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The Girl at the Window
Ponden Hall is a centuries-old house on the Yorkshire moors, a magical place full of stories. It's also where Trudy Heaton grew up. And where she ran away from....
Now, after the devastating loss of her husband, she is returning home with her young son, Will, who refuses to believe his father is dead.
While Trudy tries to do her best for her son, she must also attempt to build bridges with her eccentric mother. And then there is the Hall fallen into disrepair but generations of lives and loves still echo in its shadows, sometimes even reaching out to the present....
A hauntingly beautiful story of love and hope, from the Sunday Times best-selling author of The Memory Book and The Summer of Impossible Things.
Now, after the devastating loss of her husband, she is returning home with her young son, Will, who refuses to believe his father is dead.
While Trudy tries to do her best for her son, she must also attempt to build bridges with her eccentric mother. And then there is the Hall fallen into disrepair but generations of lives and loves still echo in its shadows, sometimes even reaching out to the present....
A hauntingly beautiful story of love and hope, from the Sunday Times best-selling author of The Memory Book and The Summer of Impossible Things.
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Published August 8, 2019
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About the author
Rowan Coleman
49 books852 followersRowan Coleman lives with her husband, and five children in a very full house in Hertfordshire. She juggles writing novels with raising her family which includes a very lively set of toddler twins whose main hobby is going in the opposite directions. When she gets the chance, Rowan enjoys sleeping, sitting and loves watching films; she is also attempting to learn how to bake.
Rowan would like to live every day as if she were starring in a musical, although her daughter no longer allows her to sing in public. Despite being dyslexic, Rowan loves writing, and The Memory Book is her eleventh novel. Others include The Accidental Mother, Lessons in Laughing Out Loud and the award-winning Dearest Rose, a novel which lead Rowan to become an active supporter of domestic abuse charity Refuge, donating 100% of royalties from the ebook publication of her novella, Woman Walks Into a Bar, to the charity. Rowan does not have time for ironing.
Rowan would like to live every day as if she were starring in a musical, although her daughter no longer allows her to sing in public. Despite being dyslexic, Rowan loves writing, and The Memory Book is her eleventh novel. Others include The Accidental Mother, Lessons in Laughing Out Loud and the award-winning Dearest Rose, a novel which lead Rowan to become an active supporter of domestic abuse charity Refuge, donating 100% of royalties from the ebook publication of her novella, Woman Walks Into a Bar, to the charity. Rowan does not have time for ironing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
July 14, 2019
Rowan Coleman pays homage to the Bronte family, in particular to Emily Bronte in this blend of fact and fiction novel set in the beautiful, wild, creepy and desolate Yorkshire moors, vividly reminiscent of Wuthering Heights. The tempestuous relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff and its inspiration is to be found in the history of the Heaton family living in ancient Ponden Hall, and their connection to Emily, a frequent visitor to its library, and with that famous box bed. Trudy Heaton grew up at Ponden Hall, bewitched, obsessed and enraptured by her close family ties with Emily and the Brontes, revelling in the literature and its romanticism. After a 16 year rift with her Ma, she has returned from London to the place where she truly belongs, with her son, Will, to introduce him to his family heritage and his maternal grandmother. Trudy and Will are burdened with trauma, and a heavy grief at the loss of Trudy's true love, soulmate, and husband, Abe. Abe, who is presumed dead after a plane accident in the Peruvian Jungle.
Ponden Hall heaves with its secret family histories, and the other spirits it holds within its walls. Trudy's Ma may have lived as its only solitary human soul through the years, as it crumbled around her, but her companions have been other souls from Ponden Hall's past. In a haunting narrative, Trudy feels the ghostly spirits of her cursed family history, the desolation, despair and tragedy, the parallel grief, the cruelty, the evil, the unbearable loss and love. Her son, Will, is not immune to the spooky atmosphere either, nor left untouched by its ghosts. Trudy inadvertently stumbles across a hidden treasure of documents that connect Emily Bronte with the life story of the lowly Agnes, two women separated by two centuries. Energised by her valuable historic find, Trudy rises above her grief in search of a greater prize from her heroine, Emily, whilst Will's unshakeable conviction that his father is still alive rekindles her desire to do all that she can to discover Abe's fate.
This has been a tough book for me to review, for whilst there are so many elements that I loved about it, I felt it did have some major flaws that prevented it from being what would otherwise have been an easy 5 star read. It needed to be more tightly plotted, the narrative could have been better edited to prevent it from meandering from time to time and the characterisation could have been improved to be a trifle sharper. None of this should detract from this wonderful book, a particular highlight for me was seeing Trudy's relationship with her Ma develop. As it turns out, it soon becomes clear that the father Trudy had been besotted with was not the man she thought he was, and the mother she hated is not the woman she thought. A novel that I adored so many aspects of, and which is likely to appeal to many Bronte fans. Many thanks to Random House Ebury for an ARC.
Ponden Hall heaves with its secret family histories, and the other spirits it holds within its walls. Trudy's Ma may have lived as its only solitary human soul through the years, as it crumbled around her, but her companions have been other souls from Ponden Hall's past. In a haunting narrative, Trudy feels the ghostly spirits of her cursed family history, the desolation, despair and tragedy, the parallel grief, the cruelty, the evil, the unbearable loss and love. Her son, Will, is not immune to the spooky atmosphere either, nor left untouched by its ghosts. Trudy inadvertently stumbles across a hidden treasure of documents that connect Emily Bronte with the life story of the lowly Agnes, two women separated by two centuries. Energised by her valuable historic find, Trudy rises above her grief in search of a greater prize from her heroine, Emily, whilst Will's unshakeable conviction that his father is still alive rekindles her desire to do all that she can to discover Abe's fate.
This has been a tough book for me to review, for whilst there are so many elements that I loved about it, I felt it did have some major flaws that prevented it from being what would otherwise have been an easy 5 star read. It needed to be more tightly plotted, the narrative could have been better edited to prevent it from meandering from time to time and the characterisation could have been improved to be a trifle sharper. None of this should detract from this wonderful book, a particular highlight for me was seeing Trudy's relationship with her Ma develop. As it turns out, it soon becomes clear that the father Trudy had been besotted with was not the man she thought he was, and the mother she hated is not the woman she thought. A novel that I adored so many aspects of, and which is likely to appeal to many Bronte fans. Many thanks to Random House Ebury for an ARC.
April 7, 2020
'I've been the only living soul in this house for a very long time' Ma says, turning her hollow gaze to meet mine. 'But not the only soul'
I went into this book totally blind, by the title I was expecting a Girl or a train, a girl with a tattoo or a girl simply gone type book but oh how wrong I was.
This book is just gorgeous, there is literally no other word for it, which is weird as I would put it under the horror genre, it's dark, its creepy, but its utterly gorgeous.
This book is centered around Ponden Hall, a very real place, a place the Brönte siblings spent a lot of time back in the day, a place that inspired Emily's wuthering heights, the place of the famous box bed. Emily features heavily in this story, a story seamlessly woven of fact and fiction spanning over hundreds of years.
'And if he treats books this way, god knows how he treats the people in his life'
This book features everything on my five star hit list, ghosts, historical facts, legends, libraries, thunder, hope, adorable characters, all woven together in fiction. I felt so many things reading this, it's just indescribable.
If you're wondering what to read this summer, pick this book, amongst all the thunder filled pages is the most gorgeous plot.
Please don't be put off by the title, it really is daffodils on a rainy day.
I went into this book totally blind, by the title I was expecting a Girl or a train, a girl with a tattoo or a girl simply gone type book but oh how wrong I was.
