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The House of Secrets
Every home has a story to tell . . .
An ordinary house on an ordinary street, built in 1936 and never lived in. Its rooms might be empty, but this house is full of secrets.
When Zoe and Win, raw and reeling from a recent tragedy, move into their new home it's meant to be a fresh start and a way to mend the holes in their relationship.
But pushed to the back of a cupboard is a suitcase that's been gathering dust for eighty years. Inside is a wedding dress, letters and a diary all belonging to a woman called Libby. And there's something else in the suitcase, something that echoes Zoe's own pain.
Zoe follows Libby's trail from Paris to Spain on the brink of Civil War to secret trysts in London, and as Libby finds the courage to live and love again, Zoe begins to let go of her own grief.
But when Libby's story takes a darker turn, Zoe becomes increasingly obsessed with discovering what really happened all those years ago. Because if Libby managed to get her happy ever after then maybe Zoe and Win can too . . .
An ordinary house on an ordinary street, built in 1936 and never lived in. Its rooms might be empty, but this house is full of secrets.
When Zoe and Win, raw and reeling from a recent tragedy, move into their new home it's meant to be a fresh start and a way to mend the holes in their relationship.
But pushed to the back of a cupboard is a suitcase that's been gathering dust for eighty years. Inside is a wedding dress, letters and a diary all belonging to a woman called Libby. And there's something else in the suitcase, something that echoes Zoe's own pain.
Zoe follows Libby's trail from Paris to Spain on the brink of Civil War to secret trysts in London, and as Libby finds the courage to live and love again, Zoe begins to let go of her own grief.
But when Libby's story takes a darker turn, Zoe becomes increasingly obsessed with discovering what really happened all those years ago. Because if Libby managed to get her happy ever after then maybe Zoe and Win can too . . .
440 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2017
116 people are currently reading
772 people want to read
About the author
Sarra Manning
45 books1,934 followersSarra Manning is a teen queen extraordinaire. She spent five years working on the now sadly defunct J17, first as a writer and then as Entertainment Editor. She then joined the launch team of teen fashion bible Ellegirl, which she later went on to edit and has consulted on a wide range of youth titles including Bliss, The Face and More.
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
May 1, 2017
4.5 stars.
House of Secrets is set in two time periods and follows the lives of two sets of people, with a link to a mystery house. Libby lives in 1936, she has lost a child through miscarriage and even worse has been deserted by the father and her husband. Zoe and her husband Win buy a house that was built in 1936 but never lived in. Now it is run down, full of dry rot but they have put in a bid and have won the house.
Zoe finds a suitcase with baby clothes and letters and newspaper clippings that sets her off on a journey to find out about the mystery Libby and how the suitcase came to be left in the house. Zoe is in mourning, having too lost a child through an ectopic pregnancy, and almost lost her life as well. Since then things have not been that good between herself and Win and they are drifting apart. Zoe finds herself in tears, Win is his most controlling self and even takes off to stay with his mother because he can't cope.
The story of Libby unfolds as the book alternatively explores the life of Libby and then Zoe and Win. Libby has a tough time and she is a victim of her love for men who do not love her in return. However of the two men she turns to, one of them comes through for her and it enables her to start out on a new venture. Zoe and Win have many challenges in their relationship and in renovating the house. And always to the fore, especially for Zoe is finding out about Libby, as she identifies with her, they share so many similarities that it is important to Zoe that things worked out for Libby.
I liked Libby and Zoe and Win, none of them are perfect, but they are very real and I was soon engrossed in the lives of all of them. The story linked really well between the two time periods and nothing was left hanging. Something I really appreciated after reading a book or two where things were "dropped" but never brought to resolution. I liked the growth of the characters, it felt real and ended on a note of hope.
Well worth reading.
House of Secrets is set in two time periods and follows the lives of two sets of people, with a link to a mystery house. Libby lives in 1936, she has lost a child through miscarriage and even worse has been deserted by the father and her husband. Zoe and her husband Win buy a house that was built in 1936 but never lived in. Now it is run down, full of dry rot but they have put in a bid and have won the house.
Zoe finds a suitcase with baby clothes and letters and newspaper clippings that sets her off on a journey to find out about the mystery Libby and how the suitcase came to be left in the house. Zoe is in mourning, having too lost a child through an ectopic pregnancy, and almost lost her life as well. Since then things have not been that good between herself and Win and they are drifting apart. Zoe finds herself in tears, Win is his most controlling self and even takes off to stay with his mother because he can't cope.
The story of Libby unfolds as the book alternatively explores the life of Libby and then Zoe and Win. Libby has a tough time and she is a victim of her love for men who do not love her in return. However of the two men she turns to, one of them comes through for her and it enables her to start out on a new venture. Zoe and Win have many challenges in their relationship and in renovating the house. And always to the fore, especially for Zoe is finding out about Libby, as she identifies with her, they share so many similarities that it is important to Zoe that things worked out for Libby.
I liked Libby and Zoe and Win, none of them are perfect, but they are very real and I was soon engrossed in the lives of all of them. The story linked really well between the two time periods and nothing was left hanging. Something I really appreciated after reading a book or two where things were "dropped" but never brought to resolution. I liked the growth of the characters, it felt real and ended on a note of hope.
Well worth reading.
June 10, 2017
Two and a half stars.
Two women living eighty years apart and a suitcase that’s been gathering dust for eighty years, sounds like this would be a really engrossing read. Add to that two women who have known the grief of a miscarriage and it sounds like it will be a book that will tug at the emotions. Sadly that wasn’t the case for me. Libby is the character from 1936 and Zoe is the present day character. I always felt somewhat detached from both Libby and Zoe’s stories. Freddy, Hugo and Win, the male characters in this book, I thought were very one dimensional. Some of the dialogue was uninteresting and served no purpose. For all that, I did keep reading the book so there was enough in the story that interested me. It just didn’t wholly grab me. That may not be this book’s fault. It may just be that the previous book I had read was so good that anything else was going to pale by comparison. Or it may be that this was just one that didn’t engage me enough, so don’t let me put you off reading this if you are into dual time frame novels and books about secrets. Others may well enjoy it more than I did. This was my first book by this author and I might be prepared to try another.
Two women living eighty years apart and a suitcase that’s been gathering dust for eighty years, sounds like this would be a really engrossing read. Add to that two women who have known the grief of a miscarriage and it sounds like it will be a book that will tug at the emotions. Sadly that wasn’t the case for me. Libby is the character from 1936 and Zoe is the present day character. I always felt somewhat detached from both Libby and Zoe’s stories. Freddy, Hugo and Win, the male characters in this book, I thought were very one dimensional. Some of the dialogue was uninteresting and served no purpose. For all that, I did keep reading the book so there was enough in the story that interested me. It just didn’t wholly grab me. That may not be this book’s fault. It may just be that the previous book I had read was so good that anything else was going to pale by comparison. Or it may be that this was just one that didn’t engage me enough, so don’t let me put you off reading this if you are into dual time frame novels and books about secrets. Others may well enjoy it more than I did. This was my first book by this author and I might be prepared to try another.
May 9, 2017
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Sarra Manning made quite the impression on me when I read her previous novel, After the Last Dance. She returns with a new release and another unforgettable historical romance, again featuring a double time period narrative. This time around, Manning’s novel is set around a house harbouring secrets of the past. An abandoned suitcase found in this house holds the key to the fascinating life of a woman living in the year 1936.
