There are some usual suspects. Ones you foresee impressing you, backed by past reputation. And then, there are some you call unexpected winners. Low profile, no hype, very less talked about. They come and floor you as a big pleasant surprise, just out of nowhere. And that is what Ashton Hall was!
I was in the midst of a mental block so to say, just being unable to settle on a book. I read and rejected samples of at least 8 books, loosing interest or just not having the patience to carry on for some reason. And then I chanced upon Lauren Belfer’s Ashton Hall. And lucky I was to do so.
Ashton Hall is historical fiction in the form that I like best. Fictional characters and their lives set in the past – centuries back. And our protagonist from the present day deducing links and putting them together to actually layout their life all decoded in front of you. This is so very similar to another book I absolutely loved – The Lost Apothecary. Ofcourse, the premise was totally different. But it is a thing of such beauty to imagine that someone lived here hundreds of years ago. The kind of life they lived. The things they did. The family they had. And how they died.
So, the story of Ashton Hall is set in this English manor house where Hannah and her nine year old son Nicky come to stay with the ailing Christopher, a father figure to her and with no children of his own. And as they stay there, Nicky discovers this skeleton in a virtually hidden room that no one has seen or known of. And then starts the adventurous and thrilling ride of unfurling the secrets, making sense of clues and chasing the truth behind this mystery – who this girl was and how she ended up there?
The beautiful and vivid description of the estate at the beginning of the book creates that mystifying gothic image in your mind, setting the tone for this story. An old mansion, hidden doors, hidden secrets – and the discovery of a skeleton. Right from the time they discover the girl’s belongings and start to build up her life, it is a most engrossing read. To imagine that those things have stayed as she left them hundreds of years ago. To be holding the same book that this girl would have held centuries ago. Such an eerie feeling it is! Would she have thought someone would discover her personal sketches or writings long after she is gone?
Lauren Belfer impressed me more and more as the story progressed. It fascinates to see how a simple thing as an account ledger tells so much about you and your life. And similarly the borrower’s register in the library. Such an intelligent use of such a supposedly inconsequential thing. I loved this binding of the present to the past.
Moving on from the mystery itself, there are many more aspects of this book that I enjoyed. Hannah’s part time job of finding images for her clients to use on their products was quite interesting. It is such an enjoyable prospect to think of. And then, the constant rivalry between the British and the Americans for instance. It is funny reading the dissimilarities the author details – be it in their English usage or be it their mannerisms. It adds those light moments in the book that never let it get boring or dragging.
Another moment I must mention is when the guide at the Oxburgh Hall completely ignores the adults and asks the kids if they wanted to see the priest’s hole. How Hannah simply follows uninvited is hilarious. As it is when afterwards she asks to have the sticker the guide had awarded to the kids for having been inside the priest’s hole hah!
Conclusion:
I liked almost everything about this book. If at all anything, I feel towards the very end it tended to turn into just being feminist. Talking of how women have been oppressed and turning the whole story into that shade, I was really wondering if this is how it would end? But thankfully, the very last chapter and the ultimate revelation of the mystery pulls the book right back with little to complain. The final revelation truly had me taken by surprise and adding the perfect fizz befitting of a thriller.
I infact feel so attached to these characters, I wish there were a sequel to this and we could get a peek into how the lives of Hannah, Nicky and the others progressed from here on. A wonderful read for historical fiction fans, one not to be missed. Get it here.
You may want to try out some more historical fiction reads here.
this sounds great, i love such haunting themes