This book is just gorgeous, there is literally no other word for it, which is weird as I would put it under the horror genre, it's dark, its creepy, but its utterly gorgeous.
This book is centered around Ponden Hall, a very real place, a place the Brönte siblings spent a lot of time back in the day, a place that inspired Emily's wuthering heights, the place of the famous box bed. Emily features heavily in this story, a story seamlessly woven of fact and fiction spanning over hundreds of years.
'And if he treats books this way, god knows how he treats the people in his life'
This book features everything on my five star hit list, ghosts, historical facts, legends, libraries, thunder, hope, adorable characters, all woven together in fiction. I felt so many things reading this, it's just indescribable.
If you're wondering what to read this summer, pick this book, amongst all the thunder filled pages is the most gorgeous plot.
Please don't be put off by the title, it really is daffodils on a rainy day.
September 6, 2019
My obsession with Wuthering Heights and my adoration for the author who penned it knows no bounds. When a new book was released, that hinted at an association with this long-deceased author, I knew I had to read it.
The Girl at the Window is largely set inside Ponden Hall, much visited by Emily Bronte. Much of the inspiration for her renowned classic was born inside of these walls. Now, in Coleman’s fictional reimagining, the Heaton family reside there. They have done so for generations but may not continue to do so for much longer, with walls crumbling around them and empty bank accounts that can not fix them. The family too are falling apart, from both each other and the inside out.
The connections to Emily Bronte were well-thought out and I admired how authentic the insight to her once-home felt. There was an exciting puzzle that excavated past mysteries and made this, in part, a Gothic drama that the renowned author herself would probably have adored.
Despite loving this aspect of the narrative and also appreciating the family saga that was also heavily featured, I did find the romantic aspects of the plot to provide little interest for me. I also found much of the concluding twists easy to discern and it left me feeling ultimately a little dissatisfied. This was a fun and light read that I am glad to have read, but wasn’t suited for my personal literary tastes once I realised the early brooding atmosphere was discontinued.
The Girl at the Window is largely set inside Ponden Hall, much visited by Emily Bronte. Much of the inspiration for her renowned classic was born inside of these walls. Now, in Coleman’s fictional reimagining, the Heaton family reside there. They have done so for generations but may not continue to do so for much longer, with walls crumbling around them and empty bank accounts that can not fix them. The family too are falling apart, from both each other and the inside out.
The connections to Emily Bronte were well-thought out and I admired how authentic the insight to her once-home felt. There was an exciting puzzle that excavated past mysteries and made this, in part, a Gothic drama that the renowned author herself would probably have adored.
Despite loving this aspect of the narrative and also appreciating the family saga that was also heavily featured, I did find the romantic aspects of the plot to provide little interest for me. I also found much of the concluding twists easy to discern and it left me feeling ultimately a little dissatisfied. This was a fun and light read that I am glad to have read, but wasn’t suited for my personal literary tastes once I realised the early brooding atmosphere was discontinued.
January 14, 2020
Quite interesting but at times I did tend to skip a few pages.
July 22, 2019
Oh, be still my beating heart. What an absolutely glorious novel this is. Something about The Girl at the Window called out to me the minute I saw it mentioned on social media. Something that said I would love this story, without even really knowing what it was about. But I wasn’t prepared for just how much!
When Trudy’s husband fails to come back from a trip to Peru, she returns home with her son. But Trudy’s childhood home isn’t just any random place. Oh no! It’s Ponden Hall, a centuries old house in the Yorkshire moors, a magical place full of stories, and one that was often visited by none other than Emily Brontë. It’s been sixteen years since Trudy last went home. Ponden Hall has fallen into disrepair and yet Trudy feels it is still the best place for her and her son to find a way to heal and maybe even somehow fix her relationship with her mother.
Just like Ponden Hall seems to have put some kind of spell on Trudy, The Girl at the Window put a spell on me. From the very fist page, I found myself utterly engrossed, almost enchanted and unable to put this novel down for even a second. It is just so immensely beautifully written, somewhat spooky, immensely moving and sometimes positively heartbreaking. I don’t often get emotional when reading a novel but I did with this one and often found it quite hard not to choke on the lump in my throat.
Part love story, part ghost story and part historical fiction, this haunting tale wormed its way into my heart and straight onto my list of “top books of the year”. These characters jumped off the pages. Highly realistic and believable, it was impossible not to go through every range of emotion with them. I’m purposefully not giving anything away about the historical part of this novel, as it’s something you need to discover for yourself but I will say, it is brilliantly done and the mysteries surrounding Ponden Hall had me truly hooked.
The Girl at the Window is magical, haunting, moving and just …. wow! I was incredibly sad to see this story coming to an end, to be honest. I felt a little bereft and would have been quite happy to spend lots more time at Ponden Hall with Trudy and her family, searching through all the nooks and crannies. For surely this great house hides many more secrets and ghosts.
I don’t think my review is doing this novel justice at all. It’s one of those special ones. One of those stories where I just can’t find the words to describe how much I loved it. A novel to treasure. Highly recommend it. I’m not sure what more I can say. Loved it! Did I mention that? ❤️
When Trudy’s husband fails to come back from a trip to Peru, she returns home with her son. But Trudy’s childhood home isn’t just any random place. Oh no! It’s Ponden Hall, a centuries old house in the Yorkshire moors, a magical place full of stories, and one that was often visited by none other than Emily Brontë. It’s been sixteen years since Trudy last went home. Ponden Hall has fallen into disrepair and yet Trudy feels it is still the best place for her and her son to find a way to heal and maybe even somehow fix her relationship with her mother.
Just like Ponden Hall seems to have put some kind of spell on Trudy, The Girl at the Window put a spell on me. From the very fist page, I found myself utterly engrossed, almost enchanted and unable to put this novel down for even a second. It is just so immensely beautifully written, somewhat spooky, immensely moving and sometimes positively heartbreaking. I don’t often get emotional when reading a novel but I did with this one and often found it quite hard not to choke on the lump in my throat.
Part love story, part ghost story and part historical fiction, this haunting tale wormed its way into my heart and straight onto my list of “top books of the year”. These characters jumped off the pages. Highly realistic and believable, it was impossible not to go through every range of emotion with them. I’m purposefully not giving anything away about the historical part of this novel, as it’s something you need to discover for yourself but I will say, it is brilliantly done and the mysteries surrounding Ponden Hall had me truly hooked.
The Girl at the Window is magical, haunting, moving and just …. wow! I was incredibly sad to see this story coming to an end, to be honest. I felt a little bereft and would have been quite happy to spend lots more time at Ponden Hall with Trudy and her family, searching through all the nooks and crannies. For surely this great house hides many more secrets and ghosts.
I don’t think my review is doing this novel justice at all. It’s one of those special ones. One of those stories where I just can’t find the words to describe how much I loved it. A novel to treasure. Highly recommend it. I’m not sure what more I can say. Loved it! Did I mention that? ❤️
June 12, 2019
I thought this sounded right up my street. A crumbling gothic manor on the Yorkshire moors, Bronte contry, populated with ghosts, and a mystery to be solved. Trudy, has decided to take her son and go to stay with her mother at Ponden Hall, after she loses her husband in a plane crash. She finds some letters and diary entries which sets her off in search of more of Emily Bronte's writing.
I was expecting more of a gothic mystery, but I found it much more sentimental than something I would usually read. As such, I was a little disappointed, but this was to do with my expectations, not the authors wrinting. I'm glad I managed to finish it though. It did get better.
*Many thanks to Get galley for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion*
I was expecting more of a gothic mystery, but I found it much more sentimental than something I would usually read. As such, I was a little disappointed, but this was to do with my expectations, not the authors wrinting. I'm glad I managed to finish it though. It did get better.
