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The Many Lives of Heloise Starchild
REMEMBER ME WHEN THE COMET COMES...
On the day the comet came, a girl named Heloise was born. She would live a fine life, and inherit a fortune, but would meet a cruel, untimely death.
Years later, strange dreams plague Katya Nemcová, a teenager burdened with a rare and curious gift. Memories come to Katya in her dreams - images and stories from a past that isn't her own. Are these ghosts real? And what of the memory she seems to have of Heloise's treasures, two centuries old?
A novel that spans the history of Europe - from revolutionary France to the world wars, the Prague Spring, post Brexit Britain, and beyond - this is the irresistible, adventurous and affectionate story of a quite extraordinary woman, her exceptionally talented ancestors and the curious memories they share.
On the day the comet came, a girl named Heloise was born. She would live a fine life, and inherit a fortune, but would meet a cruel, untimely death.
Years later, strange dreams plague Katya Nemcová, a teenager burdened with a rare and curious gift. Memories come to Katya in her dreams - images and stories from a past that isn't her own. Are these ghosts real? And what of the memory she seems to have of Heloise's treasures, two centuries old?
A novel that spans the history of Europe - from revolutionary France to the world wars, the Prague Spring, post Brexit Britain, and beyond - this is the irresistible, adventurous and affectionate story of a quite extraordinary woman, her exceptionally talented ancestors and the curious memories they share.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2020
26 people are currently reading
930 people want to read
About the author
John Ironmonger
13 books291 followersI'm the author of 'Not Forgetting the Whale', (also called 'The Whale at the End of the World',) 'The many Lives of Heloise Starchild,' The Coincidence Authority,' ('Coincidence' in the USA), and 'The Notable Brain of Maximilian Ponder.'
I'm a Cornishman who was born in Kenya, schooled in Kent, studied in Nottingham and Liverpool, and worked in Nigeria, Slough, Manchester, Edinburgh, Warrington, Warwick and Glasgow. Now I live in Parkgate on the Wirral peninsula overlooking the RSPB marshes.
My lovely wife Sue and I are possibly the only non Indonesians ever to have seen a Javan rhino and her calf. True. You can read about it on my blog at http://notablebrain.blogspot.co.uk/20...
Apart from my family and my writing, my third passion is travel. I've been posting some of my random map pins on my blog. You can follow my blog here: https://notablebrain.blogspot.com/
I'm a Cornishman who was born in Kenya, schooled in Kent, studied in Nottingham and Liverpool, and worked in Nigeria, Slough, Manchester, Edinburgh, Warrington, Warwick and Glasgow. Now I live in Parkgate on the Wirral peninsula overlooking the RSPB marshes.
My lovely wife Sue and I are possibly the only non Indonesians ever to have seen a Javan rhino and her calf. True. You can read about it on my blog at http://notablebrain.blogspot.co.uk/20...
Apart from my family and my writing, my third passion is travel. I've been posting some of my random map pins on my blog. You can follow my blog here: https://notablebrain.blogspot.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
January 20, 2026
Actie, avontuur, spectaculaire ontsnappingen, verborgen schatten.
'De vele levens van Heloise Starchild' is een jongensboek.
Zou je denken.
Maar dat is het niet.
Het was me tijdens het lezen niet eens zo erg opgevallen - pas nu dringt het tot me door: het is in de eerste plaats een boek over sterke vrouwen.
Van Héloise tot Halley - niet toevallig genoemd naar de komeet - over Marianne en (vooral) Katya, allemaal worstelen ze zich los - al dan niet van mannelijke dominantie.
De premisse is geweldig: elke dochter van elk personage 'erft' de herinneringen van alle vorige generaties in de vorm van heldere, levendige, haast plastische dromen.
Geluk wordt tast-, pijn helaas ook voelbaar.
En dan is er nog het geheim van de verborgen rijkdommen - een mythe of toch werkelijkheid?
