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Echo Hall
Set against the backdrop of three wars – the 1991 Gulf War, World War 2 and World War 1 – the novel follows the fortunes of three women who become involved with the Flint family, the owners of Echo Hall.
Phoebe Flint visits Echo Hall in 2014, where she follows in her mother’s footsteps to uncover the stories of a house ‘full of unhappy women, and bitter, angry men’.
Ruth Flint arrives at Echo Hall in 1990 – newlywed, pregnant, and uncertain of her relationship with her husband, Adam. Ghostly encounters, a locked door, and a set of photographs pique her curiosity. But Adam and his grandfather refuse to let her investigate. And her marriage is further strained, when Adam, a reservist, is called up to fight in the Gulf War.
In 1942, Elsie Flint is already living at Echo Hall with her children, the guest of her unsympathetic in-laws, whilst her husband Jack is away with the RAF. Her only friend is Jack’s cousin Daniel, but Daniel is hiding secrets, which when revealed could destroy their friendship for good.
Rachel and Leah Walters meet Jacob Flint at a dinner party in 1911. Whilst Leah is drawn to Jacob, Rachel rejects him leading to conflict with her sister that will reverberate through the generations.
As Ruth discovers the secrets of Echo Hall, she is able to finally bring peace to the Flint family, and in doing so, discover what she really needs and wants.
Echo Hall is a novel about the past, but it is very much a novel of the now. Does history always have to repeat itself, or can we find another way?
Phoebe Flint visits Echo Hall in 2014, where she follows in her mother’s footsteps to uncover the stories of a house ‘full of unhappy women, and bitter, angry men’.
Ruth Flint arrives at Echo Hall in 1990 – newlywed, pregnant, and uncertain of her relationship with her husband, Adam. Ghostly encounters, a locked door, and a set of photographs pique her curiosity. But Adam and his grandfather refuse to let her investigate. And her marriage is further strained, when Adam, a reservist, is called up to fight in the Gulf War.
In 1942, Elsie Flint is already living at Echo Hall with her children, the guest of her unsympathetic in-laws, whilst her husband Jack is away with the RAF. Her only friend is Jack’s cousin Daniel, but Daniel is hiding secrets, which when revealed could destroy their friendship for good.
Rachel and Leah Walters meet Jacob Flint at a dinner party in 1911. Whilst Leah is drawn to Jacob, Rachel rejects him leading to conflict with her sister that will reverberate through the generations.
As Ruth discovers the secrets of Echo Hall, she is able to finally bring peace to the Flint family, and in doing so, discover what she really needs and wants.
Echo Hall is a novel about the past, but it is very much a novel of the now. Does history always have to repeat itself, or can we find another way?
430 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2017
16 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Virginia Moffatt
12 books23 followersI've always been a writer, but have only taken it seriously in the last decade. Since then, I've participated in writing courses, had short stories published and written a play.
My first novel 'Echo Hall' has been signed by the crowdfunding publisher Unbound. The novel tells the story of three generations of women who experience love, loss and conflict during times of war. If you are intrigued and would like to be part of making this book happen please do pop over to the website and pledge!(https://unbound.co.uk/books/echo-hall)
"Rapture and what comes after" is my first collection of flash fiction, drawn from many of my weekly #fridayflash stories. It was published by Gumbo Press in 2014.
On a personal note I was born in London, the 5th of 8 children. With enthusiastic, supportive and literary parents (my Dad was an English teacher, my Mum, a nurse and voracious reader), it's not surprising lots of us write. My eldest brother has published a theology book, my eldest sister is a poet, my second sister, writes about financial law, my third is a translator and my twin sister is a successful commercial fiction writer.
I love writing. I believe I have something worth saying. I hope readers will agree.
My first novel 'Echo Hall' has been signed by the crowdfunding publisher Unbound. The novel tells the story of three generations of women who experience love, loss and conflict during times of war. If you are intrigued and would like to be part of making this book happen please do pop over to the website and pledge!(https://unbound.co.uk/books/echo-hall)
"Rapture and what comes after" is my first collection of flash fiction, drawn from many of my weekly #fridayflash stories. It was published by Gumbo Press in 2014.
On a personal note I was born in London, the 5th of 8 children. With enthusiastic, supportive and literary parents (my Dad was an English teacher, my Mum, a nurse and voracious reader), it's not surprising lots of us write. My eldest brother has published a theology book, my eldest sister is a poet, my second sister, writes about financial law, my third is a translator and my twin sister is a successful commercial fiction writer.
I love writing. I believe I have something worth saying. I hope readers will agree.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
April 7, 2018
3 stars. This was a mysterious, eerie and atmospheric story following three generations of women whose pasts intertwine through their connection to Echo Hall.
There are many secrets hidden within the rooms of Echo Hall. Newlywed and pregnant Ruth Flint arrives there 1990 where she feels drawn to search for stories of the property’s history. She uncovers pieces of the past through hidden diaries and journals along with conversations with several people who previously lived or worked at Echo Hall.
While I did enjoy this novel, there were a few times where I found myself confused between characters and timelines. After an intriguing start to the book, my interest wavered for the remainder and some parts seemed repetitive.
A big thank you to NetGalley, Unbound and Virginia Moffatt for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
There are many secrets hidden within the rooms of Echo Hall. Newlywed and pregnant Ruth Flint arrives there 1990 where she feels drawn to search for stories of the property’s history. She uncovers pieces of the past through hidden diaries and journals along with conversations with several people who previously lived or worked at Echo Hall.
While I did enjoy this novel, there were a few times where I found myself confused between characters and timelines. After an intriguing start to the book, my interest wavered for the remainder and some parts seemed repetitive.
A big thank you to NetGalley, Unbound and Virginia Moffatt for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
November 26, 2017
This book contained love and heartache, following three intertwined storylines of three generations it was really well done. The events that reoccured over the generations, the choices made and not made and the mystery of what really happened kept me reading with continued interest. Thank you Virginia and Pigeonhole for providing this copy.
December 6, 2017
Wow! What a beautiful and heartbroken story. I have to thank the author Virginia Moffatt and The Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this beautiful novel. It is a historical fiction with a paranormal aspect. I have to confess that this is the first time that I’ve read anything with a hint of paranormal and I am surprise that I really enjoyed it. I believe that I found another genre to add in my read luxury. The story takes us during the First World War, the Second World War and the Gulf War. These three great and tragic events are related together by the Flint family and the Echo Hall. Three women lived in different periods of time but share the same courage, love and lose. They faced the same darkness and atrocity of the Flint family. It is a fast-read novel that kept me reading and wanted to discover the secrets of these family.
When Ruth married Adam, she had followed him to Echo Hall, once she arrives, she immediately sensed something sinister in that house. Jack, Adam’s grandfather is a brusque and cold man, Ruth couldn’t help herself from notice that both her husband and his grandfather are hiding something from her. One day she discovered a door locked and when she asked why it was lock both men, quickly answered her that that room was empty. As days goes by Ruth was hunting by that room and one day, she had the opportunity to open it. Once inside she felt the agony and sorrow that took her breath away. Who lived here must had suffered a lot. Then she found the diaries and letters that will reveal the secrets of the household. She won’t rest until she will discover what had happen. Would she find out? And more importantly would history repeat itself?