*Many thanks to Get galley for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion*
August 7, 2019
This was a beautiful story written in a lyrical way, the prose had me
sighing with great joy as I started reading it.
My first Rowan Coleman book, the story followed the life of Trudy who moved back home with her son after her husband went missing.
The author's detailed descriptions of the settings, her engrossing plots, her beautifully etched characters had me deliriously happy. This was a slow moving book as compared to my thrillers, but it cast a strange hypnotic spell on me.
Trudy's characterization touched my heart, her innocent son's beliefs had me in tears. The book also had a spooky mystery which thrilled me to bits.
Different timelines and an enthralling story, this book simply splendid.
sighing with great joy as I started reading it.
My first Rowan Coleman book, the story followed the life of Trudy who moved back home with her son after her husband went missing.
The author's detailed descriptions of the settings, her engrossing plots, her beautifully etched characters had me deliriously happy. This was a slow moving book as compared to my thrillers, but it cast a strange hypnotic spell on me.
Trudy's characterization touched my heart, her innocent son's beliefs had me in tears. The book also had a spooky mystery which thrilled me to bits.
Different timelines and an enthralling story, this book simply splendid.
August 25, 2019
The Girl at the Window is set at Ponden Hall in Haworth on the Yorkshire moors and is claimed to be partly the inspiration for Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. The Bronte connection forms a large part of the story and although fiction has clearly been woven with fact, it was nonetheless fascinating and it has made me not only want to read Wuthering Heights again, which I last read as a teenager but I also want to visit Ponden Hall (which now looks to be an extremely inviting B&B).
The Heatons have owned Ponden Hall for generations, (Robert Heaton was said to have an unrequited love for Emily Bronte) and it is to her childhood home that Trudy Heaton and her young son Will flee when her husband Abe, a doctor on a humanitarian mission, is feared lost overseas during a terrible accident. Will is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his father and Trudy needs the healing sanctuary that only Ponden can provide; the only problem is that Trudy and her mother have been estranged for many years.
The story moves between the past with Trudy and Abe and how they first got together to the present day with Trudy and her mother trying to build bridges and find their way past the harsh words and anger that has passed between them 16 years before. However there is another unsettled presence at Ponden, and one that is trying to get Trudy’s attention.
There is a crossover of genres with this story and it has a foot in the camps of historical, paranormal, and romance with all strands fitting together perfectly. There is also a mystery to be solved and the story of a young girl called Agnes which captured the imagination of Emily Bronte.
What can I say about this book that can possibly do it justice. I don’t want to go into detail about the story because you need to discover it for yourself but I LOVED it. I might be a little biased because I do love Rowan Coleman’s books anyway but the historical element makes this very different from her previous novels. I was intrigued by the description of the box bed (Google it, there’s a picture of it on the Ponden Hall website) and enthralled by the richly drawn characters, both past and present, all of which were brought to life on the page. I felt for Will as he struggled to adjust to a new life at Ponden without his father; his loss being keenly felt by Trudy too. This was such an atmospheric and captivating read – with everything so carefully described, from the rather dilapidated Ponden Hall, which is a character in its own right, with its hole in the roof, desperately needing money and renovation; to the ghostly noises and unexplained visions – there is no doubt that some parts were decidedly creepy but this is not just about ghosts from the past, it’s also about love and reconciliation and never giving up no matter how difficult things may look.
The Girl at the Window is a stunning book, from cover to content. I can see this being on my favourites list at the end of the year
The Heatons have owned Ponden Hall for generations, (Robert Heaton was said to have an unrequited love for Emily Bronte) and it is to her childhood home that Trudy Heaton and her young son Will flee when her husband Abe, a doctor on a humanitarian mission, is feared lost overseas during a terrible accident. Will is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his father and Trudy needs the healing sanctuary that only Ponden can provide; the only problem is that Trudy and her mother have been estranged for many years.
The story moves between the past with Trudy and Abe and how they first got together to the present day with Trudy and her mother trying to build bridges and find their way past the harsh words and anger that has passed between them 16 years before. However there is another unsettled presence at Ponden, and one that is trying to get Trudy’s attention.
There is a crossover of genres with this story and it has a foot in the camps of historical, paranormal, and romance with all strands fitting together perfectly. There is also a mystery to be solved and the story of a young girl called Agnes which captured the imagination of Emily Bronte.
What can I say about this book that can possibly do it justice. I don’t want to go into detail about the story because you need to discover it for yourself but I LOVED it. I might be a little biased because I do love Rowan Coleman’s books anyway but the historical element makes this very different from her previous novels. I was intrigued by the description of the box bed (Google it, there’s a picture of it on the Ponden Hall website) and enthralled by the richly drawn characters, both past and present, all of which were brought to life on the page. I felt for Will as he struggled to adjust to a new life at Ponden without his father; his loss being keenly felt by Trudy too. This was such an atmospheric and captivating read – with everything so carefully described, from the rather dilapidated Ponden Hall, which is a character in its own right, with its hole in the roof, desperately needing money and renovation; to the ghostly noises and unexplained visions – there is no doubt that some parts were decidedly creepy but this is not just about ghosts from the past, it’s also about love and reconciliation and never giving up no matter how difficult things may look.
The Girl at the Window is a stunning book, from cover to content. I can see this being on my favourites list at the end of the year
July 8, 2019
A young widow takes her son back to the home she turned her back on years ago – a crumbling gothic manor on the Yorkshire moors, very close to Haworth, populated with ghosts, where she must repair both her relationship with her mother and the fabric of the building. That leads her to a mystery rooted deep in the history of the house and the story of one of the writer daughters of Haworth.
There are stories to be told in the present, in the recent past, and much further back.
There is a lot going on -maybe too much - but rarely do books have so many interesting ingredients.
There were moments when the story was too easy to predict and when the story became too unlikely, but it worked.
The atmosphere was wonderful, the emotions in the human story were very well done, and my attention was held from the first page to the last.
There are stories to be told in the present, in the recent past, and much further back.
There is a lot going on -maybe too much - but rarely do books have so many interesting ingredients.
There were moments when the story was too easy to predict and when the story became too unlikely, but it worked.
The atmosphere was wonderful, the emotions in the human story were very well done, and my attention was held from the first page to the last.
May 30, 2019
Perfect spooky romantic novel set in an eerie old house.Lots of antique books an ancient mystery to be solved and plenty of soul searching and grief to be faced. Full review to follow for blog tour.
May 5, 2019
Trudy Heaton and her young son return to her childhood home Ponden Hall when her husband goes missing after a plane crash.
Ponden hall is an old house in need of repair and Trudy's mum has been unable to do anything about this. As Trudy tries to rectify this she stumbles across some letters that puts her on a quest to find out some history of her ancestors.
This is both a love story and a ghost story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ponden hall is an old house in need of repair and Trudy's mum has been unable to do anything about this. As Trudy tries to rectify this she stumbles across some letters that puts her on a quest to find out some history of her ancestors.
This is both a love story and a ghost story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 15, 2019
magical, haunting, heartbreaking, exciting, gorgeous & atmospheric. if you’re a fan of ghost stories, wuthering heights, family dramas and all things unexpected, this one is for you. 💛
September 9, 2019
8 months after archivist Trudy Heaton answers the phone to take the call that nobody wants to receive, she takes her little boy Will back to her childhood home. Ponden Hall really does exist on the Yorkshire moors just outside Haworth and Emily Bronte was a regular visitor to the Heaton family. The Heatons have owned the property for centuries but I was intrigued why Trudy would go back there at such an emotional time when she has such a difficult relationship with her mother. Trudy’s husband Abe is a doctor on a mission in Peru when he is involved in a plane crash, and Will refuses to accept that his father is gone. It’s clear that this is going to be a multi-layered ghost story but the ghosts are those of experience, of memory and regret as well as those we may expect in such a story.