Ironmonger neemt je met vaardige hand op sleeptouw over de grenzen van tijd en ruimte heen, koppelt actie aan emotie, geweld aan tederheid, wraak aan verzoening.
'De vele levens van Heloise Starchild' bevat echo's van heel wat boeken die ik graag gelezen heb en is toch volstrekt origineel.
Het is een gelaagd leesavontuur.
Veel meer dan een jongensboek.
'De vele levens van Heloise Starchild' is een jongensboek.
Zou je denken.
Maar dat is het niet.
Het was me tijdens het lezen niet eens zo erg opgevallen - pas nu dringt het tot me door: het is in de eerste plaats een boek over sterke vrouwen.
Van Héloise tot Halley - niet toevallig genoemd naar de komeet - over Marianne en (vooral) Katya, allemaal worstelen ze zich los - al dan niet van mannelijke dominantie.
De premisse is geweldig: elke dochter van elk personage 'erft' de herinneringen van alle vorige generaties in de vorm van heldere, levendige, haast plastische dromen.
Geluk wordt tast-, pijn helaas ook voelbaar.
En dan is er nog het geheim van de verborgen rijkdommen - een mythe of toch werkelijkheid?
Ironmonger neemt je met vaardige hand op sleeptouw over de grenzen van tijd en ruimte heen, koppelt actie aan emotie, geweld aan tederheid, wraak aan verzoening.
'De vele levens van Heloise Starchild' bevat echo's van heel wat boeken die ik graag gelezen heb en is toch volstrekt origineel.
Het is een gelaagd leesavontuur.
Veel meer dan een jongensboek.
January 11, 2022
The Many Lives of Heloise Starchild is honestly one of the most beautiful books I have read in a while. This book takes you on such a journey and paints the most intricate mental images - some beautiful, some not so, but all of them an adventure! It is a book full of feelings. The story makes you dwell on the importance of family, history, and memories, and the special connection that always exists between mothers and daughters.
I am also in awe of the level of historical research that would have been required to write this - all the places, languages, and events - what a feat! Ten points for the cover art as well - just stunning!
If you are someone who loves stories of love, loss, and family, and an adventure spanning a thousand years or more, then this is definitely a must add to your TBR! I am sad the story is over so soon!
Trigger Warning: this book does make mention of rape - not in a detailed or graphic way, but it is there.
I am also in awe of the level of historical research that would have been required to write this - all the places, languages, and events - what a feat! Ten points for the cover art as well - just stunning!
If you are someone who loves stories of love, loss, and family, and an adventure spanning a thousand years or more, then this is definitely a must add to your TBR! I am sad the story is over so soon!
Trigger Warning: this book does make mention of rape - not in a detailed or graphic way, but it is there.
June 19, 2023
Fijn geschreven, heerlijk bedacht! Tijdreizen maar dan anders. Hoe een matriarchale lijn zicht generaties lang opdringt aan elke volgende dochter, en waarom?
Aanrader!
Aanrader!
August 1, 2020
The Many Lives of Heloise Starchild mainly tells the story of three women fighting their circumstances in three different times and places: Marianne Muse, an orphan raised by nuns in late eighteenth/early nineteenth century France who seeks revenge for the rape, torture and beheading of her aristocratic mother; Katya Němcová, a Czechoslovakian collective dairy farm worker who devises an unusual way to cross the Morava River to Austria and freedom in 1979; and historian Halley Hašek, who wishes to travel to France, but in order to do so must prove herself to be a compliant citizen in the dystopia that is Britain in 2061.
What binds them - and a number of other women whose stories we also dip into - is not only that they’re part of the same direct maternal line, but that they inherit the memories of their mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers and so on, right the way back to Marianne’s mother, Heloise Montbelliard. In their dreams, they remember places and events they haven’t personally experienced, both good and wake-up-screaming bad. They also know from their memories that Heloise’s husband, Jean Sebastien Montbelliard, hid the family’s many valuables somewhere secret when they fled their grand Dijon home.