Libby and Zoe are the protagonists that drive Manning’s latest publication, The House of Secrets. These two women are separated by time but are eternally linked together by a house. In the present, Zoe and her husband Win have recently purchased a house built in the 1930’s that needs a complete renovation. While restoring the property, Zoe stumbles across an old suitcase which is filled with intriguing items. These include a letters, a diary and baby clothes. Zoe is baffled as to who left these items behind and why they were left for so long. She is determined to get to the source of the suitcase and hopefully return the items to their rightful owner. Zoe investigations from clues left in the diary and letters lead her to Libby, a woman who once lived in the same house in the 1930’s. Little by little it is revealed Libby’s life was a tragic one, marred by miscarriage and wrong choices in love. As the two women’s stories converge, Zoe’s journey into Libby’s past gives her a new lease on life.
I was excited to read The House of Secrets and I really enjoyed reading After the Last Dance by Manning last year. As soon as this novel was released, I was quick off the mark to purchase it and settle in to read it.
Manning is adept in producing engrossing stories that combine two very different time periods, as well as key characters. The House of Secrets again shows us how Manning is able to successfully intertwine life in the 1930’s, to life in the present day. In fact, it does not take long for the reader to feel completely invested in both Zoe and Libby’s lives. The transition from one time period and story to another is handled with ease by Manning.
Manning’s characterisation is solid. This also extends to her peripheral characters. Leads Libby and Zoe are cast against a wall of likeable male protagonists. Some of their choices are questionable but this adds to the readability of the novel.
I love the idea of hidden suitcases, letters, diaries and other personal effects. Manning uses these props to her full advantage in The House of Secrets. I enjoyed how these items acted as a catalyst in revealing Libby’s hidden story. More importantly, I liked the part they played in healing Zoe’s relationship with Win and how they helped Zoe overcome the loss of her unborn child. When I reached the end of the story, I reflected heavily on Zoe’s journey. I came to the conclusion that as much as this is Libby’s story, The House of Secrets is essentially about Zoe’s personal growth through a difficult life event. I came away filled with sense of promise for Zoe, which was a warm feeling.
The House of Secrets is a wonderful dual time period novel that offered me a pleasurable reading experience. I liked this novel a lot but not quite as much as its predecessor, After the Last Dance, which I thought handled the historical time period side of the novel a tad better. I would recommend this novel to those who appreciate a good multi time period novel and historical sagas/romances.
Sarra Manning made quite the impression on me when I read her previous novel, After the Last Dance. She returns with a new release and another unforgettable historical romance, again featuring a double time period narrative. This time around, Manning’s novel is set around a house harbouring secrets of the past. An abandoned suitcase found in this house holds the key to the fascinating life of a woman living in the year 1936.
Libby and Zoe are the protagonists that drive Manning’s latest publication, The House of Secrets. These two women are separated by time but are eternally linked together by a house. In the present, Zoe and her husband Win have recently purchased a house built in the 1930’s that needs a complete renovation. While restoring the property, Zoe stumbles across an old suitcase which is filled with intriguing items. These include a letters, a diary and baby clothes. Zoe is baffled as to who left these items behind and why they were left for so long. She is determined to get to the source of the suitcase and hopefully return the items to their rightful owner. Zoe investigations from clues left in the diary and letters lead her to Libby, a woman who once lived in the same house in the 1930’s. Little by little it is revealed Libby’s life was a tragic one, marred by miscarriage and wrong choices in love. As the two women’s stories converge, Zoe’s journey into Libby’s past gives her a new lease on life.
I was excited to read The House of Secrets and I really enjoyed reading After the Last Dance by Manning last year. As soon as this novel was released, I was quick off the mark to purchase it and settle in to read it.
Manning is adept in producing engrossing stories that combine two very different time periods, as well as key characters. The House of Secrets again shows us how Manning is able to successfully intertwine life in the 1930’s, to life in the present day. In fact, it does not take long for the reader to feel completely invested in both Zoe and Libby’s lives. The transition from one time period and story to another is handled with ease by Manning.
Manning’s characterisation is solid. This also extends to her peripheral characters. Leads Libby and Zoe are cast against a wall of likeable male protagonists. Some of their choices are questionable but this adds to the readability of the novel.
I love the idea of hidden suitcases, letters, diaries and other personal effects. Manning uses these props to her full advantage in The House of Secrets. I enjoyed how these items acted as a catalyst in revealing Libby’s hidden story. More importantly, I liked the part they played in healing Zoe’s relationship with Win and how they helped Zoe overcome the loss of her unborn child. When I reached the end of the story, I reflected heavily on Zoe’s journey. I came to the conclusion that as much as this is Libby’s story, The House of Secrets is essentially about Zoe’s personal growth through a difficult life event. I came away filled with sense of promise for Zoe, which was a warm feeling.
The House of Secrets is a wonderful dual time period novel that offered me a pleasurable reading experience. I liked this novel a lot but not quite as much as its predecessor, After the Last Dance, which I thought handled the historical time period side of the novel a tad better. I would recommend this novel to those who appreciate a good multi time period novel and historical sagas/romances.
September 19, 2017
I loved this novel! It had everything I wanted in it - great characters, a plot featuring dual narratives, and a sense of mystery in working out how certain characters may or may not be connected...
I don't read that much historical romance but I would definitely read more if they were all as engaging as this! I felt that Sarra Manning is particularly great at creating a real sense of atmosphere around the times the two main characters - Zoe and Libby - are living in. I loved the present day narrative which felt refreshing familiar every time I came back from the narrative set in the 1930's. It's amazing how different their lives are, but in many ways are very similar, and that's partly what this novel seems to focus on.
There were times I really disliked the male 'love interests' but on the whole I really warmed to both Zoe and Libby, increasingly liking them as I read more about them. Sarra Manning has effectively created a a real sense of atmosphere but including hidden or less obvious objects and elements in and around the 'house of secrets'. I personally really enjoyed the switch between eras too, though I know some people don't get along with this type of narrative structure.
I also liked that the plot surprised me at various points; sometimes I thought I knew exactly what would happen, but often it wasn't as black and white as that. I feel that this reflects real life more, and I really preferred that not everything was tied up with a nice bow...
I'd highly recommend The House of Secrets for anyone looking to read a well structured and beautifully written historical novel, and I will certainly be reading more by this author in the future.
Many thanks to Sphere and Netgalley for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
I don't read that much historical romance but I would definitely read more if they were all as engaging as this! I felt that Sarra Manning is particularly great at creating a real sense of atmosphere around the times the two main characters - Zoe and Libby - are living in. I loved the present day narrative which felt refreshing familiar every time I came back from the narrative set in the 1930's. It's amazing how different their lives are, but in many ways are very similar, and that's partly what this novel seems to focus on.
There were times I really disliked the male 'love interests' but on the whole I really warmed to both Zoe and Libby, increasingly liking them as I read more about them. Sarra Manning has effectively created a a real sense of atmosphere but including hidden or less obvious objects and elements in and around the 'house of secrets'. I personally really enjoyed the switch between eras too, though I know some people don't get along with this type of narrative structure.
I also liked that the plot surprised me at various points; sometimes I thought I knew exactly what would happen, but often it wasn't as black and white as that. I feel that this reflects real life more, and I really preferred that not everything was tied up with a nice bow...
I'd highly recommend The House of Secrets for anyone looking to read a well structured and beautifully written historical novel, and I will certainly be reading more by this author in the future.