The quality of description, prose and conveying of emotion is sublime. Trudy is on an undertaking to reconstruct and discover the past, but that past takes many forms, for both herself and previous occupants of the property. The story is told through the present day with interspersing past segments; the story of how Trudy first met Abe, of Agnes who was connected with the house 400 years ago, and previously unseen words of Emily Bronte. This approach seems unified and not at all disjointed. There are ingredients of Wuthering Heights in the story, not only through the connection with Emily but through the elements, landscape, characters and the Gothic.
Trudy tries to come to terms with her loss, reconnect the past to the present and find a way of restoring the house. I couldn’t help thinking that restoration involved more than just the physical.
I did feel that the characterisation of historical figures was better than those of today. There was a present day rogue whose activities were wrapped up a little too neatly, and Trudy’s mum seemed ancient with her wearing a headscarf tied under her chin and talking about “that internet”. Yes I realise she lived on the moors but this is Yorkshire not the jungle, and she is the same age as Jennifer Lopez, Darcey Bussell and Catherine Zeta Jones! However her grief over her marriage may have made her old before her time. I did like Will and thought he was so sweet and perceptive, coping with losing his father and everything that is familiar to him.
This is a wonderful story of redemption, love and discovery and so well written. It’s such a shame that the proof-reader let down the author so badly.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story though was totally disappointed (so how will the author feel?) about the shocking standard of proof reading. Someone "poured over" every drop of knowledge and took a peak in a library. What, from the Peak District? There were words missing and misspelled and such a slapdash approach from professional proofreaders really is not fair on an author.
4.75.
The quality of description, prose and conveying of emotion is sublime. Trudy is on an undertaking to reconstruct and discover the past, but that past takes many forms, for both herself and previous occupants of the property. The story is told through the present day with interspersing past segments; the story of how Trudy first met Abe, of Agnes who was connected with the house 400 years ago, and previously unseen words of Emily Bronte. This approach seems unified and not at all disjointed. There are ingredients of Wuthering Heights in the story, not only through the connection with Emily but through the elements, landscape, characters and the Gothic.
Trudy tries to come to terms with her loss, reconnect the past to the present and find a way of restoring the house. I couldn’t help thinking that restoration involved more than just the physical.
I did feel that the characterisation of historical figures was better than those of today. There was a present day rogue whose activities were wrapped up a little too neatly, and Trudy’s mum seemed ancient with her wearing a headscarf tied under her chin and talking about “that internet”. Yes I realise she lived on the moors but this is Yorkshire not the jungle, and she is the same age as Jennifer Lopez, Darcey Bussell and Catherine Zeta Jones! However her grief over her marriage may have made her old before her time. I did like Will and thought he was so sweet and perceptive, coping with losing his father and everything that is familiar to him.
This is a wonderful story of redemption, love and discovery and so well written. It’s such a shame that the proof-reader let down the author so badly.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story though was totally disappointed (so how will the author feel?) about the shocking standard of proof reading. Someone "poured over" every drop of knowledge and took a peak in a library. What, from the Peak District? There were words missing and misspelled and such a slapdash approach from professional proofreaders really is not fair on an author.
4.75.
August 2, 2019
Wow!! This is how I love books I read to be! Full of heart and mystery, sprinkled with lashings of history and ghostly goings on!! It was just a wonderful read and has me now itching to read more of the Bronte Sisters and especially to revisit Wuthering Heights!
Ponden Hall is where the story is based - Trudy Heaton grew up there but was quick to escape, but finds herself returning there along with her son, Will, as they try and deal with the grief of losing her husband who is presumed dead after a plane crash. This also means repairing a long rift with her mother - a woman not backward in coming forward and her comments over the years have never gone down too well with her daughter.
The story also goes back to the past - 1654 onwards - and what happened at Ponden Hall when a mystery girl was taken in by Robert Heaton and I found the storyline of Agnes just as captivating as that of Trudy in the present. The friendship she formed with Robert was truly touching and the treatment he received from his stepfather was abhorrent.
In the present Trudy does her best to try and move on, but the ghosts of her life and those of Ponden Hall are never far away and it was always intriguing to find out what she'd discover next about the house and her family history. In looking into restoring Ponden Hall she calls in an expert and he seems even more obsessed with her home and the literary links it has than she can imagine.
I thoroughly enjoyed spending time at Ponden Hall with these characters and found it to be such a captivating story that I just lost track of time whilst I was reading!
Ponden Hall is where the story is based - Trudy Heaton grew up there but was quick to escape, but finds herself returning there along with her son, Will, as they try and deal with the grief of losing her husband who is presumed dead after a plane crash. This also means repairing a long rift with her mother - a woman not backward in coming forward and her comments over the years have never gone down too well with her daughter.
The story also goes back to the past - 1654 onwards - and what happened at Ponden Hall when a mystery girl was taken in by Robert Heaton and I found the storyline of Agnes just as captivating as that of Trudy in the present. The friendship she formed with Robert was truly touching and the treatment he received from his stepfather was abhorrent.
In the present Trudy does her best to try and move on, but the ghosts of her life and those of Ponden Hall are never far away and it was always intriguing to find out what she'd discover next about the house and her family history. In looking into restoring Ponden Hall she calls in an expert and he seems even more obsessed with her home and the literary links it has than she can imagine.
I thoroughly enjoyed spending time at Ponden Hall with these characters and found it to be such a captivating story that I just lost track of time whilst I was reading!
September 15, 2019
Visit the locations in the novel
I love Jane Eyre and the other Bronte novels. I’ve read a few modern adaptations and novels based on the characters and landscapes. However this novel is a real treat and stands out from the crowd. It’s gothic, chilling and very immersive and looks lovingly at the character and literary heritage from where it takes its inspiration.
There’s plenty of gothic delights, paranormal over tones and more to delight Bronte fans. But this novel goes further by bringing new Bronte magic alive. Ponden Hall has so many links to the Bronte story and so to have a modern day novel tied to this and also to its historical ribbons is a nice nod to a literary great. The novel of the Girl at the Window is a mix of all that a novel set here should be - a love story, mystery and of course a gothic one. Agnes’ past and her discovery of it was a strong story and it unravelled some spookily good reveals.
The ending was a bit neater than I had hoped for but then it didn’t overshadow an enjoyable read.
May 20, 2019
I’m really sorry but this book really didn’t work for me. I just couldn’t get into it. I believe that this book needs to be heavily edited and gone over by someone with a sharp eye and rewritten slightly. Sorry. It just didn’t work for me.
July 24, 2019
As a HUGE fan of Rowan’s books I was thrilled and delighted to be invited to take part in the #blogtour for her new novel The Girl in the Window. Rowan is one of my “go-to” authors that I read without bothering to read the blurb and therefore start her books with an open mind and absolutely no idea of the journey I am about to embark.
The Girl in The Window is a story about love, loss, ghosts, history and Emily Bronte. It’s a beautifully crafted novel bringing the past and present together. We follow the story of Agnes, a young girl sold to a horrible man hundreds of years ago and Trudy, a grieving wife whose husband goes missing in a plane crash in the present day.
Trudy has returned to her childhood home Ponden Hall with her young son Will, to seek solace with her estranged mother and uncovers something extraordinary about Emily Bronte and Ponden Hall’s past.
There is a constant feeling of goosebumps and chills throughout the book which gave an added layer to the chilling atmosphere created by the author. Ponden Hall becomes a character in it’s own right and Rowan brings it to life brick by brick.