This book succeeds both as an exciting historical novel and a work of speculative fiction - in some ways, it reminded me of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas. Marianne and Katya’s stories are very interesting, well-researched and described; I got a really clear and vivid sense of what it was like to live in France during the Revolution and Czechoslovakia in the Soviet period. I also loved the historical details that cropped up in the snapshots of the more minor characters - for example, Esme Schmidt, who lives in Vienna in the early twentieth century, is sent for psychoanalysis by her father on account of her dreams.
In fact, the different reactions the people around the women have to the dreams - some are suspicious and disbelieving, others are curious and interested - are fascinating in themselves and send the women’s lives down different tracks. Women with more sympathetic families and partners are more able to talk about them, visit the places involved, and seek the treasure, whereas their less fortunate counterparts try to downplay and ignore them.
Ironmonger’s description of Britain in 40 years’ time, meanwhile, is terrifyingly plausible. Halley is constantly subject to a pair of hectoring simulacrums - a personal assistant and a doctor - who can get her ‘compliance credits’ docked if she disobeys their directives to exercise or go to medical appointments, and report her if she breaks the law. It’s against the law to be rude to an AI. It’s also difficult to obtain a travel visa to Europe because so many Britons want to escape there from the environmental disasters that have made some areas of the country uninhabitable.
There are sad, brutal, tragic and shocking events throughout this book - particularly in revolutionary France - but there’s also loads of love, selflessness, happiness and humour, which act as a balm and make it especially readable.
While our heroines have their own distinct personalities and concerns, they’re all daring and resourceful, and I had my heart in my mouth sometimes because I so wanted them to succeed in their individual missions! The treasure hunt is a clever and exciting touch, as the author doesn’t make it at all easy and it gives the women a common goal among the red threads - another of which is Halley’s Comet - that run through their stories.
The only complaint I have about this book is that I wish it were longer - I’d have loved to have seen the stories of the women other than Marianne, Katya and Halley expanded so that they were just as rich, detailed and absorbing. It could have been an epic.
The Many Lives of Heloise Starchild is a wonderful, inventive adventure that takes the reader from late eighteenth-century France to mid twenty-first century Britain and beyond.
What binds them - and a number of other women whose stories we also dip into - is not only that they’re part of the same direct maternal line, but that they inherit the memories of their mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers and so on, right the way back to Marianne’s mother, Heloise Montbelliard. In their dreams, they remember places and events they haven’t personally experienced, both good and wake-up-screaming bad. They also know from their memories that Heloise’s husband, Jean Sebastien Montbelliard, hid the family’s many valuables somewhere secret when they fled their grand Dijon home.
This book succeeds both as an exciting historical novel and a work of speculative fiction - in some ways, it reminded me of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas. Marianne and Katya’s stories are very interesting, well-researched and described; I got a really clear and vivid sense of what it was like to live in France during the Revolution and Czechoslovakia in the Soviet period. I also loved the historical details that cropped up in the snapshots of the more minor characters - for example, Esme Schmidt, who lives in Vienna in the early twentieth century, is sent for psychoanalysis by her father on account of her dreams.
In fact, the different reactions the people around the women have to the dreams - some are suspicious and disbelieving, others are curious and interested - are fascinating in themselves and send the women’s lives down different tracks. Women with more sympathetic families and partners are more able to talk about them, visit the places involved, and seek the treasure, whereas their less fortunate counterparts try to downplay and ignore them.
Ironmonger’s description of Britain in 40 years’ time, meanwhile, is terrifyingly plausible. Halley is constantly subject to a pair of hectoring simulacrums - a personal assistant and a doctor - who can get her ‘compliance credits’ docked if she disobeys their directives to exercise or go to medical appointments, and report her if she breaks the law. It’s against the law to be rude to an AI. It’s also difficult to obtain a travel visa to Europe because so many Britons want to escape there from the environmental disasters that have made some areas of the country uninhabitable.