Many thanks to Sphere and Netgalley for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
August 7, 2017
Whilst the story was intriguing - a house, a suitcase and two women 80 years apart - the delivery was less spellbinding, although I did like the final chapters.
Whilst the story had its merits, sharing the challenges of relationships and pregnancies across the time span, the characters themselves weren't sufficiently rounded enough to provide depth of character. I didn't really warm to any of them except the dog (and I much prefer cats!)
Sad to report that this didn't blow me away and I finished it to see what happened rather than because I had to read just one more page.
3*
Whilst the story had its merits, sharing the challenges of relationships and pregnancies across the time span, the characters themselves weren't sufficiently rounded enough to provide depth of character. I didn't really warm to any of them except the dog (and I much prefer cats!)
Sad to report that this didn't blow me away and I finished it to see what happened rather than because I had to read just one more page.
3*
did-not-finish
February 4, 2018Bland. DNF at 17%.
April 7, 2021
3.5 ★
Sarra Manning has this really balanced style of writing. It’s all funny, sexy, emotional and sweet.
This book also showcased a real versatility in genres for this author, very similar to Jojo Moyes. This was women’s fiction with a romantic spin. It followed two women, connected by location and circumstance, in two different timelines.
I fell into this story and it’s characters, and there were so many to enjoy. There was love and precious men, there was pain and suffering and war. I gushed and shed a few tears.
High caliber writing with sentences I stoped and savoured—this just went on a little too long and sadly impacted my rating.
Sarra Manning has this really balanced style of writing. It’s all funny, sexy, emotional and sweet.
This book also showcased a real versatility in genres for this author, very similar to Jojo Moyes. This was women’s fiction with a romantic spin. It followed two women, connected by location and circumstance, in two different timelines.
I fell into this story and it’s characters, and there were so many to enjoy. There was love and precious men, there was pain and suffering and war. I gushed and shed a few tears.
High caliber writing with sentences I stoped and savoured—this just went on a little too long and sadly impacted my rating.
October 19, 2017
When Win and Zoe move into a house that has been unoccupied since it was built in the 1930's, they find a suitcase there containing a diary written by a lady called Libby. Drawing parallels between her life now and Libby's some 80 years ago, Zoe begins researching her, hoping that a happy ending for Libby will mean the same for her.
A wonderfully written story with great use of a dual timeline. I found Sarra's writing style so easy to read and loved her characters who just came alive on the page. Although some of the topics covered are very sad, I felt they were sensitively handled and I couldn't wait to have a spare hour to continue reading and find out what was in store for everyone. I was so impressed with this book that I've just purchased another from the author and am hoping for an equally intriguing story.
A wonderfully written story with great use of a dual timeline. I found Sarra's writing style so easy to read and loved her characters who just came alive on the page. Although some of the topics covered are very sad, I felt they were sensitively handled and I couldn't wait to have a spare hour to continue reading and find out what was in store for everyone. I was so impressed with this book that I've just purchased another from the author and am hoping for an equally intriguing story.
December 20, 2018
Bij het zien van de mooie cover van Het verlaten huis van Sarra Manning wil je weten wat voor verdriet er achter de ogen van de vrouw schuilt, wat haar verhaal is. De titel maakt nieuwsgierig. Je wilt weten waarom het huis is verlaten, wat er zich heeft afgespeeld.
Het verlaten huis van Sarra Manning word vertelt vanuit twee personen in twee verschillende tijden. Het verhaal van Libby in 1936 en het verhaal van Zoë in 2016. Twee verhalen die overeenkomsten hebben, maar gelukkig in andere opzichten van elkaar verschillen. Een verhaal van twee vrouwen die het een en ander hebben meegemaakt, die hun levens heeft getekend. Het is een verhaal dat voor veel mensen bekend voor kan komen omdat ze hetzelfde hebben meegemaakt, hebben gevoeld. Daarnaast zullen veel stellen de sores van een verbouwing herkennen, wat dat met een relatie kan doen.
Heel even lijkt het of een van de verhalen voorspelbaar zal worden met een voorspelbaar eind, maar gelukkig is dat niet zo. Het kent gelukkig vele verrassende wendingen met een verrassend plot die je niet aan ziet komen, een plot dat je mond open doet gaan van verbazing. Het andere verhaal is wel een beetje voorspelbaar, je weet al hoe het eindigt, maar dat is niet erg, want het ene verhaal maakt het meer dan goed en je wilt weten of de andere vrouw uiteindelijk de geschiedenis van de vorige bewoners van het huis zal ontdekken en hoe ze erop zal reageren.
Lees verder op https://surfingann.blogspot.com/2018/....
Het verlaten huis van Sarra Manning word vertelt vanuit twee personen in twee verschillende tijden. Het verhaal van Libby in 1936 en het verhaal van Zoë in 2016. Twee verhalen die overeenkomsten hebben, maar gelukkig in andere opzichten van elkaar verschillen. Een verhaal van twee vrouwen die het een en ander hebben meegemaakt, die hun levens heeft getekend. Het is een verhaal dat voor veel mensen bekend voor kan komen omdat ze hetzelfde hebben meegemaakt, hebben gevoeld. Daarnaast zullen veel stellen de sores van een verbouwing herkennen, wat dat met een relatie kan doen.
Heel even lijkt het of een van de verhalen voorspelbaar zal worden met een voorspelbaar eind, maar gelukkig is dat niet zo. Het kent gelukkig vele verrassende wendingen met een verrassend plot die je niet aan ziet komen, een plot dat je mond open doet gaan van verbazing. Het andere verhaal is wel een beetje voorspelbaar, je weet al hoe het eindigt, maar dat is niet erg, want het ene verhaal maakt het meer dan goed en je wilt weten of de andere vrouw uiteindelijk de geschiedenis van de vorige bewoners van het huis zal ontdekken en hoe ze erop zal reageren.
Lees verder op https://surfingann.blogspot.com/2018/....
July 28, 2021
Sarra Manning never fails to entertain me with her writing. The story switches effortlessly between Libby in the 1930s and Zoe in modern day. Both connected by a similar loss, they are able to find the strength to carry on with their lives.
January 1, 2023
Wauw … wat een geweldig boek om dit lees jaar mee te beginnen
Dubbele tijdlijn , twee vrouwen, nieuw huis , miskraam , buitenbaarmoederlijke zwangerschap, ….dit kwam wel echt heel erg dicht bij mijn gevoel 😢….maar ondanks dat .. geweldig , bijna niet weg te leggen boek
Absolute aanrader wat mij betreft
Dubbele tijdlijn , twee vrouwen, nieuw huis , miskraam , buitenbaarmoederlijke zwangerschap, ….dit kwam wel echt heel erg dicht bij mijn gevoel 😢….maar ondanks dat .. geweldig , bijna niet weg te leggen boek
Absolute aanrader wat mij betreft
December 7, 2018
I dare you to read this book and not tear up!
So touching, sad and happy at the same time.
I love a good book that is always calling me to continue reading 😍
So touching, sad and happy at the same time.
I love a good book that is always calling me to continue reading 😍
June 11, 2017
This book manages to give you a good historical and contemporary story at the same time and both are really good. They both start off with sadness and end up happy and heart-warming which is something to be expected of a Sarra Manning story. I must admit that although both Zoe and Libby are good characters, I much preferred Libby and her story as it was more exciting. I did expect it to have a little more comedy involved, but that was just me making assumptions as I usually find her books laugh out loud funny. Overall it was a very good book, but in my opinion it was not as good as, After The Last Dance.