When Ruth married Adam, she had followed him to Echo Hall, once she arrives, she immediately sensed something sinister in that house. Jack, Adam’s grandfather is a brusque and cold man, Ruth couldn’t help herself from notice that both her husband and his grandfather are hiding something from her. One day she discovered a door locked and when she asked why it was lock both men, quickly answered her that that room was empty. As days goes by Ruth was hunting by that room and one day, she had the opportunity to open it. Once inside she felt the agony and sorrow that took her breath away. Who lived here must had suffered a lot. Then she found the diaries and letters that will reveal the secrets of the household. She won’t rest until she will discover what had happen. Would she find out? And more importantly would history repeat itself?
April 18, 2018
A fascinating family saga spanning almost a century about the lives, loves and tragedies of three strong women, Rachel, Elsie and Ruth, set against the history of WWI, the suffragette movement, WWII and the Gulf War. All somehow connected to Echo Hall. All influenced by its ominous atmosphere…
| Introduction |
It is the year 2014 and Phoebe is curious as to the place where she was born: the stately mansion called ‘Echo Hall,’ home of the Flint family. The house that has been “on the edge of her memory” for so long that she is dying to be inside it, to breathe in the atmosphere of the former home of her parents, Ruth and Adam. Phoebe herself does not remember much as she was barely a year old when she left but somehow, the house feels familiar to her but is she prepared to “become a tourist in my own life?” To revive the stories of old, the tales her mother told her that are somehow also a part of her, Phoebe? Follow me..
| Storyline |
An old house, ‘Echo Hall,’ reminds us of its inhabitants. Most of all, it is a place where love was hard to find, where children were hardly free to laugh and play, to be.. children. Instead, it seems the whole atmosphere of the house brings you down in a suffocating kind of way. Here is it in the early years of the 20th century, that sisters Rachel and Leah grow up – here is it that their sibling rivalry starts The rivalry that, in the end, will have such far-going consequences. Rachel is her dad’s favourite, Leah the elder sister who strives to behave as best as she can but still fails to get the recognition for it. When both sisters fall in love, it is only a matter of time before irreparable rifts divide their family.
Around WWII, Elsie is swept away by her feelings for Jack, Leah’s son. Elsie is determined to humour her mother-in-law but is that enough? With Jack in the RAF and fear for the dreaded letter never far away, Elsie is glad she has a friend at hand, Jack’s cousin Daniel. The three of them are close friends but Leah is fiercely opposed to Elsie meeting Daniel whilst Jack is away, fighting for his country. Tongues wag… In the 1990s, against the Gulf War, Adam and Ruth marry and Adam brings his pregnant bride to ‘Echo Hall,’ where he lives with his grandfather. Ruth has trouble adjusting to life in the country and both men aren’t the easiest of characters. Closed doors, hidden secrets and violent outbursts.. how will Ruth cope?
| My Thoughts |
I am in awe of how the author cunningly wove her plotlines into one story – the events of the past unfolding the secrets that have had such an impact on the lives of those involved, up to the present days. At one point, I felt so absorbed in a tale that, after finishing the chapter and moving on to the next, I had to stop and think as I could not place the next characters in the book – I was completely drawn in by the tale that was set against WWII. The book contains so many fascinating details and insights into the lives of women in the first decades of the 1900s, about Quakers and the suffragette movement and how people coped with their loved ones being away, fighting overseas.
But also, this novel covers the age-old topics of love and hate, of friendship and betrayal, of prejudices, mistrust and sibling rivalry. I loved the characters of all three the women, Ruth, Rachel and Elsie. Almost impossible to chose a favourite among them, Is it Ruth who is determined to help her father-in-law? Or perhaps Elsie, who goes through difficult times? I think for me I admired Rachel the most, not only because of the letters she writes to her friend, the letters that give such a fascinating insight into her life. Rachel is a strong woman who stands by the choices she makes and in that, is a source of inspiration. A wonderfully crafted novel with well-drawn characters taking you on a journey through time.
Read the review on my website: https://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/echo-h...
| Introduction |
It is the year 2014 and Phoebe is curious as to the place where she was born: the stately mansion called ‘Echo Hall,’ home of the Flint family. The house that has been “on the edge of her memory” for so long that she is dying to be inside it, to breathe in the atmosphere of the former home of her parents, Ruth and Adam. Phoebe herself does not remember much as she was barely a year old when she left but somehow, the house feels familiar to her but is she prepared to “become a tourist in my own life?” To revive the stories of old, the tales her mother told her that are somehow also a part of her, Phoebe? Follow me..
| Storyline |
An old house, ‘Echo Hall,’ reminds us of its inhabitants. Most of all, it is a place where love was hard to find, where children were hardly free to laugh and play, to be.. children. Instead, it seems the whole atmosphere of the house brings you down in a suffocating kind of way. Here is it in the early years of the 20th century, that sisters Rachel and Leah grow up – here is it that their sibling rivalry starts The rivalry that, in the end, will have such far-going consequences. Rachel is her dad’s favourite, Leah the elder sister who strives to behave as best as she can but still fails to get the recognition for it. When both sisters fall in love, it is only a matter of time before irreparable rifts divide their family.
Around WWII, Elsie is swept away by her feelings for Jack, Leah’s son. Elsie is determined to humour her mother-in-law but is that enough? With Jack in the RAF and fear for the dreaded letter never far away, Elsie is glad she has a friend at hand, Jack’s cousin Daniel. The three of them are close friends but Leah is fiercely opposed to Elsie meeting Daniel whilst Jack is away, fighting for his country. Tongues wag… In the 1990s, against the Gulf War, Adam and Ruth marry and Adam brings his pregnant bride to ‘Echo Hall,’ where he lives with his grandfather. Ruth has trouble adjusting to life in the country and both men aren’t the easiest of characters. Closed doors, hidden secrets and violent outbursts.. how will Ruth cope?
| My Thoughts |
I am in awe of how the author cunningly wove her plotlines into one story – the events of the past unfolding the secrets that have had such an impact on the lives of those involved, up to the present days. At one point, I felt so absorbed in a tale that, after finishing the chapter and moving on to the next, I had to stop and think as I could not place the next characters in the book – I was completely drawn in by the tale that was set against WWII. The book contains so many fascinating details and insights into the lives of women in the first decades of the 1900s, about Quakers and the suffragette movement and how people coped with their loved ones being away, fighting overseas.
But also, this novel covers the age-old topics of love and hate, of friendship and betrayal, of prejudices, mistrust and sibling rivalry. I loved the characters of all three the women, Ruth, Rachel and Elsie. Almost impossible to chose a favourite among them, Is it Ruth who is determined to help her father-in-law? Or perhaps Elsie, who goes through difficult times? I think for me I admired Rachel the most, not only because of the letters she writes to her friend, the letters that give such a fascinating insight into her life. Rachel is a strong woman who stands by the choices she makes and in that, is a source of inspiration. A wonderfully crafted novel with well-drawn characters taking you on a journey through time.
Read the review on my website: https://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/echo-h...
November 25, 2017
Wow! I really loved this book. The story was set over three wars and just be ready with some tissues. I certainly had a lump in my throat on more than one occasion. I read this book with pigeonhole, which released a twelfth of the book a day - I will admit I saved mine up so I could read 2 or 3 staves a day which is cheating (I'm sorry!!). I highly recommend this book and will be telling everyone I know to read it before it comes on the TV as a mini series!! Thank you so much to Virginia for writing this fantastic book and please hurry up and write another!
October 19, 2019
2014 - The story opens with a young woman, Phoebe Flint, visiting a stately home on the English/Welsh border which is open to the public. Though she has paid to enter the building, this is, in fact, the house where she was born. A house which has witnessed much unhappiness, and many family secrets.
Echo Hall is located within walking distance of Arthur's Stone. This infamous neolithic rock plays a part in the lives of all the women who reside in the gloomy old manor house.