If you are looking for a magical escape full of historical facts, wonderful characters, ghosts and legends plus a gigantic library, then I would definitely recommend The Girl in the Window.
The Girl in The Window is a story about love, loss, ghosts, history and Emily Bronte. It’s a beautifully crafted novel bringing the past and present together. We follow the story of Agnes, a young girl sold to a horrible man hundreds of years ago and Trudy, a grieving wife whose husband goes missing in a plane crash in the present day.
Trudy has returned to her childhood home Ponden Hall with her young son Will, to seek solace with her estranged mother and uncovers something extraordinary about Emily Bronte and Ponden Hall’s past.
There is a constant feeling of goosebumps and chills throughout the book which gave an added layer to the chilling atmosphere created by the author. Ponden Hall becomes a character in it’s own right and Rowan brings it to life brick by brick.
If you are looking for a magical escape full of historical facts, wonderful characters, ghosts and legends plus a gigantic library, then I would definitely recommend The Girl in the Window.
January 21, 2020
It’s a well-written and cosy read that gives an entertaining story of an old English house in the countryside. Some plots feel slightly forced into the book, and that takes away from the overall experience.
May 16, 2019
Firstly, I adore this cover, such great use of imagery of the old window that just instantly draws you in to the darkness inside the house and the colours of moody skies (anyone who has visited Haworth/ the Yorkshire Moors will agree it can be moody). The cover artist is super talented Sarah J. Coleman @Inkymole
The Girl At The Window is a work of magic in gothic fiction and the more I consider all of the elements of it the more passionate I get about what a stunning book it is. There's romance, an old hall, superstition, obsession, danger, family curses, bravery; all of the Gothic traits! Tying in three main storylines, this book navigates centuries of mysteries, female experiences, and fate. This book alternates between the historical written diary entries of Agnes, a lowborn young woman in the 17th century, the modern story of Tru and Abe and how their love began, and finally the experiences of Tru in the present day, with her son Will and her "Ma"; all connected by Ponden Hall.
If you are a fan of Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, or want to know more about either, this is a fantastic book. It weaves together pieces of history that are very much factual. The authors notes at the end of the book explain the parts that are historically accurate and which are fictional, which I found hugely helpful and increased my love of the story even more. There is a real life Ponden Hall for example, however I advise not researching the history of the place before reading this book, as I say there are factual elements and it could spoil the plot, but worth looking up after. Rowan Coleman takes the history of the hall, the families and mysteries it has housed, and has created this fantastic story brimming with emotion, suspense and supernatural realism.
The differences, and heartbreaking similarity, in experiences across the centuries of Agnes and Tru are explored with great skill throughout this exhilarating read. A bond is formed, both between the characters and with the reader, through their despair, sorrow and belief. Tru sets on a path to discover all of the truths that Ponden Hall keeps hidden, despite the ominous presence that threatens danger and terrifying consequences.
Apart from the historical nut in me that loves old houses, family history and mysteries, the part I treasured most about this book was the direction of Tru's relationship with her mother (Ma). Ma is perhaps the character that evolves the most, you see her growth across the timeline, and her no-mess approach, vulnerabilities and sharp sense of humour made this book for me. There are so many subtle crossovers and paradoxes between this book plot and Wuthering Heights (it is called The Girl At The Window after all), but the correlation between Ma and Emily Brontë's character of Catherine Earnshaw was strong to me; I felt Ma's strong-willed, mischievous, flawed and domineering nature was so very reminiscent of what Cathy would have been in older age if she'd had a chance to grow older and wiser.
This is a book to absorb, study, treasure, and enjoy.
The Girl At The Window is a work of magic in gothic fiction and the more I consider all of the elements of it the more passionate I get about what a stunning book it is. There's romance, an old hall, superstition, obsession, danger, family curses, bravery; all of the Gothic traits! Tying in three main storylines, this book navigates centuries of mysteries, female experiences, and fate. This book alternates between the historical written diary entries of Agnes, a lowborn young woman in the 17th century, the modern story of Tru and Abe and how their love began, and finally the experiences of Tru in the present day, with her son Will and her "Ma"; all connected by Ponden Hall.
If you are a fan of Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, or want to know more about either, this is a fantastic book. It weaves together pieces of history that are very much factual. The authors notes at the end of the book explain the parts that are historically accurate and which are fictional, which I found hugely helpful and increased my love of the story even more. There is a real life Ponden Hall for example, however I advise not researching the history of the place before reading this book, as I say there are factual elements and it could spoil the plot, but worth looking up after. Rowan Coleman takes the history of the hall, the families and mysteries it has housed, and has created this fantastic story brimming with emotion, suspense and supernatural realism.
The differences, and heartbreaking similarity, in experiences across the centuries of Agnes and Tru are explored with great skill throughout this exhilarating read. A bond is formed, both between the characters and with the reader, through their despair, sorrow and belief. Tru sets on a path to discover all of the truths that Ponden Hall keeps hidden, despite the ominous presence that threatens danger and terrifying consequences.
Apart from the historical nut in me that loves old houses, family history and mysteries, the part I treasured most about this book was the direction of Tru's relationship with her mother (Ma). Ma is perhaps the character that evolves the most, you see her growth across the timeline, and her no-mess approach, vulnerabilities and sharp sense of humour made this book for me. There are so many subtle crossovers and paradoxes between this book plot and Wuthering Heights (it is called The Girl At The Window after all), but the correlation between Ma and Emily Brontë's character of Catherine Earnshaw was strong to me; I felt Ma's strong-willed, mischievous, flawed and domineering nature was so very reminiscent of what Cathy would have been in older age if she'd had a chance to grow older and wiser.
This is a book to absorb, study, treasure, and enjoy.
August 22, 2019
Ah Rowan, how you breathed new life into some of my favourites places...
Trudy has moved back to Ponden Hall with her son, Will, following the mysterious disappearance of her husband. Will might have been born in London but he's a 'Yorkshireman' by heart and blood. Ponden is creaking at the seams, shabby and in need of a serious renovation, but it is home, and she's reunited with her mother despite their imperfect relationship. She begins the task of rebuilding her life, and renovating this great home. So we have a story of grief, acceptance and rebuilding your life... and then....
During the clean up, Trudy discovers the 17th century story of a young girl, Agnes, who has been very ill-treated at the hands of an older man who coerces her for his personal gain, and you'll be turning the pages to discover more about her and her fate. Trudy believes Agnes is still at Ponden Mill in spirit, and there's a goosebumpy moment in the story with a glass and some paper that made my hair stand on end....
Alongside this, there are papers, suspected to be written by Emily Bronte, which appear in the house and which Trudy seeks to authenticate. Each part of the story begins with a poem by Emily, in a wonderful homage to the sister who, along with her family, visited this hall on many an occasion.
It's a testament to Coleman's writing that she combines this story of grief and love, with a historical mystery, with the Bronte narrative. It makes for a really entertaining story. My heart went out to Agnes, admittedly more than it did to Trudy, because of what she suffered. But all the characters are full of spirit. This is a wonderful, can't-put-it-down story. Part fact and part fiction, it's a story of what you would call 'true Yorkshire grit' and determination, being a Yorkshire lass myself.
It's full of the most wonderful descriptions of Bronte country, made all the more interesting when you have visited there and can visualise walking the paths of the protagonists. I loved The Girl at the Window, and can't recommend it highly enough
Trudy has moved back to Ponden Hall with her son, Will, following the mysterious disappearance of her husband. Will might have been born in London but he's a 'Yorkshireman' by heart and blood. Ponden is creaking at the seams, shabby and in need of a serious renovation, but it is home, and she's reunited with her mother despite their imperfect relationship. She begins the task of rebuilding her life, and renovating this great home. So we have a story of grief, acceptance and rebuilding your life... and then....