January 5, 2019
For 2019 I have set myself a little challenge of trying to review at least one older book each month from my never ending TBR shelf on NetGalley. Hopefully in this way I'll reduce some of the books that have languishing on that shelf for some time as I'm sure there are some gems waiting there to be read. For January I have chosen The House of Secrets by Sarra Manning.
The House of Secrets is only the second book I have read by Sarra Manning and again similar to the first book I read by this author I found this book to initially be a mixed bag for me. The first half I found slow going and it needed all of my attention to keep up with the various intricacies of the plot. This book requires a lot of thinking and to take the time to absorb what was going on with each character. Time was needed to get to know them and to see how the situations they found themselves in and the life altering experiences affected how they were moving on in the present in Zoe's case and for Libby how she was dealing with the fallout of events in 1936.
Admittedly, I put the book down for a day or two and upon returning to it I approached it with a fresh frame of mind and a new perspective which helped me enormously. I found the second half far stronger than the first and I raced through the chapters eager to see how things would eventually unfold and how the past would connect to the present. So essentially I did enjoy this book after taking some time to really get into it, and in fact it was an excellent exploration of two women separated by many years but connected through the shared experience of grief and loss and how we overcome such personal tragedy, anguish and hardship without it tearing us and our relationships apart and affecting how we live the rest of our lives.
The House of Secrets follows two women who at first appear to have nothing in common and whom in fact never get to meet each other given they are separated by many years. Instead the connection is established through a diary found languishing in an old suitcase. Its only by chance as Zoe and her husband Win move into an abandoned house that needs thousands of pounds poured into its renovation that Zoe discovers an old suitcase shoved to the back of a shelf in her new bedroom. Who left it there? What is inside it? Why is that the only object in a home that was bought in 1936 and never once lived in? Over the years the house despite being newly built in 1936 has given into the ravages of time but the couple feel they can bring it back to its former glory but as they begin the process their relationship is tested to the max. Added to this they are grieving a recent loss which is tearing them apart, more so Zoe as Win refuses to talk about it or even really acknowledge it.
From the start I could see that Zoe was clinging to a knife edge. Her emotions were all over the place and she needed to express how she was feeling without receiving scorn or judgement from Win. But she wasn't allowed to do this, to be given the freedom to express her sadness at this loss which could have take their lives in an entire new direction. Win became a closed book obsessed with house renovations and plans and as the couple realise the challenge of restoring the house was even greater than they imagined, an already fragile relationship of which they have been a part of for over thirteen years is in danger of crumbling just like the walls of the house that need attention.
Zoe needed support, a shoulder to cry on to be be able to feel some joy when it arose but also to howl and shed the pain she was experiencing. She wasn't getting that from Win so upon discovering the suitcase and exploring the contents she takes this as a sign. I suppose she was clinging to any little form of contentment and acceptance that she could gain wherever possible. She finds connections between herself and the author of the diary she discovers amongst some other things in the case. As she read through Libby's diary I thought Zoe established connections because she wanted to see them. She wanted to think that someone else had been through the same thing and she believed through learning more about Libby that it would help her with starting the tentative healing process she so desperately needed. If she couldn't start this process her relationship would be lost forever. Herself and Win were drowning in a grief that Win refused to discuss where as Zoe was the polar opposite and she knew she needed to understand it better in order to take baby steps into the future.
As the story moves forward she sees many similarities between herself and Libby and even though Libby's story is just as heartbreaking as Zoe's, Zoe does find comfort and solace at what she is reading. Soon Zoe becomes determined to discover just who Libby was and why did her suitcase end up in the house? It becomes almost an obsession or a quest and she won’t rest until she has the answers. As Zoe begins her research in earnest strange coincidences make themselves known as if the cycle is repeating itself but will the outcome be one Zoe wishes for? As she embarks upon this journey will it be to the detriment of her relationship with Win or will grief and the pressures of restoring the house just be too much for their relationship to be able to weather the tumultuous storm they are in?
I found myself more drawn to Libby and what she was experiencing as the story alternated between Libby and Zoe. She was a strong woman who was not going to be brought down by grief or loss but at the same time she was a woman desperate for love and to be loved. It was all she craved. Yes she was independent, she had to be given her husband Freddy remained in Paris to continue his writing as a reporter for a newspaper, but still she felt she had been abandoned by him given the significant events that befell them in Paris. I instantly disliked Freddy for the rash way he treated Libby and how he remained disconnected and absent for the majority of the novel. It was like she had been dismissed and left to carry on and shoulder the burden by herself. He was selfish but by the end he redeemed himself and my opinion of him changed showing we really shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.
As for Libby she returns to London and is forced to stay in the boarding house run by Freddy's mother Millicent. Libby treats the place as somewhere to rest her weary bones. She could have stayed there day in day out and moped around harbouring her loss but she didn't. Although she never forgot her experiences that led to such pain and sadness she knew she needed to move on realising that Freddy although she loved him was not the man for her. I loved Libby as a character, she was feisty and a go getter. She was led by her heart whereas common sense and intuition should have come into play when she got herself involved in certain situations. Meeting Hugo Watkins being one of them.
At first I gave scant regard to the circumstances of their meeting presuming it would have little forbearance on the rest of Libby's strand of the story and that within a chapter or two Hugo would be forgotten about. Instead for Libby, Hugo became an obsession and the source of her love replacing Freddy. Hugo gave Libby what Freddy could not and she became consumed with passion. I felt she really rushed into things but again this goes back to the fact I think she was a person who could not be alone. Yes she had her independence but behind it all she needed an anchor and a crutch and she searched for it where ever possible. I didn't know what to make of Hugo and given his own personal situation and his reasons for meeting Libby I began to question his actual intentions and whether they were real at all. Libby has grit and determination but she found herself in deeper than she ever thought possible and as her circumstances change several times over the reader does hope she can find the happiness and fulfilment she so desperately seeks but that seems to evade her no matter how hard she struggles to reach it.
Sarra Manning has masterfully weaved a connection between Libby and Zoe as both women attempt to claw their way back from the depths of despair. A wide range of emotions and lots of vulnerability, suffering and heartache are explored throughout the book and once I reached the half way point I really did feel as if I was transported right into the lives of Libby and Zoe although perhaps I identified and felt more for Libby. There was just something about her that spoke to me and I came to admire and have a deep respect for her. That's not to take away from Zoe at all especially as both women were going through the same thing I think I just found that Libby handled herself in a much better manner. So although my relationship with and understanding of The House of Secrets got off to a rocky start, my opinion did change over time and I can say now I would certainly recommend this book. I'm just annoyed with myself that I left it so long to read this book.
The House of Secrets is only the second book I have read by Sarra Manning and again similar to the first book I read by this author I found this book to initially be a mixed bag for me. The first half I found slow going and it needed all of my attention to keep up with the various intricacies of the plot. This book requires a lot of thinking and to take the time to absorb what was going on with each character. Time was needed to get to know them and to see how the situations they found themselves in and the life altering experiences affected how they were moving on in the present in Zoe's case and for Libby how she was dealing with the fallout of events in 1936.
Admittedly, I put the book down for a day or two and upon returning to it I approached it with a fresh frame of mind and a new perspective which helped me enormously. I found the second half far stronger than the first and I raced through the chapters eager to see how things would eventually unfold and how the past would connect to the present. So essentially I did enjoy this book after taking some time to really get into it, and in fact it was an excellent exploration of two women separated by many years but connected through the shared experience of grief and loss and how we overcome such personal tragedy, anguish and hardship without it tearing us and our relationships apart and affecting how we live the rest of our lives.