Then, we travel back in time to Phoebe's mother's story, telling of how she came to Echo Hall as a pregnant newlywed shortly before her husband Adam Flint was called up to fight in the Gulf War. The remote and chilly Echo Hall does not welcome her and she misses her work. Her husband's grandfather, Jack seem to be hiding something...
The Flint family fortune was founded on a slate quarry. A codicil was written into the deeds of the house that sons can only inherit the quarry if they are married and live in Echo Hall with their wives and children.
Later we learn of Phoebe's grandparents story during World War II. Then even farther back, we learn of Phoebe's great-grandparents story during the years of World War I.
MY THOUGHTS
Echo Hall is aptly named for two reasons. 1) when standing near Arthur's Stone, the valley acts as a natural echo chamber, and 2) the house reverberates with the echoes of the memories of previous residents.
I read a digital copy of the book and was wishing that it had come with a genealogical chart. It would be interesting to see the Flint family tree and helpful with keeping the timelines straight in your mind. Perhaps there is one included in the paper book, I'm not sure...
The depiction of how war affects the Flint family over the generations was very moving. Three generations - three wars...
This is a meandering family saga filled with loves, losses, betrayals, infidelities, childbirth, death, and, overriding it all, WAR. A few of the characters were a part of the Quaker faith and were very anti-war. Their views plays an integral part of the story. Also predominant was a feud between two sisters. A conflict so serious that it affected future generations.
Always a sucker for a old house teeming with history, I couldn't help but enjoy "Echo Hall". The inhabitants over the years suffered and loved in equal measure. Their story was overwhelmingly tragic, yet their lives were both fascinating and intriguing.
I would recommend this novel to those readers who enjoy historical fiction and inter-generational family sagas. A well rendered debut!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Unbound via NetGalley.
Echo Hall is located within walking distance of Arthur's Stone. This infamous neolithic rock plays a part in the lives of all the women who reside in the gloomy old manor house.
Then, we travel back in time to Phoebe's mother's story, telling of how she came to Echo Hall as a pregnant newlywed shortly before her husband Adam Flint was called up to fight in the Gulf War. The remote and chilly Echo Hall does not welcome her and she misses her work. Her husband's grandfather, Jack seem to be hiding something...
The Flint family fortune was founded on a slate quarry. A codicil was written into the deeds of the house that sons can only inherit the quarry if they are married and live in Echo Hall with their wives and children.
Later we learn of Phoebe's grandparents story during World War II. Then even farther back, we learn of Phoebe's great-grandparents story during the years of World War I.
MY THOUGHTS
Echo Hall is aptly named for two reasons. 1) when standing near Arthur's Stone, the valley acts as a natural echo chamber, and 2) the house reverberates with the echoes of the memories of previous residents.
I read a digital copy of the book and was wishing that it had come with a genealogical chart. It would be interesting to see the Flint family tree and helpful with keeping the timelines straight in your mind. Perhaps there is one included in the paper book, I'm not sure...
The depiction of how war affects the Flint family over the generations was very moving. Three generations - three wars...
This is a meandering family saga filled with loves, losses, betrayals, infidelities, childbirth, death, and, overriding it all, WAR. A few of the characters were a part of the Quaker faith and were very anti-war. Their views plays an integral part of the story. Also predominant was a feud between two sisters. A conflict so serious that it affected future generations.
Always a sucker for a old house teeming with history, I couldn't help but enjoy "Echo Hall". The inhabitants over the years suffered and loved in equal measure. Their story was overwhelmingly tragic, yet their lives were both fascinating and intriguing.
I would recommend this novel to those readers who enjoy historical fiction and inter-generational family sagas. A well rendered debut!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Unbound via NetGalley.
May 2, 2018
When I was contacted by the author asking me if I would like to read her book I was delighted. It was the just the type of book that I enjoy reading as a break from crime fiction. I’ve always liked the type of novel that covers generations of the same family where all their secrets are revealed. Some of the people in it are in more than one period and you see the way that life has turned out for them.
The author demonstrates very well how war has a devastating effect on an area, which is more obvious when the community is small. In the beginning it is noticed how many families have had their lives torn apart from more than one war. In the novel it is WW1, WW2 and the Iraq war in the 1990s.
The Flint family are a strange one. Brittle, unapproachable and very unhappy. The novel focuses on the women: Rachel, Elsie, Ruth, Phoebe and Leah. Leah is one of the more elusive characters but it is her actions which have the biggest effect on most of the others. Daniel, Joseph and Jack also have a role but it is the women whose story is told. Their family ties are revealed throughout the novel but much of what happens isn’t revealed until near the end. Attitudes towards the war also play a part. How differing views can unsettle relationships and cause bad feeling in families and in a small community.
But just as destructive as the wars is jealousy and it is this what affects the different generations. It is hard to think that a feeling can cause misery and loneliness for a 100 years, but I have a feeling that it could be common.
My favourite period was WW1, where Rachel gets her chance to find love, but my favourite character was Elsie, and I wished she could have had a happy life away from the Flints.
Virginia Moffatt is an author who I would definitely read again and I would like to thank her for sending me her book to review.
The author demonstrates very well how war has a devastating effect on an area, which is more obvious when the community is small. In the beginning it is noticed how many families have had their lives torn apart from more than one war. In the novel it is WW1, WW2 and the Iraq war in the 1990s.
The Flint family are a strange one. Brittle, unapproachable and very unhappy. The novel focuses on the women: Rachel, Elsie, Ruth, Phoebe and Leah. Leah is one of the more elusive characters but it is her actions which have the biggest effect on most of the others. Daniel, Joseph and Jack also have a role but it is the women whose story is told. Their family ties are revealed throughout the novel but much of what happens isn’t revealed until near the end. Attitudes towards the war also play a part. How differing views can unsettle relationships and cause bad feeling in families and in a small community.
But just as destructive as the wars is jealousy and it is this what affects the different generations. It is hard to think that a feeling can cause misery and loneliness for a 100 years, but I have a feeling that it could be common.
My favourite period was WW1, where Rachel gets her chance to find love, but my favourite character was Elsie, and I wished she could have had a happy life away from the Flints.
Virginia Moffatt is an author who I would definitely read again and I would like to thank her for sending me her book to review.
April 12, 2018
Virginia Hall has created a wonderful Gothic atmosphere, in which three generations of women living in Echo Hall experience love and loss. I read Echo Hall through The Pigeonhole, which releases the book in daily portions, over a period of time. It's a great way to read, but sometimes (as in this case), not so much, because Echo Hall is one of those books you just don't want to put down!
I like the way Virginia uses both narrative and letters to bring the experiences of the three women to life. The story flows well, and the shift from one woman's life to next is well executed and seamless. Virginia's style of writing is easy to read, and the events at Echo Hall were so real, that this book just asks to be made into a movie/mini-series.
I loved it, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good family drama, romance or mystery novel.
February 9, 2018
Echo Hall is not happy place, especially not for women! Ruth''s visit is in the early 1990s when she is still getting to grips with being a mother and getting to know her husband's family,she discovers that maybe she doesn't know her husband all that well either. She is perplexed as to why part of the house is out of bounds for her, although judging from the noises coming from there it isn't out of bounds for everyone! When her husband, a reservist is called up for the Gulf War she is not overjoyed to having to remain at Echo Hall, but she decided to make the best of it, as well as find out the mystery of the locked rooms.
