Exalted Objects

by Jane D. Cairns, Alex Corbett Ashby (Narrator)

Editor's Pick — "Brothers, magnates, and responsibility power this smart, humane historical novel."

A railroad tycoon must choose between his brother's freedom and his own ambition—before one reckless act changes both their lives forever.

New Hampshire, 1870. Railroad magnate George Stark has spent his life building an empire, but when his brilliant, eccentric brother Will—a poet, prankster, and devoted keeper of exotic animals—becomes embroiled in a public scandal following a devastating train crash, George faces an impossible protect his family's reputation by committing Will to an asylum or risk everything he has worked to achieve.

Spanning nearly a quarter century, Exalted Objects journeys back to 1846 to trace the brothers' intertwined lives. As George rises with America's booming railroads, Will transforms the Stark estate into an extraordinary refuge for rare creatures and unconventional ideas. Against the backdrop of a nation rushing toward civil war, their story explores the fragile balance between ambition and compassion, conformity and imagination.

Brought vividly to life in a compelling performance by Alex Corbett Ashby, this richly atmospheric historical novel is a moving portrait of brotherhood, forgiveness, and the human cost of progress. Filled with memorable characters, emotional depth, and fascinating historical detail, Exalted Objects is an unforgettable listening experience for fans of immersive historical fiction.

Genres: Historical Fiction

Audible Audio

Expected publication September 15, 2026

Reviews

[Charlotte Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This historical fiction book leapt out to me when I was looking through possible ARCs to read. I was intrigued by the premise and I always like to hear about less well known parts of history. The book begins in 1896 when George has to decide whether or not to commit his eccentric brother Will to an asylum, at the risk of his brother or at the risk of the family reputation. The book starts out strong and I was very intrigued to see where it was going. Medicine, particularly mental health care, was mostly guess work at this point and historically was actually quite barbaric and harmful. In the beginning, I could really feel George’s concern and anxiety about how to help his brother. The book then flashes back to the years before this moment, with his Will’s graduation (or expulsion) from boarding school and all the ensuing events. One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the vocabulary! I learned several new words, including “sybarite”, which is a great word and also is just fun to say. I have read a lot so when I come across an author who challenges my vocabulary, I am often impressed. Unfortunately, I think the pacing of the story was a real challenge and I didn’t end up finishing the book. I struggled to stay interested and although the book is written in first person, I think the prose often felt stilted and formal. Like I said, I find the concept very interesting and the beginning definitely hooked me but I was bummed that it didn’t hold me on until the end.
I am grateful to HTF Publishing who gave me the chance to read this advanced copy through NetGalley.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed Exalted Objects. What drew me in most was the historical setting and the way Jane D. Cairns brings the characters and their world to life. I love historical fiction that makes me feel like I’m stepping into another time, and this book definitely gave me that feeling.
I especially enjoyed the relationship between the Stark brothers. They are so different from one another, and I found myself thinking about how much our personalities and circumstances can shape the choices we make. Their relationship brought so many complicated emotions into the story—love, loyalty, frustration, responsibility, and the desire to live life on your own terms.
I also appreciated the way the novel explores individuality and the expectations placed on people by their families and society. Some of the situations really made me stop and think about how differently certain things were viewed during this period in history compared with today.
The historical details were another highlight for me. I love when a historical fiction novel teaches me something while still giving me characters I can become invested in, and Exalted Objects did that for me.
Overall, this was a thoughtful and interesting historical read with memorable characters and a complicated family dynamic. If you enjoy historical fiction that focuses on family, relationships, societal expectations, and characters trying to find their place in the world, I think this would be a great one to pick up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

[Tim Schooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel, set pre- and post-Civil War, paints a complex portrait of a family coping with a changing world just outside of the violent conflict. With beautiful imagery and penetrating character analysis, the writing draws you in and holds you like any great page turner.

The novel is at its heart a story about two brothers and their complicated relationship. The author cleverly uses first person point of view for one and third person for the other. The diction and vocabulary of the first person brother, the sober and upstanding George, is so pitch perfect that I felt I knew him and could hear him talking in my head. The third person brother, William, a lawyer, poet, and libertine, is finely etched and so well depicted in his nonconformist nature as to seem a very modern figure.

When the author nonchalantly dropped Walt Whitman into the story, I had to cheer. And cheered again when Abe Lincoln appeared. And I kept on cheering at the abundance of poetic turns of phrase and clever insights.

Beautifully written and deeply researched, this is a great novel that deserves a wide reading.

I was privileged to be provided an advance reader copy of this novel.

[Jan Mc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction about siblings in the 19th century who are very different. The story is told by the older brother, George, about his own and his younger brother’s lives, from the 1840s to the 1870s. George is a responsible engineer who tries to live up to a famous New England ancestor, while Will is the odd man out.

The book spends most of time describing George’s staid and traditional life, while Will writes poetry and lives as an eccentric. George smoothes things over when Will gets in trouble, and helps him when he needs it. That is, actually, the entire plot.

I wish we could have learned more about how Will thought about life, and how he felt when George stepped in. I wasn’t as interested in George, although his career in the railroad industry was educational.

The audiobook narration by Alex Corbett Ashby was excellent. The book will be published on September 15, 2026.

Thank you to HTF Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this production in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda Brennen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two brothers, one a stoic, solid railroad engineer with high professional and political aspirations, and the other, intelligent but given to pranks and eccentricities of all kinds, grow up in New Hampshire in the mid-1800’s as members of an old and honored family. The story centers around the impacts they have on each other’s lives and the train crash that changes everything.

The characters are very well fleshed out so as to give the reader a full understanding of their motivations. The narrative begins in 1870 then jumps back to the boys’ childhood to set the stage for the final outcome. I loved the author’s writing style and I will definitely look for more from her. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator’s voice. I found it well aligned to the story.

Thank you NetGalley and HTF Publishing for the opportunity to review this audiobook before the publication date of September 14, 2026. All opinions expressed are my own.

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[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for providing me with a copy. Here’s my honest opinion.

Exalted Objects, set in mid-1800s NH, is a fictionalized account of the real George and William Stark. George is responsible and built his career in the booming railroad industry, while Will was the free-spirited brother and a complete contrast to George.

The author concedes that certain parts of the book are imagined, and it does make the story interesting. I listened to the audiobook, which Alex Corbett Ashby narrates very well. Had I read this, it likely would’ve been harder to get through.

If you love stories about NH history but are not a stickler for it being non-fiction, then enjoy this imagined account of the Stark brothers.

[Julie Friar · Rating 4 out of 5]

An historical novel that starts in 1870 covering the lives of the Stark family. George was a railroad magnate and his brother Will a poet and collector of exotic animals. They could not have been more different at a time that America moves towards civil war. A good luck at a family where outsiders judge them based on family history.

Very well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Good representation of the subjects of this book and their lives. A well paced intriguing bit of history.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

For this reader, Exalted Objects was a refreshing break from historical fiction centered on strong female protagonists. George and Will Stark are brothers with little in common beyond their sibling bond: George strives for success, wealth, and family, while Will is creative, adventurous, reckless, and unmoved by what others think. The novel left me spent in the best ways—heartbroken but satisfied, and more open to the male-driven stories I might otherwise miss. Thank you to #NetGalley for this “read now” opportunity to choose a book I would have overlooked. All opinions are my own.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I liked the story. I think I wanted to have a little bit more detail about what was going on with William toward the end, but I enjoyed all the historical aspects of this book. I live in Massachusetts, so a lot of the areas that were mentioned are familiar to me. I would read more from this author and I appreciated the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of the audiobook