There are sad, brutal, tragic and shocking events throughout this book - particularly in revolutionary France - but there’s also loads of love, selflessness, happiness and humour, which act as a balm and make it especially readable.
While our heroines have their own distinct personalities and concerns, they’re all daring and resourceful, and I had my heart in my mouth sometimes because I so wanted them to succeed in their individual missions! The treasure hunt is a clever and exciting touch, as the author doesn’t make it at all easy and it gives the women a common goal among the red threads - another of which is Halley’s Comet - that run through their stories.
The only complaint I have about this book is that I wish it were longer - I’d have loved to have seen the stories of the women other than Marianne, Katya and Halley expanded so that they were just as rich, detailed and absorbing. It could have been an epic.
The Many Lives of Heloise Starchild is a wonderful, inventive adventure that takes the reader from late eighteenth-century France to mid twenty-first century Britain and beyond.
February 20, 2021
I will start by saying that this book was a little out of my usual comfort zone. It took a while to get into the through of the story and when I was able to understand how it all linked together I enjoyed the historical elements, I have not read anything about the French Revolution before and the struggles that the Czech/Slovaks had with the Russians so this was interesting, but I didn't like the curve ball of being pushed into the future and to another planet, I feel that this spoilt the story. I loved how each storyline was pulled back to the chateau and the treasure that was hidden away in the well and how the generations were looking out for each other. I just wish the story had finished in the present not the future.
November 16, 2021
Ik heb een nieuwe favoriet gevonden terwijl ik dit boek las!
Het originele concept dat John Ironmonger bedacht voor De vele levens van Heloise Starchild, is zeer goed uitgewerkt doorheen het hele verhaal. Je volgt het leven van verschillende vrouwen die erg hard verschillen van elkaar. Ze wonen in verschillende landen en leven in verschillende tijdsperiodes, wat de personages en het verhaal ontzettend boeiend maakt. Daarnaast is er ook een spanningsfactor: zal de schat gevonden worden of niet? Ik was geïntrigeerd van begin tot einde en heb met spijt het boek dichtgeslagen. Het had van mij nog dubbel zo dik mogen zijn!
Het originele concept dat John Ironmonger bedacht voor De vele levens van Heloise Starchild, is zeer goed uitgewerkt doorheen het hele verhaal. Je volgt het leven van verschillende vrouwen die erg hard verschillen van elkaar. Ze wonen in verschillende landen en leven in verschillende tijdsperiodes, wat de personages en het verhaal ontzettend boeiend maakt. Daarnaast is er ook een spanningsfactor: zal de schat gevonden worden of niet? Ik was geïntrigeerd van begin tot einde en heb met spijt het boek dichtgeslagen. Het had van mij nog dubbel zo dik mogen zijn!
October 6, 2021
Such a journey. Loved this book!
January 18, 2023
Magnificent. A fabulous blend of historical fiction and SF. Ironmonger writes women well, and the cast of characters, spanning several centuries, are beautifully drawn. Highly recommended.
January 18, 2023
Wow.
How can a story be so many things at the same time?
How can a story be so many things at the same time?
March 18, 2022
This is my kind of book. A mix of Historical fiction and Scifi. These were amazing characters. Incredible narration. Flowing prose, just so gentle and dreamy.
The reason for the memories was unexpected and certainly the end, and what they did with Halley’s eggs was something I was not expecting. Which is something not all books can give me lately. I love love loved this book so much. The adventures, the journey, I felt like I lived them myself. The beauty of the now in contrast to the memories. Memories are but a tool in the end, not something to make you feel despair or rage, or joy. But a tool to help you survive in the future and help you realize the beauty of the now.
The reason for the memories was unexpected and certainly the end, and what they did with Halley’s eggs was something I was not expecting. Which is something not all books can give me lately. I love love loved this book so much. The adventures, the journey, I felt like I lived them myself. The beauty of the now in contrast to the memories. Memories are but a tool in the end, not something to make you feel despair or rage, or joy. But a tool to help you survive in the future and help you realize the beauty of the now.