The story switches back to just before the first World War. Two sisters Rachel-, lively, adventurous, silent suffragette and Leah- the good daughter who is as rigid and stuffy as their parents. When Jacob Flint enters the scene Leah is instantly attracted to him, however it is Rachel he wants, even though she has no interest in him. She refuses his attentions and falls in love with a conscientious objector. This causes a rift in the family & although Jacob marries Leah she never gets over feeling second best.
Then we go to the next woman in Echo Hall- Elsie. Swept off her feet by Jack, the heir to the place, she finds herself at the beck and call of Leah and as she waits out the war, but her story is not happy either.
The author captures the atmosphere of each era and the character of these women beautifully. While not exactly being a cheerful tale it is a thoroughly absorbing one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read & review this book
The story switches back to just before the first World War. Two sisters Rachel-, lively, adventurous, silent suffragette and Leah- the good daughter who is as rigid and stuffy as their parents. When Jacob Flint enters the scene Leah is instantly attracted to him, however it is Rachel he wants, even though she has no interest in him. She refuses his attentions and falls in love with a conscientious objector. This causes a rift in the family & although Jacob marries Leah she never gets over feeling second best.
Then we go to the next woman in Echo Hall- Elsie. Swept off her feet by Jack, the heir to the place, she finds herself at the beck and call of Leah and as she waits out the war, but her story is not happy either.
The author captures the atmosphere of each era and the character of these women beautifully. While not exactly being a cheerful tale it is a thoroughly absorbing one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read & review this book
December 30, 2017
At the heart of many a Gothic tale is the notion of an inescapable past, of skeletons in cupboards and revenant ghosts, and of punishments meted out for the sins of fathers and mothers on their children and on their children’s children.
In Echo Hall, Virginia Moffatt tells such a Gothic tale with a modern twist. Her saga of a troubled family explores cycles of violence that can tear lovers apart, but also whole communities, and whole continents. This is a story of war in the 20th century, and its consequences. There are sly nods to genre predecessors – one character has a namesake in a certain Gothic saga by Emily Brontë; in the early sections, there’s a poor wardrobe choice that is a nod to Daphne du Maurier – but on the whole, this is a striking and original piece in its own right. The real art is in the intricate plotting, which sees narratives from different eras fitting as snuggly – perhaps as uncannily – inside one another as a nest of Russian dolls. As the title suggests, there are echoes throughout, and an increasing sense of claustrophobia as each generation’s heroine struggles to escape the stranglehold of history.
I should add that this is a perfect read for a dark winter’s afternoon, like the one’s we’ve been enjoying recently (it’s December, 2017).
In Echo Hall, Virginia Moffatt tells such a Gothic tale with a modern twist. Her saga of a troubled family explores cycles of violence that can tear lovers apart, but also whole communities, and whole continents. This is a story of war in the 20th century, and its consequences. There are sly nods to genre predecessors – one character has a namesake in a certain Gothic saga by Emily Brontë; in the early sections, there’s a poor wardrobe choice that is a nod to Daphne du Maurier – but on the whole, this is a striking and original piece in its own right. The real art is in the intricate plotting, which sees narratives from different eras fitting as snuggly – perhaps as uncannily – inside one another as a nest of Russian dolls. As the title suggests, there are echoes throughout, and an increasing sense of claustrophobia as each generation’s heroine struggles to escape the stranglehold of history.
I should add that this is a perfect read for a dark winter’s afternoon, like the one’s we’ve been enjoying recently (it’s December, 2017).
November 26, 2017
Such an exhilarating read, spanning three different timelines, thoroughly enjoyed the whole reading experience. This was courtesy of the Pigeonhole. The book is well written and manages to makes feel for all the characters. Loved her description of the Echo Hall. Many times I found I could relate to the sometimes difficult relationships some of us have with parents. Found myself tearing up at the end. Didn’t want it to end but wanted to know how the story would finish.
December 28, 2017
I really enjoyed echo hall, it is a amazing debut novel.
It takes you through time, we follow 3 generation of women, how their lived and loved.
This is a well written book, and if you think this is just another love story, think again, this book is so much more.
Thank you Virginia and pigeonhole for letting me read this wonderful book.
(Sorry for my english, it is not my language)
It takes you through time, we follow 3 generation of women, how their lived and loved.
This is a well written book, and if you think this is just another love story, think again, this book is so much more.
Thank you Virginia and pigeonhole for letting me read this wonderful book.
(Sorry for my english, it is not my language)
November 24, 2017
Loved this book. The writing is good and easy to read. It is a tale set over 3 wars that makes for some interesting characters. I ran though all the emotions while reading and will look out for more from this author! Highly recommend this one
December 3, 2017
I loved the intertwined story of three generations all sharing the same home. The characters each brought to life this wonderful story. I loved falling into the world of Echo Hall and it’s inhabitants. Thank you Virginia for creating a wonderful story
November 25, 2017
A highly enjoyable read taking you through the lives and generations of three strong women who have lived within Echo Hall. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
November 27, 2017
Although Echo Hall can be rather repetitive, it is a good novel and I’m glad I read it stave by stave with The Pigeonhole.
February 27, 2018
The structure of this novel, with its three entwined stories, is a very ambitious one for a first-time novelist – but I have to say that I thought it worked exceptionally well. The stories are anchored both by the convoluted history of the Flint family and the vividly captured backdrop of Echo Hall and its surrounding countryside, and the whole was an absolutely fascinating read.
I will admit that I wasn’t completely drawn in by the early nineties story of Ruth (and Adam) at first – I did struggle a little with the cast of characters, and I actually didn’t like her very much (not essential, I know…) – but once I’d fully engaged with her story it became clear that she was to be the catalyst and focus for uncovering the story of the past. And there were characters in those stories that absolutely fascinated me, and who I very readily took to my heart. Rachel’s voice is strong and clear, and I really liked the fact that the author chose to tell her story through a series of letters – and it’s really quite a story, of family turmoil and betrayal, of cruelty and coldness and selfishness, of love in conflict with duty, and of hardship brought about by choices made. I loved Elsie too – her story is simply heartbreaking, her warmth and vitality drained by the hardness and solidity of the Flint family, her love for Jack always shining so brightly, her relationship with schoolteacher Daniel beautifully described.
The construction of this book is superb – the threads are many, but quite perfectly handled, and I would have enjoyed the luxury of reading it for a second time to fully appreciate the intricacies of the storytelling and the way every detail was sewn together. I really liked the gothic feel of the whole – enhanced by occasional very light touches of the supernatural. The echoes throughout the book – the permanence of events like the perseid shower, the etched love messages at Arthur’s Stone and its importance to the stories of successive generations – were beautifully done, as were the descriptions of nature and the passage of time and the seasons. The historical settings too were excellent – the dialogue authentic for its time, the touches of domestic and background detail obviously meticulously researched and perfectly reproduced, the atmosphere of each era wonderfully captured and recreated.
I liked too the book’s focus on the Quakers, and the theme of pacifism running throughout – an unusual choice, and the issues around it so well and sensitively handled. There’s also a real depth of insight into the lives of women and the limited choices they were able to make – and there’s an appropriate thread and storyline on women’s suffrage which I found quite fascinating.
I really enjoyed this book – perhaps a little more challenging in its themes than I was expecting, but most definitely one to disappear into on a winter’s afternoon, a beautifully tangled and sweeping story with real emotional depth.
