she learns more about her power and its origin, Lydia must learn to control it, for untamed, it will only cause harm to those she loves. This historical-fiction debut touches on sisterhood, family, and coming into one's own, with a dash of romance amid a gothic atmosphere. Though the writing is a tad lackluster, this autumnal read should find a wide audience.--LynnDee Wathen Copyright 2018 Booklist