The House of Secrets follows two women who at first appear to have nothing in common and whom in fact never get to meet each other given they are separated by many years. Instead the connection is established through a diary found languishing in an old suitcase. Its only by chance as Zoe and her husband Win move into an abandoned house that needs thousands of pounds poured into its renovation that Zoe discovers an old suitcase shoved to the back of a shelf in her new bedroom. Who left it there? What is inside it? Why is that the only object in a home that was bought in 1936 and never once lived in? Over the years the house despite being newly built in 1936 has given into the ravages of time but the couple feel they can bring it back to its former glory but as they begin the process their relationship is tested to the max. Added to this they are grieving a recent loss which is tearing them apart, more so Zoe as Win refuses to talk about it or even really acknowledge it.
From the start I could see that Zoe was clinging to a knife edge. Her emotions were all over the place and she needed to express how she was feeling without receiving scorn or judgement from Win. But she wasn't allowed to do this, to be given the freedom to express her sadness at this loss which could have take their lives in an entire new direction. Win became a closed book obsessed with house renovations and plans and as the couple realise the challenge of restoring the house was even greater than they imagined, an already fragile relationship of which they have been a part of for over thirteen years is in danger of crumbling just like the walls of the house that need attention.
Zoe needed support, a shoulder to cry on to be be able to feel some joy when it arose but also to howl and shed the pain she was experiencing. She wasn't getting that from Win so upon discovering the suitcase and exploring the contents she takes this as a sign. I suppose she was clinging to any little form of contentment and acceptance that she could gain wherever possible. She finds connections between herself and the author of the diary she discovers amongst some other things in the case. As she read through Libby's diary I thought Zoe established connections because she wanted to see them. She wanted to think that someone else had been through the same thing and she believed through learning more about Libby that it would help her with starting the tentative healing process she so desperately needed. If she couldn't start this process her relationship would be lost forever. Herself and Win were drowning in a grief that Win refused to discuss where as Zoe was the polar opposite and she knew she needed to understand it better in order to take baby steps into the future.
As the story moves forward she sees many similarities between herself and Libby and even though Libby's story is just as heartbreaking as Zoe's, Zoe does find comfort and solace at what she is reading. Soon Zoe becomes determined to discover just who Libby was and why did her suitcase end up in the house? It becomes almost an obsession or a quest and she won’t rest until she has the answers. As Zoe begins her research in earnest strange coincidences make themselves known as if the cycle is repeating itself but will the outcome be one Zoe wishes for? As she embarks upon this journey will it be to the detriment of her relationship with Win or will grief and the pressures of restoring the house just be too much for their relationship to be able to weather the tumultuous storm they are in?
I found myself more drawn to Libby and what she was experiencing as the story alternated between Libby and Zoe. She was a strong woman who was not going to be brought down by grief or loss but at the same time she was a woman desperate for love and to be loved. It was all she craved. Yes she was independent, she had to be given her husband Freddy remained in Paris to continue his writing as a reporter for a newspaper, but still she felt she had been abandoned by him given the significant events that befell them in Paris. I instantly disliked Freddy for the rash way he treated Libby and how he remained disconnected and absent for the majority of the novel. It was like she had been dismissed and left to carry on and shoulder the burden by herself. He was selfish but by the end he redeemed himself and my opinion of him changed showing we really shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.
As for Libby she returns to London and is forced to stay in the boarding house run by Freddy's mother Millicent. Libby treats the place as somewhere to rest her weary bones. She could have stayed there day in day out and moped around harbouring her loss but she didn't. Although she never forgot her experiences that led to such pain and sadness she knew she needed to move on realising that Freddy although she loved him was not the man for her. I loved Libby as a character, she was feisty and a go getter. She was led by her heart whereas common sense and intuition should have come into play when she got herself involved in certain situations. Meeting Hugo Watkins being one of them.
At first I gave scant regard to the circumstances of their meeting presuming it would have little forbearance on the rest of Libby's strand of the story and that within a chapter or two Hugo would be forgotten about. Instead for Libby, Hugo became an obsession and the source of her love replacing Freddy. Hugo gave Libby what Freddy could not and she became consumed with passion. I felt she really rushed into things but again this goes back to the fact I think she was a person who could not be alone. Yes she had her independence but behind it all she needed an anchor and a crutch and she searched for it where ever possible. I didn't know what to make of Hugo and given his own personal situation and his reasons for meeting Libby I began to question his actual intentions and whether they were real at all. Libby has grit and determination but she found herself in deeper than she ever thought possible and as her circumstances change several times over the reader does hope she can find the happiness and fulfilment she so desperately seeks but that seems to evade her no matter how hard she struggles to reach it.
Sarra Manning has masterfully weaved a connection between Libby and Zoe as both women attempt to claw their way back from the depths of despair. A wide range of emotions and lots of vulnerability, suffering and heartache are explored throughout the book and once I reached the half way point I really did feel as if I was transported right into the lives of Libby and Zoe although perhaps I identified and felt more for Libby. There was just something about her that spoke to me and I came to admire and have a deep respect for her. That's not to take away from Zoe at all especially as both women were going through the same thing I think I just found that Libby handled herself in a much better manner. So although my relationship with and understanding of The House of Secrets got off to a rocky start, my opinion did change over time and I can say now I would certainly recommend this book. I'm just annoyed with myself that I left it so long to read this book.
October 25, 2019
I fell in love with the pretty cover of this book,I adore roses so was drawn straight away. I know, you should never judge a book by it’s cover, but believe me, this one really carried on, on the inside too.
The storyline had me gripped & the characters were truly well written into this dual narrative novel set in the 1930s and the present day.
Historical reading isn’t my normal genre but I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. I adored this book
The storyline had me gripped & the characters were truly well written into this dual narrative novel set in the 1930s and the present day.
Historical reading isn’t my normal genre but I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. I adored this book
August 5, 2017
4 stars
This book was one I was eagerly anticipating as I had adored Sarra Manning's last book, After The Last Dance, and this one seemed to follow similar style of being set in the present and the past telling two storylines in tandem with characters linked in the strangest way. I do think that I loved After the Last Dance more. I connected with the characters better and the book destroyed me but this one was brilliantly written and impacted in a different way.
I loved the present day story of Zoe and Win moving into a rundown project house which was a true fixer upper. Their discovery of a suitcase and a diary owned by Libby was brilliant and seeing the two go through the heartbreaks that they had was amazing. I mean, they broke me, I almost cried at some moments of their relationship. I adored Win and how he wasn't perfect but he was so utterly in love with Zoe and he was so scared of losing control of his life and losing her. He was not the perfect man but he was the one I would have wanted to.
As for Libby and her story, she was fun and enigmatic and I adored her. She loved so easily and even when she was at her lowest she had more personality than many of the men she loved. I felt for her throughout her ordeals and I wished she had had a better go of things in London because most of the men in her life were beasts, even Freddy. She deserved more than she got.
As a whole, I adored this book. Once it got going I was hooked and every time real life got in the way of reading it I was upset. It may not have put me through the emotional ringer like After the Last Dance but it did hit me hard and it will stay with me for a while yet.