I will admit that I wasn’t completely drawn in by the early nineties story of Ruth (and Adam) at first – I did struggle a little with the cast of characters, and I actually didn’t like her very much (not essential, I know…) – but once I’d fully engaged with her story it became clear that she was to be the catalyst and focus for uncovering the story of the past. And there were characters in those stories that absolutely fascinated me, and who I very readily took to my heart. Rachel’s voice is strong and clear, and I really liked the fact that the author chose to tell her story through a series of letters – and it’s really quite a story, of family turmoil and betrayal, of cruelty and coldness and selfishness, of love in conflict with duty, and of hardship brought about by choices made. I loved Elsie too – her story is simply heartbreaking, her warmth and vitality drained by the hardness and solidity of the Flint family, her love for Jack always shining so brightly, her relationship with schoolteacher Daniel beautifully described.
The construction of this book is superb – the threads are many, but quite perfectly handled, and I would have enjoyed the luxury of reading it for a second time to fully appreciate the intricacies of the storytelling and the way every detail was sewn together. I really liked the gothic feel of the whole – enhanced by occasional very light touches of the supernatural. The echoes throughout the book – the permanence of events like the perseid shower, the etched love messages at Arthur’s Stone and its importance to the stories of successive generations – were beautifully done, as were the descriptions of nature and the passage of time and the seasons. The historical settings too were excellent – the dialogue authentic for its time, the touches of domestic and background detail obviously meticulously researched and perfectly reproduced, the atmosphere of each era wonderfully captured and recreated.
I liked too the book’s focus on the Quakers, and the theme of pacifism running throughout – an unusual choice, and the issues around it so well and sensitively handled. There’s also a real depth of insight into the lives of women and the limited choices they were able to make – and there’s an appropriate thread and storyline on women’s suffrage which I found quite fascinating.
I really enjoyed this book – perhaps a little more challenging in its themes than I was expecting, but most definitely one to disappear into on a winter’s afternoon, a beautifully tangled and sweeping story with real emotional depth.
August 21, 2020
Following four generations of the same family, Echo Hall is an eerie and atmospheric novel of love, secrets, betrayal and regret.
When Ruth Flint arrives at Echo Hall, she is struck by the atmosphere of gloom and malice that hangs over certain parts of the building. Newly married and pregnant, Ruth already doubts whether she’s made the right decisions, and the oppressive atmosphere of the house, combined with the reluctance of both Adam and his grandfather Jack to talk about its history, do little to allay her fears. When Ruth stumbles upon a stash of photographs and documents in a locked upstairs room, she unknowingly begins to unravel the tangled web of secrets surrounding the Flint family – but in doing so, she must be careful not to become ensnared in Echo Hall’s web herself.
Spanning four generations, this is a novel of sprawling proportions but, at its heart, Echo Hall is a novel about family, and about the ties that bind us together whether we wish it or not. It’s also about the legacy that can be passed from one generation to the next – legacies of guilt, loss, and betrayal that can influence future generations in ways that the originators of those feelings could never comprehend. This makes Echo Hall a very evocative novel and I really felt for the various women whose stories make up the legacy of the Flint family.
Ruth and Elsie were probably my favourite characters. I admired Ruth for her spirit, and for her determination to try and move beyond the legacies of Echo Hall’s past. Elsie is a woman before her time – spirited and good-natured, I found her story to be unbearably tragic.
Other characters were less sympathetic – I found it hard to like Leah and Veronica, although this may be owing to the fact that, as the story is told backwards, I already knew what kind of people they would become from reading Ruth and Elsie’s narrative first – and because I liked Elsie so much, I was already predispossed to dislike them both! That said, though I couldn’t bring myself to like Leah, I found it really interesting to read her section and discover what it was that made her into the bitter woman she became in Elsie’s narrative.
This backwards narrative means Echo Hall really takes the reader onto a journey with its characters, who really are the driving force behind the plot. Although not a slow book to read by any means – I finished it in a couple of days – Echo Hall is about the people that make up the place, and the things that drive them to make the choices that they do – for good or ill – rather than dramatic uncoverings of long-buried skeletons in the Flint family closet. Personally I found this to be fascinating, although some readers may be disappointed that the supernatural elements hinted at in the blurb, and in some early chapters, don’t materialise into a significant part of the story.
That said, whilst Echo Hall may not be filled with things that go bump in the night, the characters in the novel are all haunted in one way or another. Whether by bitterness, regret, or guilt, Echo Hall is a place unable to move beyond the love and heartbreak of its past.
If I had one criticism of Echo Hall it is that sometimes I wanted to spend more time with the characters than the novel allowed. With four generations of the Flint family to cover, there is a lot happening in the novel and it occassionally felt as if certain aspects of each story were left unexplored, or that promising strands (such as the ghostly apparitions seen by Ruth) were left dangling rather than being fully resolved. I could also have done without the framing narrative given by Phoebe – Ruth’s daughter – as I didn’t feel it added to the narrative in any way.
These are, however, very minor niggles in an otherwise very enjoyable and richly realised family saga. For a debut, Echo Hall has an impressive level of depth and complexity, and tells an atmospheric story of the lives that make up one family across the course of the twentieth century. Fans of Kate Morton and Rachel Hore should certainly check Echo Hall out, as should anyone looking for an engaging tale about the legacies of the past.
NB: This review first appeared on my blog https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre... as part of the blog tour for Echo Hall. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
When Ruth Flint arrives at Echo Hall, she is struck by the atmosphere of gloom and malice that hangs over certain parts of the building. Newly married and pregnant, Ruth already doubts whether she’s made the right decisions, and the oppressive atmosphere of the house, combined with the reluctance of both Adam and his grandfather Jack to talk about its history, do little to allay her fears. When Ruth stumbles upon a stash of photographs and documents in a locked upstairs room, she unknowingly begins to unravel the tangled web of secrets surrounding the Flint family – but in doing so, she must be careful not to become ensnared in Echo Hall’s web herself.
Spanning four generations, this is a novel of sprawling proportions but, at its heart, Echo Hall is a novel about family, and about the ties that bind us together whether we wish it or not. It’s also about the legacy that can be passed from one generation to the next – legacies of guilt, loss, and betrayal that can influence future generations in ways that the originators of those feelings could never comprehend. This makes Echo Hall a very evocative novel and I really felt for the various women whose stories make up the legacy of the Flint family.
Ruth and Elsie were probably my favourite characters. I admired Ruth for her spirit, and for her determination to try and move beyond the legacies of Echo Hall’s past. Elsie is a woman before her time – spirited and good-natured, I found her story to be unbearably tragic.
Other characters were less sympathetic – I found it hard to like Leah and Veronica, although this may be owing to the fact that, as the story is told backwards, I already knew what kind of people they would become from reading Ruth and Elsie’s narrative first – and because I liked Elsie so much, I was already predispossed to dislike them both! That said, though I couldn’t bring myself to like Leah, I found it really interesting to read her section and discover what it was that made her into the bitter woman she became in Elsie’s narrative.
This backwards narrative means Echo Hall really takes the reader onto a journey with its characters, who really are the driving force behind the plot. Although not a slow book to read by any means – I finished it in a couple of days – Echo Hall is about the people that make up the place, and the things that drive them to make the choices that they do – for good or ill – rather than dramatic uncoverings of long-buried skeletons in the Flint family closet. Personally I found this to be fascinating, although some readers may be disappointed that the supernatural elements hinted at in the blurb, and in some early chapters, don’t materialise into a significant part of the story.
That said, whilst Echo Hall may not be filled with things that go bump in the night, the characters in the novel are all haunted in one way or another. Whether by bitterness, regret, or guilt, Echo Hall is a place unable to move beyond the love and heartbreak of its past.