💚 Fossils put my memories into perspective. They tell me, I too, with my centuries of memory, am no more than the faintest shadow on the landscape of time.
March 14, 2023
* Review (no spoilers) *
What I found the most compelling was the fact that this was a book about a line of inspirational and strong women and it was written by a man. I loved that element.
What an adventurous and inspiring read for just 288 pages. It makes you feel both warm and worldy-wise all at the same time.
I love anything with historical references, and this plot had them in abundance. It was great to see the world and its historical events from so many different protagonists (descendants of Heloise). It was interweaved beautifully.
The narrative was engrossing, the characters loveable (you will also experience utter hatred for some), and overall, it's just a moving and intelligent read.
I found myself favouring Katya out of the three main narrators, and yet she is the least like me - go figure!
If you've read this, who was your favourite character?
Anyone who is not reading this absolutely needs to!
What I found the most compelling was the fact that this was a book about a line of inspirational and strong women and it was written by a man. I loved that element.
What an adventurous and inspiring read for just 288 pages. It makes you feel both warm and worldy-wise all at the same time.
I love anything with historical references, and this plot had them in abundance. It was great to see the world and its historical events from so many different protagonists (descendants of Heloise). It was interweaved beautifully.
The narrative was engrossing, the characters loveable (you will also experience utter hatred for some), and overall, it's just a moving and intelligent read.
I found myself favouring Katya out of the three main narrators, and yet she is the least like me - go figure!
If you've read this, who was your favourite character?
Anyone who is not reading this absolutely needs to!
December 7, 2024
A wonderful read. Beautifully construed story with a lovely mix of history and geographical descriptions spanning the memories of the female descendants of Heloise.
With the extra bonus of a peek into the future, with the help of AI.
Worth reading a second time to catch all the gems I may have missed first time around.
With the extra bonus of a peek into the future, with the help of AI.
Worth reading a second time to catch all the gems I may have missed first time around.
September 3, 2022
Uniek! Veel levens, maar toch niet heel ingewikkeld om het verhaal te volgen. 😊
February 9, 2024
Spannend, liefdevol, kritiek tussen de lijnen, mind blown op het einde en vooral heel mooi
‘Bezit alleen wat je kunt meedragen; ken talen, ken landen, ken mensen. Laat je geheugen je koffer zijn.’
‘Bezit alleen wat je kunt meedragen; ken talen, ken landen, ken mensen. Laat je geheugen je koffer zijn.’
February 14, 2022
Een prachtig boek passend in het rijtje Addie LaRue & Midnight Library 😍
February 12, 2022
Een vrouwenlijn die je meeneemt in een paar eeuwen Europese geschiedenis. En toekomst. Leest fijn!
December 4, 2021
Een verrassend boek dat je niet anders kan dan verslinden. Dat is het minste dat je kan stellen. De auteur Ironmonger schrijft op virtuoze wijze over vele generaties aan vrouwen die steeds het leven, de pijn, de vreugde en het lijden van Heloise en haar vrouwelijke nazaten herinneren en herbeleven.
Tien generaties (start bij de Franse revolutie tot in de toekomst met name 2101) lang wordt de lezer meegesleurd in hun leven waarbij de chronologie steeds dooreengeschud wordt zonder dat stoort. Wel integendeel. Wat bindt deze vrouwen buiten het feit dat ze een afstammeling van Heloise zijn? Zij delen vooral een bijzondere eigenschap zoals reeds aangestipt met name iedere vrouw kan zich tot in detail de levens van haar voorgangsters herinneren waarbij ze zelfs de taal beheersen zonder deze ooit geleerd te hebben. Zij dromen de levens van hun voorgangsters en leven die op cruciale momenten ook na.