This book was one I was eagerly anticipating as I had adored Sarra Manning's last book, After The Last Dance, and this one seemed to follow similar style of being set in the present and the past telling two storylines in tandem with characters linked in the strangest way. I do think that I loved After the Last Dance more. I connected with the characters better and the book destroyed me but this one was brilliantly written and impacted in a different way.
I loved the present day story of Zoe and Win moving into a rundown project house which was a true fixer upper. Their discovery of a suitcase and a diary owned by Libby was brilliant and seeing the two go through the heartbreaks that they had was amazing. I mean, they broke me, I almost cried at some moments of their relationship. I adored Win and how he wasn't perfect but he was so utterly in love with Zoe and he was so scared of losing control of his life and losing her. He was not the perfect man but he was the one I would have wanted to.
As for Libby and her story, she was fun and enigmatic and I adored her. She loved so easily and even when she was at her lowest she had more personality than many of the men she loved. I felt for her throughout her ordeals and I wished she had had a better go of things in London because most of the men in her life were beasts, even Freddy. She deserved more than she got.
As a whole, I adored this book. Once it got going I was hooked and every time real life got in the way of reading it I was upset. It may not have put me through the emotional ringer like After the Last Dance but it did hit me hard and it will stay with me for a while yet.
August 8, 2017
I had no idea what this was going to be about because I hadn't read the synopsis due to Sarra Manning being an auto buy author for me. I loved her last historical novel and so I knew I was probably going to like this one too. The premise behind this novel, two women who live nearly 100 years apart are linked somehow and Zoe finds sharing her pain and her difficulties with someone she has never met, someone who is long gone cathartic and healing. I don't want to say too much about the storyline because then you can go into it with a clear head as I did but I thought the whole thing was done really well. The issues covered had great comparison across the ages and yet both women's struggles were easy to relate to.
The structure of this novel is a dual narrative, we switch between LIbby's story and Zoe's story. Zoe and Win are struggling to cope with their issues and the fact that they have just moved into a fixer upper isn't helping. Both sides of the story are third person but Zoe's part is very much about moving on and moving upwards whereas Libby's story reveals slowly, building up and up. Sometimes we have things in Zoe's story that give us clues as to what kind of ending Libby is going to have and I thought the two were tied together really well. I listened to this on audiobook and there weren't different narrators for the two so it was slightly less easy to discern which storyline we were following but it was generally pretty straightforward to work it out.
As I say, both of these women had stories one could relate to and it is safe to say that feeling don't change and wither over time. Zoe is obviously dealing with some grief and so we really do see her personality changing as she comes to terms with this more and more over the course of the book. There are moments where she suggests that she is beginning to feel more her old self and it was great to see her grow over the course of the book. Libby also grows as we get to know more and more about her. I think that she has to learn certain life lessons and that is sometimes hard to deal with but both of these women start out on the back foot and grow stronger and stronger as the novel progresses.
There are some sad moments in this novel, some difficult moments but there were also some moments that made me laugh and moments that made me want to say 'go get 'em girl!' which was just a great balance. I had a little trouble with the dual narrative in the beginning, as I say I think this would be avoided by reading the paperback or ebook rather than the audio but the narration of the audio was great too so... I really enjoyed this read and it is safe to say that Sarra Manning is definitely still an auto buy author!
The structure of this novel is a dual narrative, we switch between LIbby's story and Zoe's story. Zoe and Win are struggling to cope with their issues and the fact that they have just moved into a fixer upper isn't helping. Both sides of the story are third person but Zoe's part is very much about moving on and moving upwards whereas Libby's story reveals slowly, building up and up. Sometimes we have things in Zoe's story that give us clues as to what kind of ending Libby is going to have and I thought the two were tied together really well. I listened to this on audiobook and there weren't different narrators for the two so it was slightly less easy to discern which storyline we were following but it was generally pretty straightforward to work it out.
As I say, both of these women had stories one could relate to and it is safe to say that feeling don't change and wither over time. Zoe is obviously dealing with some grief and so we really do see her personality changing as she comes to terms with this more and more over the course of the book. There are moments where she suggests that she is beginning to feel more her old self and it was great to see her grow over the course of the book. Libby also grows as we get to know more and more about her. I think that she has to learn certain life lessons and that is sometimes hard to deal with but both of these women start out on the back foot and grow stronger and stronger as the novel progresses.
There are some sad moments in this novel, some difficult moments but there were also some moments that made me laugh and moments that made me want to say 'go get 'em girl!' which was just a great balance. I had a little trouble with the dual narrative in the beginning, as I say I think this would be avoided by reading the paperback or ebook rather than the audio but the narration of the audio was great too so... I really enjoyed this read and it is safe to say that Sarra Manning is definitely still an auto buy author!
October 3, 2021
An ordinary house on an ordinary street, built in 1936 and never lived in. Its rooms might be empty, but this house is full of secrets.When Zoe and Win, raw and reeling from a recent tragedy, move into their new home it's meant to be a fresh start and a way to mend the holes in their relationship.But pushed to the back of a cupboard is a suitcase that's been gathering dust for eighty years. Inside is a wedding dress, letters and a diary all belonging to a woman called Libby. And there's something else in the suitcase, something that echoes Zoe's own pain.Zoe follows Libby's trail from Paris to Spain on the brink of Civil War to secret trysts in London, and as Libby finds the courage to live and love again, Zoe begins to let go of her own grief.But when Libby's story takes a darker turn, Zoe becomes increasingly obsessed with discovering what really happened all those years ago. Because if Libby managed to get her happy ever after then maybe Zoe and Win can too . . .Historically, divorce was not administered as such by the barristers who practised in the common law courts but by the "advocates" and "proctors" who practised civil law from Doctors' Commons, adding to the obscurity of the proceedings. Divorce was restricted to the very wealthy as it demanded either a complex annulment process or a private bill leading to an Act of Parliament.The Matrimonial Causes Act 1923, made adultery a ground of divorce for either spouse. Previously, only the man had been able to do this; women had to prove additional fault.The 1937 Matrimonial Causes Act offered additional grounds for divorce:cruelty, desertion and incurable insanity.The late 1930s was a golden age of foreign correspondents,as the literary elite descended on Spain armed with a lust for adventure and belief in a cause.The writers and foreign correspondents who came to Spain invented a new kind of war journalism,reporting in first-person,eyewitness accounts the brutal feel of the battlefield.Their two-and-a-half-year chronicle became something more,an intimate encounter with the great ideological battles of the time: between church and state; rich and poor; democracy and fascism.
July 25, 2017
I read Sarra Manning's After The Last Dance last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. If anything, I enjoyed The House of Secrets even more. Like After The Last Dance it focuses on two different eras, two different women and the house which connects them. I love dual time-line plots with a bit of a mystery about this so this book was just perfect for me.
Both the main characters, Libby in the 1930s and Zoe in the present day, have suffered loss and are trying their best to move forward. Zoe and husband Win have bought a large run-down house in London and hope working on the house together will be the fresh start their relationship needs. Rather mysteriously, the house hasn't been lived in since it was built. Zoe finds a suitcase in the house which contains intriguing items such as a few baby clothes, a wedding dress and a diary. Zoe begins to read the diary and finds it belonged to Libby. Discovering they have experienced similar sad situations, Zoe is determined to find out what happened to Libby, hoping that they will both find happy endings.