If I had one criticism of Echo Hall it is that sometimes I wanted to spend more time with the characters than the novel allowed. With four generations of the Flint family to cover, there is a lot happening in the novel and it occassionally felt as if certain aspects of each story were left unexplored, or that promising strands (such as the ghostly apparitions seen by Ruth) were left dangling rather than being fully resolved. I could also have done without the framing narrative given by Phoebe – Ruth’s daughter – as I didn’t feel it added to the narrative in any way.
These are, however, very minor niggles in an otherwise very enjoyable and richly realised family saga. For a debut, Echo Hall has an impressive level of depth and complexity, and tells an atmospheric story of the lives that make up one family across the course of the twentieth century. Fans of Kate Morton and Rachel Hore should certainly check Echo Hall out, as should anyone looking for an engaging tale about the legacies of the past.
NB: This review first appeared on my blog https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre... as part of the blog tour for Echo Hall. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
August 17, 2020
In 2014, Phoebe Flint visits Echo Hall, where she muses on the fate of the unhappy Flint women of the past and the angry, bitter Flint men in their lives.
This sweeping tale, set against the backdrop of three different wars, starts with the arrival of pregnant newly-wed Ruth Flint at Echo Hall in 1990. Unsure of her marriage to her new husband Adam, who she barely knows, and bewildered by the distant attitude of his grandfather, Jack, Ruth starts to look into the unspoken history of the family.
Through Ruth's eyes, we meet Elsie Flint, who was forced to move into Echo Hall with her cold in-laws in 1942, when husband Jack was away at war, and then even further back to the portentous meeting of sisters Rachel and Leah Walters with the stern and religious Jacob Flint.
As Ruth uncovers the secrets of Echo Hall, can she finally bring peace to the Flint family?
*******************************************************
Echo Hall is a most ambitious novel that takes down through the layers of history surrounding the less than happy fortunes of the Flint family.
When Ruth begins to delve into the history of Echo Hall, we go back in time and learn about the various women whose fates have been tied to the men connected to Echo Hall - Ruth herself, Elsie, Rachel and Leah - and there are a lot of secrets to be uncovered.
The story jumps backwards through time as we meet the different women and get to know their stories, which are all linked rather cleverly by love, longing, misunderstanding, jealousy and recrimination. It soon becomes apparent that the weight of history hangs very heavily at Echo Hall, but it is not until you understand the importance of the meeting of Jacob Flint with the sisters Leah and Rachel and the reverberations of what followed that you truly comprehend why such an air of bitterness and sorrow has seeped into the very bricks and mortar of the place.
As a reader, you become completely submerged in the bygone eras of Echo Hall and the memories the house holds. Each seam of the past is rich with the sorrow and essence of the women we come to know - and moving down and then back upwards to the present is almost like travelling into the depths of the very quarry that is so significant to the Flint family, and then thankfully back up into the fresh air.
There are some compelling themes in this story that recur throughout the separate threads of history, and the name Echo Hall is certainly rather fitting as the central focus of them all. Each era in time plays intriguingly with the ideas of war and pacifism, in a way befitting each period, and I found this quite interesting.
I enjoyed how Virginia Moffatt worked her story to play out the fates of the women of Echo Hall against different, but essentially similar backdrops, to reflect the circular nature of the winds of war and thought this worked particularly well with the World War I and II parts of the book. However, I did find the Gulf War element rather contrived for the sake of introducing a theatre of war to Ruth's story - although I understand why Virgina Moffatt wanted to find a link for Ruth with the women of the past.
There is a lot going here to keep you occupied and for the most part it is completely captivating - and tales of family secrets will always get my attention. There is also a rather haunting feel of underlying ghost story in facets of the novel that I found very enjoyable indeed.
If you like your historical fiction immersive and with complex themes of the trials and tribulations of a family weighed down with the legacy of the past, then Echo Hall is going to be a book for you.
This sweeping tale, set against the backdrop of three different wars, starts with the arrival of pregnant newly-wed Ruth Flint at Echo Hall in 1990. Unsure of her marriage to her new husband Adam, who she barely knows, and bewildered by the distant attitude of his grandfather, Jack, Ruth starts to look into the unspoken history of the family.
Through Ruth's eyes, we meet Elsie Flint, who was forced to move into Echo Hall with her cold in-laws in 1942, when husband Jack was away at war, and then even further back to the portentous meeting of sisters Rachel and Leah Walters with the stern and religious Jacob Flint.
As Ruth uncovers the secrets of Echo Hall, can she finally bring peace to the Flint family?
*******************************************************
Echo Hall is a most ambitious novel that takes down through the layers of history surrounding the less than happy fortunes of the Flint family.
When Ruth begins to delve into the history of Echo Hall, we go back in time and learn about the various women whose fates have been tied to the men connected to Echo Hall - Ruth herself, Elsie, Rachel and Leah - and there are a lot of secrets to be uncovered.
The story jumps backwards through time as we meet the different women and get to know their stories, which are all linked rather cleverly by love, longing, misunderstanding, jealousy and recrimination. It soon becomes apparent that the weight of history hangs very heavily at Echo Hall, but it is not until you understand the importance of the meeting of Jacob Flint with the sisters Leah and Rachel and the reverberations of what followed that you truly comprehend why such an air of bitterness and sorrow has seeped into the very bricks and mortar of the place.
As a reader, you become completely submerged in the bygone eras of Echo Hall and the memories the house holds. Each seam of the past is rich with the sorrow and essence of the women we come to know - and moving down and then back upwards to the present is almost like travelling into the depths of the very quarry that is so significant to the Flint family, and then thankfully back up into the fresh air.
There are some compelling themes in this story that recur throughout the separate threads of history, and the name Echo Hall is certainly rather fitting as the central focus of them all. Each era in time plays intriguingly with the ideas of war and pacifism, in a way befitting each period, and I found this quite interesting.
I enjoyed how Virginia Moffatt worked her story to play out the fates of the women of Echo Hall against different, but essentially similar backdrops, to reflect the circular nature of the winds of war and thought this worked particularly well with the World War I and II parts of the book. However, I did find the Gulf War element rather contrived for the sake of introducing a theatre of war to Ruth's story - although I understand why Virgina Moffatt wanted to find a link for Ruth with the women of the past.
There is a lot going here to keep you occupied and for the most part it is completely captivating - and tales of family secrets will always get my attention. There is also a rather haunting feel of underlying ghost story in facets of the novel that I found very enjoyable indeed.
If you like your historical fiction immersive and with complex themes of the trials and tribulations of a family weighed down with the legacy of the past, then Echo Hall is going to be a book for you.
September 10, 2020
As soon as I read the blurb, I knew I wanted to read this book – a multi-generational story with an intriguing setting and multiple timelines sounded right up my street. And indeed it was!
Echo Hall has an ambitious structure: the four timelines are nested like Russian dolls, so that we travel back in time to the furthest point in the past and then back out again until we return to Phoebe in the 21st century. It reminded me of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas – a bold narrative experiment that takes skill to handle. Fortunately Moffatt is more than equal to the task of balancing the many strands of her story, and this movement backwards and then forwards again is a lovely formal ‘echo’ of the themes of her book. The Hall itself is a gloomy, gothic-tinged beast, the perfect setting for a story which gradually reveals its dark secrets.
All of the characters are complex and well-drawn. I was most sympathetic to Elsie, Daniel and Rachel, but even the characters who perform some of the cruellest acts are given an opportunity to show different sides: there are no simple dichotomies of good and evil here. Rachel’s letters, which make up what I think of as the ‘heart’ of the novel, are wonderfully descriptive, painting a picture of the period while also showing the personal struggles she endures. The central theme of war, and the repeated moral tussle between pacifism and patriotism, is a really interesting hook, and the way in which the issue plays out in different generations shows how history cannot be confined to the past: its ripples affect us in the present.