Het verhaal start met de Heloise, genaamd naar de komeet Halley die een cruciale rol speelt in het verhaal. Heloise wordt het slachtoffer van de Franse revolutie omdat ze gehuwd is met een rijke aristocraat. Maar voordat ze gearresteerd worden, weten zij en haar echtgenoot hun rijkdommen te verbergen. Zoals zoveel aristocraten en zogenaamde tegenstanders van de revolutie eindigen ook zij op de guillotine nadat ze een vreselijk lot moest ondergaan.
Als lezer voel je ook wat Heloise en haar nazaten meegemaakt hebben: de hoop, de pijn, het verdriet, de humor, het geluk, de uitdagingen,.... en de zoektocht naar de schat. En hoe verder je in het verhaal gaat hoe meer je als lezer merkt hoe de levens van deze vrouwen gekleurd en bepaald worden door de geschiedenis.
De vele levens van Heloise Starchild is zeker een boeiend verhaal over vele generaties heen waarbij de protagonisten beschouwd kunnen worden als de kinderen (en slachtoffers) van hun tijd. Het is spannend (de zoektocht naar de schat), leuk, vlot geschreven en het thema kan zeker origineel genoemd worden. Soms heb je als lezer het gevoelen dat sommige generaties vrouwen meer in het daglicht hadden mogen staan. Sommige overgangen in het verhaal zijn ook vrij abrupt waardoor je als lezer gedwongen wordt om het verhaal zelf in te vullen. De auteur weet in elk geval de lezer constant te boeien en dat maakt het zeker vier sterren waard. Het verdient zeker vijf sterren voor originaliteit ....alleen het laatste hoofdstuk doet enige afbreuk. Het past voor mij totaal niet in de verhaallijn en volgens mijn aanvoelen boet het verhaal zelfs aan kracht in. Kortom, iemand die origineel historisch verhaal wil lezen moet de vele levens van Heloise Starchild zeker in de hand nemen. Ik verzeker je dat je het zo snel mogelijk wil uitlezen!
Tien generaties (start bij de Franse revolutie tot in de toekomst met name 2101) lang wordt de lezer meegesleurd in hun leven waarbij de chronologie steeds dooreengeschud wordt zonder dat stoort. Wel integendeel. Wat bindt deze vrouwen buiten het feit dat ze een afstammeling van Heloise zijn? Zij delen vooral een bijzondere eigenschap zoals reeds aangestipt met name iedere vrouw kan zich tot in detail de levens van haar voorgangsters herinneren waarbij ze zelfs de taal beheersen zonder deze ooit geleerd te hebben. Zij dromen de levens van hun voorgangsters en leven die op cruciale momenten ook na.
Het verhaal start met de Heloise, genaamd naar de komeet Halley die een cruciale rol speelt in het verhaal. Heloise wordt het slachtoffer van de Franse revolutie omdat ze gehuwd is met een rijke aristocraat. Maar voordat ze gearresteerd worden, weten zij en haar echtgenoot hun rijkdommen te verbergen. Zoals zoveel aristocraten en zogenaamde tegenstanders van de revolutie eindigen ook zij op de guillotine nadat ze een vreselijk lot moest ondergaan.
Als lezer voel je ook wat Heloise en haar nazaten meegemaakt hebben: de hoop, de pijn, het verdriet, de humor, het geluk, de uitdagingen,.... en de zoektocht naar de schat. En hoe verder je in het verhaal gaat hoe meer je als lezer merkt hoe de levens van deze vrouwen gekleurd en bepaald worden door de geschiedenis.
De vele levens van Heloise Starchild is zeker een boeiend verhaal over vele generaties heen waarbij de protagonisten beschouwd kunnen worden als de kinderen (en slachtoffers) van hun tijd. Het is spannend (de zoektocht naar de schat), leuk, vlot geschreven en het thema kan zeker origineel genoemd worden. Soms heb je als lezer het gevoelen dat sommige generaties vrouwen meer in het daglicht hadden mogen staan. Sommige overgangen in het verhaal zijn ook vrij abrupt waardoor je als lezer gedwongen wordt om het verhaal zelf in te vullen. De auteur weet in elk geval de lezer constant te boeien en dat maakt het zeker vier sterren waard. Het verdient zeker vijf sterren voor originaliteit ....alleen het laatste hoofdstuk doet enige afbreuk. Het past voor mij totaal niet in de verhaallijn en volgens mijn aanvoelen boet het verhaal zelfs aan kracht in. Kortom, iemand die origineel historisch verhaal wil lezen moet de vele levens van Heloise Starchild zeker in de hand nemen. Ik verzeker je dat je het zo snel mogelijk wil uitlezen!