During the clean up, Trudy discovers the 17th century story of a young girl, Agnes, who has been very ill-treated at the hands of an older man who coerces her for his personal gain, and you'll be turning the pages to discover more about her and her fate. Trudy believes Agnes is still at Ponden Mill in spirit, and there's a goosebumpy moment in the story with a glass and some paper that made my hair stand on end....
Alongside this, there are papers, suspected to be written by Emily Bronte, which appear in the house and which Trudy seeks to authenticate. Each part of the story begins with a poem by Emily, in a wonderful homage to the sister who, along with her family, visited this hall on many an occasion.
It's a testament to Coleman's writing that she combines this story of grief and love, with a historical mystery, with the Bronte narrative. It makes for a really entertaining story. My heart went out to Agnes, admittedly more than it did to Trudy, because of what she suffered. But all the characters are full of spirit. This is a wonderful, can't-put-it-down story. Part fact and part fiction, it's a story of what you would call 'true Yorkshire grit' and determination, being a Yorkshire lass myself.
It's full of the most wonderful descriptions of Bronte country, made all the more interesting when you have visited there and can visualise walking the paths of the protagonists. I loved The Girl at the Window, and can't recommend it highly enough
May 27, 2019
The Girl at the Window by Rowan Coleman a five-star read that will surprise you. I didn’t know what to expect with this one, I have loved the authors work before so jumped in without even bothering to read the blurb, so I was a little confused at times getting used to the style and story. But once I did, I was so hooked I couldn’t put it down, Rowan Coleman is a great storyteller, and this may just be one of the best stories I read all year.
July 21, 2019
I was so looking forward to reading this book but found it rather tedious and at times annoying. The mother who was unbelievably only in her fifty’s had what read as the strangest accent, supposed to be moors with a strong drop of cockney mixed in. Very long winded, I found myself speed reading and skimming pages to get to the very predictable ending.
February 15, 2021
Auf jeden Fall zu empfehlen Wer Klassiker mag und wer Mysteriöse Geschichten mir wahren Hintergrund bevorzugt.
Es befinden sich viele historische belegbare Farkten im Buch. Die das Leben der Bronte Schwestern besonders zu Emily Bronte und zu sturmhöhe.
Große tragische Liebesgeschichten und fiktiven Elementen.
Es befinden sich viele historische belegbare Farkten im Buch. Die das Leben der Bronte Schwestern besonders zu Emily Bronte und zu sturmhöhe.
Große tragische Liebesgeschichten und fiktiven Elementen.
August 8, 2019
What can I say, this book has absolutely everything an avid reader could wish for when they pick up a new tome. I knew this book was going to be something special because the author has set it in a place that means a great deal to her and she has obviously poured her heart and soul into it. The passion and emotion bursts off the page and straight into the heart of the reader and carries them along on an immersive emotional journey through the story. I was completely drawn in to the world of the characters and the setting of the book and held in such an iron grip by the narrative that I could barely bear (Kate Baker – take note!) to put it down and interact with my family. I raced through it in record time and felt bereft when it was done.
The story is set in the wilds of Yorkshire, in the house that is rumoured to have inspired parts of Wuthering Heights and it is uncanny how the author has managed to evoke the atmosphere of that great novel with her story. Rowan really does the beauty and atmosphere of my home county great justice in the setting and the reader is immediately transported to the isolated Yorkshire Moors that so inspired Emily Bronte and gave Wuthering Heights the dark and wild atmosphere that characterises it.
Anyone who follows Rowan on Twitter and knows anything about her will not be able to read the book and fail to feel that the main character of Trudy has, to a degree, been inspired by Rowan’s own famed obsession with the Brontes. Returning to her childhood home at Ponden Hall after a great personal tragedy, Trudy becomes embroiled in a treasure hunt involving lost Bronte artefacts and a story that she believes intrigued her heroine, Emily, centuries before. I absolutely loved the character of Trudy and was completely engrossed in her life and emotions from the very first page. Her relationships with her young son, husband and estranged mother were beautifully portrayed in the story and felt completely authentic. The emotional journey experienced by the characters was extremely affecting and I felt myself experiencing a vast range of emotions myself as I read – sorrow, terror, intrigue being just a few of them – it was very skilfully done. These are characters and stories of the best kind, the kind that make you feel like you have made new friends, that you care about them and feel sad when you have to let them go. The great thing about novels, of course, is that they will still be there when you want to return to them, and this is definitely a book that the reader will want to treasure and return to and experience again.
The plot of the novel covers so much. Personal tragedy, family relationships, mystery, history, literature and a thrilling ghost story, all at the same time. There is so much packed in to the book, I was hugely impressed that it all flows so naturally and blended seamlessly. As someone who is making attempts to write herself, I could not help being awed by the skill that this complex book has taken to produce and, aside from being a marvellous read, it is something I will be studying to see how Rowan managed to pull it off. In fact, I would love to hear from the horse’s mouth what process Rowan used to put this book together. There was so much fascinating information and detail about the Brontes woven in to the story, but it never felt that it was included in anything other than a natural way that enhanced the narrative. The ghostly aspects were suitably creepy and disturbing. The book actually managed to produce in me the same deeply troubling sensations I felt when I first read the opening chapters of Wuthering Heights where the narrator is being haunted by Cathy’s ghost. It gives me the shivers thinking about it to this day. Ghost stories are very hard to do well, but Rowan achieves this, and goes beyond.
This book is complex, emotional, fascinating, gripping, troubling, affecting, beautiful and moving, all at the same time. It is a masterpiece, and a masterclass in writing. I absolutely loved every word, every page and know I will return to it again and again. One of my favourite books of the eighty I have read so far this year. I have bought a copy to cherish, you should too.
The story is set in the wilds of Yorkshire, in the house that is rumoured to have inspired parts of Wuthering Heights and it is uncanny how the author has managed to evoke the atmosphere of that great novel with her story. Rowan really does the beauty and atmosphere of my home county great justice in the setting and the reader is immediately transported to the isolated Yorkshire Moors that so inspired Emily Bronte and gave Wuthering Heights the dark and wild atmosphere that characterises it.
Anyone who follows Rowan on Twitter and knows anything about her will not be able to read the book and fail to feel that the main character of Trudy has, to a degree, been inspired by Rowan’s own famed obsession with the Brontes. Returning to her childhood home at Ponden Hall after a great personal tragedy, Trudy becomes embroiled in a treasure hunt involving lost Bronte artefacts and a story that she believes intrigued her heroine, Emily, centuries before. I absolutely loved the character of Trudy and was completely engrossed in her life and emotions from the very first page. Her relationships with her young son, husband and estranged mother were beautifully portrayed in the story and felt completely authentic. The emotional journey experienced by the characters was extremely affecting and I felt myself experiencing a vast range of emotions myself as I read – sorrow, terror, intrigue being just a few of them – it was very skilfully done. These are characters and stories of the best kind, the kind that make you feel like you have made new friends, that you care about them and feel sad when you have to let them go. The great thing about novels, of course, is that they will still be there when you want to return to them, and this is definitely a book that the reader will want to treasure and return to and experience again.