I was intrigued by the touches of the paranormal in this novel, and for my own personal tastes, I wanted them to be explored further, although I can understand why Moffatt handles the hints of actual ghostly echoes with a light touch. On the whole, this book carried me along very pleasantly: despite its complex narrative structure, it is not a difficult read, and there is enough intrigue and mystery to keep the reader turning the pages until the very end. I would recommend Echo Hall to anyone who enjoys sweeping historical dramas and explorations of complex themes via a thoroughly absorbing story.
Echo Hall has an ambitious structure: the four timelines are nested like Russian dolls, so that we travel back in time to the furthest point in the past and then back out again until we return to Phoebe in the 21st century. It reminded me of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas – a bold narrative experiment that takes skill to handle. Fortunately Moffatt is more than equal to the task of balancing the many strands of her story, and this movement backwards and then forwards again is a lovely formal ‘echo’ of the themes of her book. The Hall itself is a gloomy, gothic-tinged beast, the perfect setting for a story which gradually reveals its dark secrets.
All of the characters are complex and well-drawn. I was most sympathetic to Elsie, Daniel and Rachel, but even the characters who perform some of the cruellest acts are given an opportunity to show different sides: there are no simple dichotomies of good and evil here. Rachel’s letters, which make up what I think of as the ‘heart’ of the novel, are wonderfully descriptive, painting a picture of the period while also showing the personal struggles she endures. The central theme of war, and the repeated moral tussle between pacifism and patriotism, is a really interesting hook, and the way in which the issue plays out in different generations shows how history cannot be confined to the past: its ripples affect us in the present.
I was intrigued by the touches of the paranormal in this novel, and for my own personal tastes, I wanted them to be explored further, although I can understand why Moffatt handles the hints of actual ghostly echoes with a light touch. On the whole, this book carried me along very pleasantly: despite its complex narrative structure, it is not a difficult read, and there is enough intrigue and mystery to keep the reader turning the pages until the very end. I would recommend Echo Hall to anyone who enjoys sweeping historical dramas and explorations of complex themes via a thoroughly absorbing story.
March 6, 2019
Three wars, three generations. This well-written and entertaining family saga jumps back and forth between the generations, allowing the protagonist, Ruth, to discover the secrets of the family she has just married into.
The jumps in chronology are not as confusing as you might expect, and I found the structure really effective for examining the connections between characters, and the parallels (particularly the wars). The big cast of characters, on the other hand, did get a little confusing at times, and I think a family tree would have come in handy. However, it's a credit to Moffatt's talent that the characterisation is one of the main strengths of the book. I found myself caring about the characters as if they were real people - particularly Elsie and Daniel - and their personalities and relationships with each other always felt completely believable. Echo Hall doesn't just have a lot of characters, it has a lot of main characters. But they're all fully formed, three dimensional.
The convincing characterisation means that the story is also really engaging. I think the section with the letters could have been cut down slightly, but it also added to the authentic feel of the story, like the book had been well researched as well as comprehensively planned and plotted. This is a book that has been years in the making, and you can tell. The books that take a while to write are often the ones that are the most enjoyable to read, because the writer knows the world and characters of their novel so intimately.
If you enjoyed Atonement, like character-driven fiction, studies of family dynamics, or anything set during the First or Second World Wars, Echo Hall is the book for you.
The jumps in chronology are not as confusing as you might expect, and I found the structure really effective for examining the connections between characters, and the parallels (particularly the wars). The big cast of characters, on the other hand, did get a little confusing at times, and I think a family tree would have come in handy. However, it's a credit to Moffatt's talent that the characterisation is one of the main strengths of the book. I found myself caring about the characters as if they were real people - particularly Elsie and Daniel - and their personalities and relationships with each other always felt completely believable. Echo Hall doesn't just have a lot of characters, it has a lot of main characters. But they're all fully formed, three dimensional.
The convincing characterisation means that the story is also really engaging. I think the section with the letters could have been cut down slightly, but it also added to the authentic feel of the story, like the book had been well researched as well as comprehensively planned and plotted. This is a book that has been years in the making, and you can tell. The books that take a while to write are often the ones that are the most enjoyable to read, because the writer knows the world and characters of their novel so intimately.
If you enjoyed Atonement, like character-driven fiction, studies of family dynamics, or anything set during the First or Second World Wars, Echo Hall is the book for you.
July 10, 2019
Echo Hall is a story that spans across generations and is centred around the lives of three women, Ruth, Elsie and rachel and their connection to Echo Hall.
With the back drop of three wars, WW1, WW2 and the Gulf war this is at times a real tearjerker of a story that has a bit of everything, love, tragedy, friendship, betrayal and even a touch of the paranormal.
Echo Hall has secrets, there maybe as many secrets as there are bedrooms it seems and when Ruth discovers some old diaries and journals in one of the locked rooms, rooms that her husband had told her were completely empty, she starts to uncover the history of the house and its previous occupants. Does history have to keep repeating itself for the Flint family or will unlocking the secrets of the past change destiny?
It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel, the weaving together of all the storylines is done masterfully and the settings are all detailed enough to be able to see the places and characters come to life across the pages. There is a distinct gothic feel to the book and I really loved the touch of the paranormal mixed with historical, it added another layer to an already multi layered tale. The whole plot is easy to follow and the switches of eras and women were seamless. Be prepared to shed a tear or two, I know I certainly did!
A great book that makes time travel a reality!
Echo Hall was published on 30 Nov 2017 so I am very late in discovering this book but I am glad that I did.
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With the back drop of three wars, WW1, WW2 and the Gulf war this is at times a real tearjerker of a story that has a bit of everything, love, tragedy, friendship, betrayal and even a touch of the paranormal.
Echo Hall has secrets, there maybe as many secrets as there are bedrooms it seems and when Ruth discovers some old diaries and journals in one of the locked rooms, rooms that her husband had told her were completely empty, she starts to uncover the history of the house and its previous occupants. Does history have to keep repeating itself for the Flint family or will unlocking the secrets of the past change destiny?
It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel, the weaving together of all the storylines is done masterfully and the settings are all detailed enough to be able to see the places and characters come to life across the pages. There is a distinct gothic feel to the book and I really loved the touch of the paranormal mixed with historical, it added another layer to an already multi layered tale. The whole plot is easy to follow and the switches of eras and women were seamless. Be prepared to shed a tear or two, I know I certainly did!
A great book that makes time travel a reality!
Echo Hall was published on 30 Nov 2017 so I am very late in discovering this book but I am glad that I did.
https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress....
August 24, 2020
Echo Hall is exactly my kind of read. It has multiple timelines, mysteries and secrets, and family dramas at its core. The hall itself is the constant throughout it all, looming over its residents, the scene of many troubles for the Flint family.
There are three different timeframes all of which are set around times of war: the Gulf War, World War II and the First World War. It is Ruth Flint, newly married to Adam, who goes with him to the hall and meets his grandfather, Jack. She finds herself attempting to put to rest the ghosts of years gone by.
What I particularly liked about this book were the little markers throughout the sections, threads that pull each one together and events that seem to echo through each age. The plotting is sublime. Virginia Moffatt creates such intrigue, not by revealing shocking twists but by dropping subtle hints at strategic points. I just loved spotting those details that run through the generations. The tagline refers to history repeating itself and that is definitely a major theme in the novel.
