Friday, September 21, 2018

Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley

genre: historical paranormal romance

Life in the Wilde family of British Long Island during the Seven Years War wasn't easy.  With some members off fighting and others left at home to worry, even when they are gathered together again life is complicated because of two captured French officers that are billeted in their home.  With tensions high and loss simmering on the surface, Lydia Wilde does her best to complete the monstrous task of helping to run her father's home all with two of the enemy under her roof.

In modern Long Island, Charley is dealing with a loss of her own while starting a job as the new curator of The Wilde House Museum. Delving into the history of this house and its former residents, its generations of farmers and sailors, soldiers and carpenters, exposes more questions than answers and one ghost story in particular leaves Charley wondering if there is more to the story of this house than meets the eye. 

I loved this book.  I love Susanna Kearsley's deft hand at weaving the past and the present together in a way that always feels fresh.  The paranormal aspect never feels overwhelming, for some reason - I've read enough of her books now that I wait for it, wondering how those who have passed on will make their appearance in some way to help the narrative.  I love that I get a romantic storyline in BOTH time periods and how both Long Island communities, past and present, have secondary characters that are fleshed out enough to make our main character's lives feel rich and complex.  I love the history - how much did I actually know about the French and Indian War beyond the basic storyline of The Last of the Mohicans?  Nothing.  That's embarrassing.  But I do now, and I liked seeing inklings of how things were handled in this war led to our own American Revolution.  Also, I am just a nut for historical home museums so part of my love of this story was just the general plot and setting in an old house with a story to tell. 


1 comment:

Marg said...

I really need to read this. I am such a SK fangir.

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