I was just as keen as Zoe to find out what happened to Libby and happily, as a reader, I was able to find out much more than Zoe could from the diary. The story was told from both women's points of view as the focus moved back and forward from the present to the 1930s. It was perfectly paced and written in a way that had me wanting to keep on reading to find out what happened next for each woman. Sometimes I found Zoe to be judgemental towards Libby but of course, she didn't have the advantage of knowing the whole story, just her assumptions from Libby's diary. I enjoyed both women's stories equally, finding them to be very believable and both rather brave in different ways. I must just mention that Beyonce was an excellent addition to the story. Yes really, you'll need to read it to see what I mean!
I confess to having something in my eye at some points but there were most definitely smiles too. The House of Secrets is a lovely book about not losing hope, believing in love and second chances.
Both the main characters, Libby in the 1930s and Zoe in the present day, have suffered loss and are trying their best to move forward. Zoe and husband Win have bought a large run-down house in London and hope working on the house together will be the fresh start their relationship needs. Rather mysteriously, the house hasn't been lived in since it was built. Zoe finds a suitcase in the house which contains intriguing items such as a few baby clothes, a wedding dress and a diary. Zoe begins to read the diary and finds it belonged to Libby. Discovering they have experienced similar sad situations, Zoe is determined to find out what happened to Libby, hoping that they will both find happy endings.
I was just as keen as Zoe to find out what happened to Libby and happily, as a reader, I was able to find out much more than Zoe could from the diary. The story was told from both women's points of view as the focus moved back and forward from the present to the 1930s. It was perfectly paced and written in a way that had me wanting to keep on reading to find out what happened next for each woman. Sometimes I found Zoe to be judgemental towards Libby but of course, she didn't have the advantage of knowing the whole story, just her assumptions from Libby's diary. I enjoyed both women's stories equally, finding them to be very believable and both rather brave in different ways. I must just mention that Beyonce was an excellent addition to the story. Yes really, you'll need to read it to see what I mean!
I confess to having something in my eye at some points but there were most definitely smiles too. The House of Secrets is a lovely book about not losing hope, believing in love and second chances.
March 14, 2019
I listened to the audio book so it's hard to know how much that contributes but I've seen a few reviews with similar opinions - I found this a bit too slow and repetitive, and the men were very flat (with sulky voices and nonsensical actions) and the main characters were given a sort of silly twee voice that didn't endear them to me. As characters they were better but still a bit flat. Or maybe it was just the back and forth and the quirks of being read aloud and not at my own pace. Anyway, I might have also had the wrong expectations since I realised I got confused with Kate Morton, whom I read ages ago and, to be fair, also might not like now. It was set up as a mystery which I didn't really feel came through, and it felt more like three people (both characters and possibly the author) working through grief in an all consuming way that makes it hard to critique this book if it's an exercise in healing for the author, but nonetheless didn't seen like it was as advertised. Anyway, I think I might have liked it more if I wasn't a prisoner of the audio book pacing and voices... Or I might just have never finished if I didn't need something to listen to on the commute.
July 27, 2017
I can remember reading Sarra Manning's Diary of a Crush column in Just Seventeen and J17 magazine when I was growing up, and loving Dylan and Edie and all their friends. Since then, I've read nearly all of the books she's published, and there hasn't been one that has disappointed me. A couple hold secret places in my heart (Nobody's Girl and Unsticky), and The House of Secrets looks set to join them...
The book splits between two timelines, one in the 1930s focusing on Libby, a thirtysomething whose husband has abandoned her after she lost their baby, and the second in present-day London, with Zoe and Win also recovering from an horrendous miscarriage where they didn't realise Zoe was pregnant until it was too late. Their stories are connected by a house in Highgate, bought for Libby in the 1930s, and bought by Zoe and Win 80 years later, and something contained within draws Zoe to Libby's story...
There seem to have been a lot of books published recently where there are multiple timelines, and this appeals to my short attention span as the story moves from period to period and back again. At first, I was much more enamoured with Libby in the 1930s, feeling outraged by the behaviour of her husband Freddy (who reminded me an awful lot of Esmond Romilly, is that just me?), and Libby's determination to pick herself up and avoid being brought down by her vile mother-in-law struck a chord. In contrast, Zoe and Win's present day troubles took longer to draw me in, but once they did I was rooting for their story to end well - even though, for a lot of the time, I thought their happy ending meant that they wouldn't end up together.
It's not giving too much away to say that both stories contained within The House of Secrets share more than a common house, but the heartbreaking loss of a child before its birth, and Zoe tries to find out what happened to Libby once she finds a suitcase filled with her possessions (including a diary and a baby's outfit) in the house - the house which had not been lived in until she and Win bought it. I couldn't be further away from being in a similar situation to that of both Libby and Zoe, but that should never be a barrier to enjoying good fiction, and as the book progressed I found myself racing towards its conclusion as I was desperate to find out how it ended. Unusually, I couldn't predict the ending - as I mentioned above, I wasn't convinced there was a happily ever after for Zoe and Win, and Libby's situation with the too-good-to-be-true Hugo also looked desperate as the book went on. Without wishing to give anything away, I was happy with the way that both tales ended, but because I read the latter third of the book so quickly I definitely need to read The House of Secrets again. More than once, and hopefully with a giant mug of tea and Dolly Mixtures to hand...
The book splits between two timelines, one in the 1930s focusing on Libby, a thirtysomething whose husband has abandoned her after she lost their baby, and the second in present-day London, with Zoe and Win also recovering from an horrendous miscarriage where they didn't realise Zoe was pregnant until it was too late. Their stories are connected by a house in Highgate, bought for Libby in the 1930s, and bought by Zoe and Win 80 years later, and something contained within draws Zoe to Libby's story...
There seem to have been a lot of books published recently where there are multiple timelines, and this appeals to my short attention span as the story moves from period to period and back again. At first, I was much more enamoured with Libby in the 1930s, feeling outraged by the behaviour of her husband Freddy (who reminded me an awful lot of Esmond Romilly, is that just me?), and Libby's determination to pick herself up and avoid being brought down by her vile mother-in-law struck a chord. In contrast, Zoe and Win's present day troubles took longer to draw me in, but once they did I was rooting for their story to end well - even though, for a lot of the time, I thought their happy ending meant that they wouldn't end up together.
It's not giving too much away to say that both stories contained within The House of Secrets share more than a common house, but the heartbreaking loss of a child before its birth, and Zoe tries to find out what happened to Libby once she finds a suitcase filled with her possessions (including a diary and a baby's outfit) in the house - the house which had not been lived in until she and Win bought it. I couldn't be further away from being in a similar situation to that of both Libby and Zoe, but that should never be a barrier to enjoying good fiction, and as the book progressed I found myself racing towards its conclusion as I was desperate to find out how it ended. Unusually, I couldn't predict the ending - as I mentioned above, I wasn't convinced there was a happily ever after for Zoe and Win, and Libby's situation with the too-good-to-be-true Hugo also looked desperate as the book went on. Without wishing to give anything away, I was happy with the way that both tales ended, but because I read the latter third of the book so quickly I definitely need to read The House of Secrets again. More than once, and hopefully with a giant mug of tea and Dolly Mixtures to hand...
September 11, 2017
I loved this book about two women who live 80 years apart but a house (yes the one in the title) connects them.
Although I worship Manning's teen fiction, I have also read most of her other books and her attention to period detail is fantastic and intriguing without being preachy. You want to experience the era she describes but this book alternates between the 30s and now so have the best of both worlds.