I also really enjoyed the way the story is constructed, working backwards with Ruth's story in the 1990s, then going back to the 1930s/40s focusing on two members of Adam's family in alternate viewpoints, then an epistolary section starting in 1911, then full circle back to the 1990s. I like a non-linear story where I have to work a bit harder putting all the pieces together.
I thought it was a fabulous and brooding read. It drew me right into the lives of the Flints and the corridors of Echo Hall.
There are three different timeframes all of which are set around times of war: the Gulf War, World War II and the First World War. It is Ruth Flint, newly married to Adam, who goes with him to the hall and meets his grandfather, Jack. She finds herself attempting to put to rest the ghosts of years gone by.
What I particularly liked about this book were the little markers throughout the sections, threads that pull each one together and events that seem to echo through each age. The plotting is sublime. Virginia Moffatt creates such intrigue, not by revealing shocking twists but by dropping subtle hints at strategic points. I just loved spotting those details that run through the generations. The tagline refers to history repeating itself and that is definitely a major theme in the novel.
I also really enjoyed the way the story is constructed, working backwards with Ruth's story in the 1990s, then going back to the 1930s/40s focusing on two members of Adam's family in alternate viewpoints, then an epistolary section starting in 1911, then full circle back to the 1990s. I like a non-linear story where I have to work a bit harder putting all the pieces together.
I thought it was a fabulous and brooding read. It drew me right into the lives of the Flints and the corridors of Echo Hall.
August 22, 2020
Echo Hall by Virginia Moffatt is a modern take on a gothic style story which travels for generations in it's telling. Beginning in the present day, it tells the stories of the women who came before, each generation with the very similar issues then returns back to the present day, a beautifully haunted tale of women being left by the men to go away for the various wars over the years.
Echo Hall is the house that is at the core of the story. The Flints, the family that has been part of this house for all the generations and all the women have sat waiting for their husbands wondering if their marriage was the right.The echoes of a generation upon generation reverberating through the house, for the woman of the time to sense the supernatural feelings, the feeling of being watched or a tiny glimpse of someone else, when someone isn't there.The stories of the three women and their respective husbands all woven together deftly, nothing short of a spider spinning a web.Virginia Moffatt has managed to capture the character of the women who stay at Echo Hall, waiting and wondering perfectly, along with the different era's as well.
As I said, a haunting tale of a family and the generations who lived in Echo Hall,which has clearly been well researched and beautifully written. Thanks to Damp Pebbles Blog Tours and Virginia Moffatt for the copy of this lovely book for the tour.
Echo Hall is the house that is at the core of the story. The Flints, the family that has been part of this house for all the generations and all the women have sat waiting for their husbands wondering if their marriage was the right.The echoes of a generation upon generation reverberating through the house, for the woman of the time to sense the supernatural feelings, the feeling of being watched or a tiny glimpse of someone else, when someone isn't there.The stories of the three women and their respective husbands all woven together deftly, nothing short of a spider spinning a web.Virginia Moffatt has managed to capture the character of the women who stay at Echo Hall, waiting and wondering perfectly, along with the different era's as well.
As I said, a haunting tale of a family and the generations who lived in Echo Hall,which has clearly been well researched and beautifully written. Thanks to Damp Pebbles Blog Tours and Virginia Moffatt for the copy of this lovely book for the tour.
November 7, 2019
War destroys families and drives friends apart. But it doesn’t take a war to wreck lives, drive a wedge between husbands and wives and bring a premature end to any hope of happiness. And sometimes it’s not your enemies who inflict most harm, but those closer to home.
Echo Hall echoes with unhappiness, and though world events in the form of three wars account for most of it, the ultimate tragedy arises not from man’s universal inhumanity to man but the domestic bitterness that bubbles and flares and destroys individuals.
I must confess having taken a while to get into this book. I must also admit to skimming some of the epistolary passages which seemed to contain just a little too much detail for my need to get on with the story. But it was worth the effort, if only to realise the haunting symmetry of lives and loves across the generations.
‘Empires rise and empires fall’ as Moffatt says towards the end of the book. And Echo Hall sets the personal cycle of individual birth, life and death against a century of history, where even the empires that survive are utterly transformed.
Echo Hall echoes with unhappiness, and though world events in the form of three wars account for most of it, the ultimate tragedy arises not from man’s universal inhumanity to man but the domestic bitterness that bubbles and flares and destroys individuals.
I must confess having taken a while to get into this book. I must also admit to skimming some of the epistolary passages which seemed to contain just a little too much detail for my need to get on with the story. But it was worth the effort, if only to realise the haunting symmetry of lives and loves across the generations.
‘Empires rise and empires fall’ as Moffatt says towards the end of the book. And Echo Hall sets the personal cycle of individual birth, life and death against a century of history, where even the empires that survive are utterly transformed.
August 19, 2020
Atmospheric doesn’t even begin to describe this book. Spanning the lives of three women and three different wars, the author has created a story that spans time while pulling out the common threads of each of the women. I liked how the house was a character unto itself. It had almost as much to do with the life trajectories of the women as their personal choices did. Not only were the women ultimately unhappy, but the stresses of war played a part in each of their lives. It was just a whole lot of sad and kind of eerie, but all expertly woven together. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Unbound and Damp Pebbles for a digital copy of the book.
November 28, 2017
I loved reading this book ECHO HALL by Virginnia Moffatt especially via Pigeonhole. Well researched by the author of the three wars,the role of the women, Quakers-I could go on! The story intertwines with the three generations and there are so many links between the three I want to read it again! The characters hook you in to the story and it is beautifully and very graphically written. I can really see it as a film/tv drama! If you like historical, thriller, romance, drama or any one of these categories then buy this book!
April 21, 2018
Engaging enough.
I understand having three different timeliness using three different wars, but it felt a stretch too far that each of these women were involved in some infidelity/passion with someone closely connected to them.
Jack was a great character, but he seemed to change so much throughout the story...once we got through the grumpy exterior, it didn't seem possiblehe would distrust his wife quite so much.
I could pick lots of holes in the story, but essentially it was entertaining, and that's what I'm looking for. So ticked the box there.
I understand having three different timeliness using three different wars, but it felt a stretch too far that each of these women were involved in some infidelity/passion with someone closely connected to them.
Jack was a great character, but he seemed to change so much throughout the story...once we got through the grumpy exterior, it didn't seem possiblehe would distrust his wife quite so much.
I could pick lots of holes in the story, but essentially it was entertaining, and that's what I'm looking for. So ticked the box there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2018
When Ruth Flint arrives at Echo Hall, her husband's family home she knows there are some dark secrets there, and with her husband off to fight in the gulf war she wants to find the secrets of the house. Spanning three wars we fnd out about the similarities of the situations of the women with their husbands off to fight in ww1 and ww2 but can peace really be brought to the house?
A good atmospheric read, but I am always a sucker for the old house and family sagas, this one is definitely worth reading though
A good atmospheric read, but I am always a sucker for the old house and family sagas, this one is definitely worth reading though
June 14, 2020
For me, 1-star is a "did not finish." So many books, so little time. For that reason, I have given myself permission to not finish a book if it hasn't grabbed me within 50 pages. Sometimes---as in this book---I even go a bit longer, like 100 pages. But, if by that time, I'm not hooked, I move on to something else. After all, there are more books on my to-read list than I have time to read, so it just doesn't make sense to stick with something I'm not enjoying. This one started off pretty good, but it quickly began to drag. Didn't care enough about the characters to continue reading.
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