The plot of the novel covers so much. Personal tragedy, family relationships, mystery, history, literature and a thrilling ghost story, all at the same time. There is so much packed in to the book, I was hugely impressed that it all flows so naturally and blended seamlessly. As someone who is making attempts to write herself, I could not help being awed by the skill that this complex book has taken to produce and, aside from being a marvellous read, it is something I will be studying to see how Rowan managed to pull it off. In fact, I would love to hear from the horse’s mouth what process Rowan used to put this book together. There was so much fascinating information and detail about the Brontes woven in to the story, but it never felt that it was included in anything other than a natural way that enhanced the narrative. The ghostly aspects were suitably creepy and disturbing. The book actually managed to produce in me the same deeply troubling sensations I felt when I first read the opening chapters of Wuthering Heights where the narrator is being haunted by Cathy’s ghost. It gives me the shivers thinking about it to this day. Ghost stories are very hard to do well, but Rowan achieves this, and goes beyond.
This book is complex, emotional, fascinating, gripping, troubling, affecting, beautiful and moving, all at the same time. It is a masterpiece, and a masterclass in writing. I absolutely loved every word, every page and know I will return to it again and again. One of my favourite books of the eighty I have read so far this year. I have bought a copy to cherish, you should too.
August 27, 2019
First a disclaimer that I've never read a book by any of the Bronte's, nor before going into this story know much about them at all. I'm also not typically a fan of books with large historical sections...
....but I am a massive fan of Rowan Coleman, so I put my trust in her that I would enjoy the book, and she hasn't steered me wrong.
Although not entirely for me, I did thoroughly enjoy the story-lines, the parallels in the history. Through such evocative writing i felt as though I knew every nook and cranny of Ponden Hall, and even the sceptic in me was starting to believe in ghosts, such was the conviction of the storytelling.
There is a lot going on this story, and I couldn't help but feel for poor Agnes. And then there is in the present day Will who is utterly convinced his father is still alive, they just have to look harder for him.
Despite the multiple time lines, it was always clear which bit you were following, which greatly helped. I enjoyed seeing how Trudy and Abe got together, and also how the relationship between Trudy and her mum develops .
Hauntingly beautiful writing, which I suspect may just infiltrate my dreams this evening, Just hope this hotel doesn't have any ghosts of it own! What a fabulous start to my holiday reading,
Thank you to Ebury and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
....but I am a massive fan of Rowan Coleman, so I put my trust in her that I would enjoy the book, and she hasn't steered me wrong.
Although not entirely for me, I did thoroughly enjoy the story-lines, the parallels in the history. Through such evocative writing i felt as though I knew every nook and cranny of Ponden Hall, and even the sceptic in me was starting to believe in ghosts, such was the conviction of the storytelling.
There is a lot going on this story, and I couldn't help but feel for poor Agnes. And then there is in the present day Will who is utterly convinced his father is still alive, they just have to look harder for him.
Despite the multiple time lines, it was always clear which bit you were following, which greatly helped. I enjoyed seeing how Trudy and Abe got together, and also how the relationship between Trudy and her mum develops .
Hauntingly beautiful writing, which I suspect may just infiltrate my dreams this evening, Just hope this hotel doesn't have any ghosts of it own! What a fabulous start to my holiday reading,
Thank you to Ebury and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
July 24, 2019
WOW! That is my first honest reaction after finishing this novel, apart from immediately wanting to pull out every bookshelf searching for my copies of the Bronte sisters works.
A beautifully wrought meditation on grief, forgiveness and hope, this novel pulls on every heartstring and leaves you wanting to go to Ponden Hall yourself. Mixing folk tales of Greybeard,Gytrash, known here in Wales as the Gwyllgi , and ghosts of previous residents, melding fact and fiction so seemlessly that you want it to be real, Rowan Coleman has created a love letter to the Brontes and this is quite clearly a passion project.
Using multiple narratives, she skillfully skips back and forth in time. Using main character Trudy Heaton,her younger self, Tru, and 17th century letters from a girl named Agnes, she explores the nature of hope, recovery and willingness to let things go. Trudy has returned to her family home of Ponden Hall following the presumed death of her husband-Abe was lost at sea after a plane crash. Having not been there since a cataclysmic argument with her mother-who is living there alone except for dog Mab-because she was a pregnant teen, she is facing an uncertain future as a single parent trying to deal with her grief alongside her son, Will’s, stubborn refusal to believe that his father is dead.
Finding Ponden in a worse state than she expected, she begins to carefully assess the renovation potential of bringing the famous house where the Brontes used to go to read into the tourist industry, much against her mother’s objections. But with little money to survive on-when Tru and Will arrive, the elcetric has been cut off leaving them effectively stranded-there doesn’t seem to be much option.
Marcus Ellis, a restoration expert , has been drafted in to help by Trudy, his passion for the Brontes not withstanding, he has a deep and abiding love for the house -his appearance gives Trudy someone to talk to, someone non-judgemental who peels her layers back as they rebuild Ponden.
”Very ancient buildings have a way of talking to you that means you have to stop and listen and work out what they want to tell you,don’t you think? So many secrets waiting to be uncovered.”
The reconstruction of the house parrallels the reconstruction of Trudy as she begins to make peace with where she is now, with her mother, with the house and its ghosts , the paradoxical restoration as she strips away the floors and makes what could be historic discoveries is wonderfully explored. As she recalls the beginning of her relationship with Abe, we, the reader, connect more with a character that hasn’t even set foot on the page, as it were, beyond being a memory,and emotionally invest ourselves in the younger versions so that when we are in the present, Abe’s loss is keenly felt.
The diary/letter entries by a girl named Agnes, show her arrival with a man named Henry Casson at Ponden Hall who inserts himself into the life of the widow there, pretending that the girl he has bought with him is his own. Her letters are a way of showing that she is not the ‘dumb urchin’ that he has brought along with him to disguise his true intent, and the suspense of what happens to Agnes mounts as the book continues.Henry is obviously determined to usurp the heir, Robert Wheaton, by marrying his mother but what part Agnes has to play in this keeps you swiftly turning the pages! How Rowan manages to juggle these 3 storylines whilst keeping you emotionally rooted to the characters is a revelation.
Flawlessly plotted, with a great gothic sensibility,ghosts ,folk tales.both historical ,and literary relevancy, plus a huge love story at its heart, I honestly feel that ‘The Girl At The Window’ is her best novel yet, this is a beautiful lead in to her next outing as Bella Ellis in ‘The Vanished Bride-The Bronte Mysteries’
A beautifully wrought meditation on grief, forgiveness and hope, this novel pulls on every heartstring and leaves you wanting to go to Ponden Hall yourself. Mixing folk tales of Greybeard,Gytrash, known here in Wales as the Gwyllgi , and ghosts of previous residents, melding fact and fiction so seemlessly that you want it to be real, Rowan Coleman has created a love letter to the Brontes and this is quite clearly a passion project.
Using multiple narratives, she skillfully skips back and forth in time. Using main character Trudy Heaton,her younger self, Tru, and 17th century letters from a girl named Agnes, she explores the nature of hope, recovery and willingness to let things go. Trudy has returned to her family home of Ponden Hall following the presumed death of her husband-Abe was lost at sea after a plane crash. Having not been there since a cataclysmic argument with her mother-who is living there alone except for dog Mab-because she was a pregnant teen, she is facing an uncertain future as a single parent trying to deal with her grief alongside her son, Will’s, stubborn refusal to believe that his father is dead.
Finding Ponden in a worse state than she expected, she begins to carefully assess the renovation potential of bringing the famous house where the Brontes used to go to read into the tourist industry, much against her mother’s objections. But with little money to survive on-when Tru and Will arrive, the elcetric has been cut off leaving them effectively stranded-there doesn’t seem to be much option.
Marcus Ellis, a restoration expert , has been drafted in to help by Trudy, his passion for the Brontes not withstanding, he has a deep and abiding love for the house -his appearance gives Trudy someone to talk to, someone non-judgemental who peels her layers back as they rebuild Ponden.