I think this book is her most 'adult' book so far, but prepare yourself for some tough issues that you or your friends may have experienced and even when you don't want to know the outcome because you fear it'll make you cry (it will - tissues advised) keep reading because it's got the whole kit and caboodle of a good book in my eyes. This is: page turning plot, set in London, female protagonists that you will wish were your friends and remember oh and you'll forget where you are more than once so watch out if you're reading on the bus. PERFECT for beach reading. I just sat and sipped a cocktail or two and read until it was sadly over. Buy now!
Although I worship Manning's teen fiction, I have also read most of her other books and her attention to period detail is fantastic and intriguing without being preachy. You want to experience the era she describes but this book alternates between the 30s and now so have the best of both worlds.
I think this book is her most 'adult' book so far, but prepare yourself for some tough issues that you or your friends may have experienced and even when you don't want to know the outcome because you fear it'll make you cry (it will - tissues advised) keep reading because it's got the whole kit and caboodle of a good book in my eyes. This is: page turning plot, set in London, female protagonists that you will wish were your friends and remember oh and you'll forget where you are more than once so watch out if you're reading on the bus. PERFECT for beach reading. I just sat and sipped a cocktail or two and read until it was sadly over. Buy now!
January 5, 2019
I enjoyed this story - split time of today and the 30's - same house (funnily enough), likeable characters.
Zoe becomes very focused on the owner of a suitcase which she finds in her new house and recognises a connection between the two of them. She endeavours to find out what happened to Elizabeth. Both women had shared a personal tragedy and both gradually recover and finally move on.
Lots of details about the different lives and times.
Well drawn relationships.
I liked that both women were drawn to the park. Both were sympathetically created and likeable.
I thought that Hugo's complete transformation was a bit hard to take and didn't like that, although it was needed for the plot, and he was fairly selfish and unpleasant at the beginning. Perhaps the unbelievable part was the middle!!! Freddy also transformed but that seemed easier to accept as he had grown up in the intervening time.
Interesting to learn more about divorce laws at the time - what a palaver!
Zoe becomes very focused on the owner of a suitcase which she finds in her new house and recognises a connection between the two of them. She endeavours to find out what happened to Elizabeth. Both women had shared a personal tragedy and both gradually recover and finally move on.
Lots of details about the different lives and times.
Well drawn relationships.
I liked that both women were drawn to the park. Both were sympathetically created and likeable.
I thought that Hugo's complete transformation was a bit hard to take and didn't like that, although it was needed for the plot, and he was fairly selfish and unpleasant at the beginning. Perhaps the unbelievable part was the middle!!! Freddy also transformed but that seemed easier to accept as he had grown up in the intervening time.
Interesting to learn more about divorce laws at the time - what a palaver!
July 29, 2017
I found this book a good read, although a little lame at times. Sarra Manning has written this novel as two stories running parallel throughout. Libby's story is in the past, 1936 and the House of Secrets was a newly built semi-detached house that for many unhappy reasons she never moved into. Zoe's story is in 2016. She and her husband Win buy the house which is now derelict and neglected because it has been left empty for all those years. They try to cope with enormous discomfort while builders find one problem after another which results in the couple separating. Zoe finds a suitcase hidden away in a cupboard that belonged to Libby and discovers they share many similarities through a diary that Libby had written. Zoe is fascinated and begins to obsess about her life and Libby's being connected. It has a positive ending which I was happy about.
August 16, 2020
Surprisingly enjoyable. On the surface this is not the kind of book I read anymore, but I liked the opening and it drew me in. I became totally invested in the characters and when I finally closed the book I felt as if I was leaving old friends.
I loved the ‘house porn ‘ as well, I'm so nosy about other people’s homes.
I particularly loved the fact that it was set in London. So many books of this genre are set in lonely places, by the sea of on the moors etc. Being in London somehow made it more real.
I think Zoe's last chapters may have been a tad overwritten, a bit too much and Libby's ending was a bit bonkers but I was happy to suspend my disbelief.
On the whole, a throughly satisfying read.
I loved the ‘house porn ‘ as well, I'm so nosy about other people’s homes.
I particularly loved the fact that it was set in London. So many books of this genre are set in lonely places, by the sea of on the moors etc. Being in London somehow made it more real.
I think Zoe's last chapters may have been a tad overwritten, a bit too much and Libby's ending was a bit bonkers but I was happy to suspend my disbelief.
On the whole, a throughly satisfying read.
November 10, 2022
This is one story where the changing back and forth over several years really works and, indeed, is crucial to the story. Libby lived eighty years earlier than Zoe but their lives run seemingly parallel. When Zoe and her husband buy the house that Libby owned all those years ago, she discovers Libby's old suitcase tucked away in a cupboard. Inside is Libby's diary, as well as some newspaper clippings and baby clothes. Zoe has just miscarried and is fascinated by Libby's diary. As she and her husband, Win, struggle to come to terms with the loss of their baby, the huge amount of renovations needed by their new house, which has been empty all these years and their financial difficulties, will Libby's story be helpful or harmful?
September 12, 2017
The House of Secrets is a story of 2 women who lived 80 years apart but have lived in the same house. Zoe and her husband Win have bought a lovely house in London which is in need of a lot of repair, in one of the rooms they discover a suitcase with some personal items and a diary written by someone called Libby who lived there during 1936. The story switches between the 2 women - Zoe is recovering from the loss of a baby and from the diary so is Libby. I struggled to get into the book to begin with but then the stories started to get interesting and I wanted to know what was happening with Libby. There were some sad bits and I shed a few tears - lovely book to curl up with .
October 24, 2019
I wanted to love this book so bad because the author Sarra Manning is such a good author and I have loved her previous books.
BUT I just couldn’t get into this book - at all. In fact I left it for ages and made myself finish it. It’s set in two different eras and actually this is handled very well in the book and the sequences make sense. However, I didn’t warm to either of the two main characters and the plot was just quite weak. Nothing was a surprise, it was all very predictable. It’s such a shame and I’m hoping her next book sees a return to form.
It’s also quite triggering if you are suffering issues with pregnancies and miscarriages. Just thought I would flag this.
BUT I just couldn’t get into this book - at all. In fact I left it for ages and made myself finish it. It’s set in two different eras and actually this is handled very well in the book and the sequences make sense. However, I didn’t warm to either of the two main characters and the plot was just quite weak. Nothing was a surprise, it was all very predictable. It’s such a shame and I’m hoping her next book sees a return to form.
It’s also quite triggering if you are suffering issues with pregnancies and miscarriages. Just thought I would flag this.
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August 9, 2019I was so looking forward to reading this book after having enjoyed another book by the same author but unfortunately I found the constant graphic descriptions of miscarriage constantly being described again and again to upsetting and I decided to give up reading the book.
Unlike any other book I’ve read it was making me sad not happy.
I never give up on books easily I usually always try and read on until the end but I couldn’t with this one.
Such a shame because the storyline of a house with secrets sounds fab.
Unlike any other book I’ve read it was making me sad not happy.
I never give up on books easily I usually always try and read on until the end but I couldn’t with this one.
Such a shame because the storyline of a house with secrets sounds fab.
August 26, 2017
The House of Secrets kept me page-turning until the end. Loved the way Sarra Manning drip-feeds little bits of the mystery with flashbacks that relate to the protagonist in the present day. Eighty years between Libby and Zoe but their lives almost run on a parallel. The book is well researched with references to events in 1936 leading up to WW II. I love novels that take you back in time and this is one of the best I have read.
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