”Very ancient buildings have a way of talking to you that means you have to stop and listen and work out what they want to tell you,don’t you think? So many secrets waiting to be uncovered.”
The reconstruction of the house parrallels the reconstruction of Trudy as she begins to make peace with where she is now, with her mother, with the house and its ghosts , the paradoxical restoration as she strips away the floors and makes what could be historic discoveries is wonderfully explored. As she recalls the beginning of her relationship with Abe, we, the reader, connect more with a character that hasn’t even set foot on the page, as it were, beyond being a memory,and emotionally invest ourselves in the younger versions so that when we are in the present, Abe’s loss is keenly felt.
The diary/letter entries by a girl named Agnes, show her arrival with a man named Henry Casson at Ponden Hall who inserts himself into the life of the widow there, pretending that the girl he has bought with him is his own. Her letters are a way of showing that she is not the ‘dumb urchin’ that he has brought along with him to disguise his true intent, and the suspense of what happens to Agnes mounts as the book continues.Henry is obviously determined to usurp the heir, Robert Wheaton, by marrying his mother but what part Agnes has to play in this keeps you swiftly turning the pages! How Rowan manages to juggle these 3 storylines whilst keeping you emotionally rooted to the characters is a revelation.
Flawlessly plotted, with a great gothic sensibility,ghosts ,folk tales.both historical ,and literary relevancy, plus a huge love story at its heart, I honestly feel that ‘The Girl At The Window’ is her best novel yet, this is a beautiful lead in to her next outing as Bella Ellis in ‘The Vanished Bride-The Bronte Mysteries’
August 9, 2019
The publisher tells us that this book is all about “love, hope, and family secrets”, but not how exquisitely it’s all handled. If you enjoy a story with a dual time thread, this book will take your breath away – there aren’t just two, but three, and the way they’re entangled makes this book such a compelling read. There’s a present day story, as Trudy returns to her family home of Ponden Hall on the Yorkshire moors, her grief at the loss of her husband palpable as she wrestles with the echoes of both their past and the layers of history she uncovers; there’s the story of Agnes, told through her discovered letters; and there’s the intriguing link with the later years of Emily Bronte’s life and legacy.
I read this book on a steaming hot afternoon in the garden, and really did it something of a dis-service – this is a book that should perhaps be read on one of those days of more usual Yorkshire weather, as the darkness closes in and the shadows gather. I’ve noticed that others have said how they were hooked from the first page – I’ll admit it took me a little longer, but once I became immersed in the twists and turns of the story, its atmospheric setting, and its different threads I read breathlessly to the end, lost in its pages, and was enchanted throughout. There’s an intriguing mystery – actually, there are several – and a strong element of the supernatural, handled in that cleverly unsettling way that keeps you on the wrong foot, each occurrence somewhere in the realms between the very real and the world of nightmares.
The characterisation is quite wonderful. Trudy herself, although sympathetically drawn (particularly in the anguish of her loss and her relationship with her young son), was a character I struggled at times to find likeable – but she’s a strong focus for the story that unfolds, as her belief and persistence drives her on in her personal recovery and her quest to uncover the secrets of the past. Her mother begins as a caricature – and perhaps was one reason why I briefly struggled – but I loved the way she became fleshed out as their relationship built and family history was uncovered. Agnes’ story is totally heartbreaking, the letters a wonderful way of slowly revealing her story – and I really liked the way her tragedy was gently mirrored in the present day. And as for the Bronte elements – the author’s love for her subject shines through, and this was maybe the element I enjoyed more than any other. And when discussing characters, it’s impossible to ignore Ponden Hall itself – steeped in history, deeply atmospheric, slowly revealing its secrets – and the descriptions of it and its surroundings are just stunning, so much more than a simple backdrop.
I hardly need to say that the writing is wonderful – I expected nothing less. Rowan Coleman has a unique ability to remove the barrier between the reader and the story, to draw you into the world she creates, to breathe their air, to feel what they feel – and I don’t think her writing has ever been better than it is in this book. Highly, highly recommended.
I read this book on a steaming hot afternoon in the garden, and really did it something of a dis-service – this is a book that should perhaps be read on one of those days of more usual Yorkshire weather, as the darkness closes in and the shadows gather. I’ve noticed that others have said how they were hooked from the first page – I’ll admit it took me a little longer, but once I became immersed in the twists and turns of the story, its atmospheric setting, and its different threads I read breathlessly to the end, lost in its pages, and was enchanted throughout. There’s an intriguing mystery – actually, there are several – and a strong element of the supernatural, handled in that cleverly unsettling way that keeps you on the wrong foot, each occurrence somewhere in the realms between the very real and the world of nightmares.
The characterisation is quite wonderful. Trudy herself, although sympathetically drawn (particularly in the anguish of her loss and her relationship with her young son), was a character I struggled at times to find likeable – but she’s a strong focus for the story that unfolds, as her belief and persistence drives her on in her personal recovery and her quest to uncover the secrets of the past. Her mother begins as a caricature – and perhaps was one reason why I briefly struggled – but I loved the way she became fleshed out as their relationship built and family history was uncovered. Agnes’ story is totally heartbreaking, the letters a wonderful way of slowly revealing her story – and I really liked the way her tragedy was gently mirrored in the present day. And as for the Bronte elements – the author’s love for her subject shines through, and this was maybe the element I enjoyed more than any other. And when discussing characters, it’s impossible to ignore Ponden Hall itself – steeped in history, deeply atmospheric, slowly revealing its secrets – and the descriptions of it and its surroundings are just stunning, so much more than a simple backdrop.
I hardly need to say that the writing is wonderful – I expected nothing less. Rowan Coleman has a unique ability to remove the barrier between the reader and the story, to draw you into the world she creates, to breathe their air, to feel what they feel – and I don’t think her writing has ever been better than it is in this book. Highly, highly recommended.
April 12, 2024
This book was a total surprise at how much I loved it. It mixes historical fiction, contemporary, mystery and ghosts sooo well. Best of all it is set in howarth and has things about Emily bronte who is my favourite author. The setting, characters and storyline meant it is a book that will be on my favourites.
September 1, 2021
Was für gefühlvoll geschriebenes Buch in einer traumhaftes Kulisse!!!
Leider habe ich das Ende als zu schnell abgehandelt und ein wenig zu konstruiert empfunden.
Leider habe ich das Ende als zu schnell abgehandelt und ein wenig zu konstruiert empfunden.
June 27, 2019
Where do I start? I really believed that Rowan could not better her previous novel, The Summer of Impossible Things. But I was wrong.
This book has it all, history, mystery, ghosts, the wild moors, but above all, love. Romantic love, parental love, family love - even canine love!
It’s not a conventional love story by any means, it is far more than that. We follow the story of Agnes from centuries ago. Then it overlaps with the story of Emily Bronte, which in turn overlaps with Trudy’s present day life.
The characters are so vivid, especially Ma and Mab, the descriptive scenes made me feel I was right there, in whichever period of history they were set.
This book is a truly wonderful experience. Thank you, Rowan.
This book has it all, history, mystery, ghosts, the wild moors, but above all, love. Romantic love, parental love, family love - even canine love!
It’s not a conventional love story by any means, it is far more than that. We follow the story of Agnes from centuries ago. Then it overlaps with the story of Emily Bronte, which in turn overlaps with Trudy’s present day life.
The characters are so vivid, especially Ma and Mab, the descriptive scenes made me feel I was right there, in whichever period of history they were set.
This book is a truly wonderful experience. Thank you, Rowan.
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