June 12, 2021
Received as the first book of my subscription to The Beautiful Book Company
And, boy, was this a lucky first book.
I’m not usually into those types of historical novels where you jump from the past to the present, generally because I feel said character in the present is intruding on the story of the more interesting figure I wanted to read about in the first place. But this book averted that with its fantastical thread of all these women inheriting memories through the maternal line, so each POV character is tied and involved to the past in a much more personal level that makes it feel relevant. And because we have about four/five character storylines (each from a different time period) it doesn’t allow their stories to get too dull. Saying that, it doesn’t get confusing either, as the book is divided into three parts, with each focusing on two POVs and time periods – which was a wise move on Ironmonger, allowing us dedicated time to get attached to the pair of characters without too many voices competing for attention. It also keeps their stories tight and quick-paced. I found myself caring about each character, and each one was memorable because of this.
I also enjoyed how this book seems to dip its dainty toes in multiple genres: you have historical fiction and magical realism, but towards the end of the book we get into science fiction as the narrative gets into the future. I won’t say any more in case I spoil the ending, which gave satisfying meaning to the shared memories of these interesting women through history.
The story can also get surprisingly grim. It caught me quite off guard, considering the light, bright tone of the book’s front cover. It doesn’t happen too often, so when it does, it doesn’t feel exploitive – like the author wanted the character to suffer for the sake of suffering in a cheap attempt to make us sympathises with them. It has a proper impact.
And, boy, was this a lucky first book.
I’m not usually into those types of historical novels where you jump from the past to the present, generally because I feel said character in the present is intruding on the story of the more interesting figure I wanted to read about in the first place. But this book averted that with its fantastical thread of all these women inheriting memories through the maternal line, so each POV character is tied and involved to the past in a much more personal level that makes it feel relevant. And because we have about four/five character storylines (each from a different time period) it doesn’t allow their stories to get too dull. Saying that, it doesn’t get confusing either, as the book is divided into three parts, with each focusing on two POVs and time periods – which was a wise move on Ironmonger, allowing us dedicated time to get attached to the pair of characters without too many voices competing for attention. It also keeps their stories tight and quick-paced. I found myself caring about each character, and each one was memorable because of this.
I also enjoyed how this book seems to dip its dainty toes in multiple genres: you have historical fiction and magical realism, but towards the end of the book we get into science fiction as the narrative gets into the future. I won’t say any more in case I spoil the ending, which gave satisfying meaning to the shared memories of these interesting women through history.
The story can also get surprisingly grim. It caught me quite off guard, considering the light, bright tone of the book’s front cover. It doesn’t happen too often, so when it does, it doesn’t feel exploitive – like the author wanted the character to suffer for the sake of suffering in a cheap attempt to make us sympathises with them. It has a proper impact.
October 5, 2021
3,5 ⭐
NL scroll ⬇️
A hard book to review...
I enjoyed the stories that go with the fact that Katya has many memories that aren't her own. Reading about all those different times in history is wonderful.
The special concept of the memories spoke to me a lot. The different characters remain shallow though, because the book makes many character ánd time jumps.
The writingstyle is easy, the jumps and stories are somewhat chaotic at times. Lacking. Which was caused by the writing style as well.
The ending was good and befitting I suppose, but I didn't like it.
The premise of the book was a promising one, but the execution could have been a lot better.
Still, a very enjoyable and extraordinary read.
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Wat een lastig boek om te reviewen!
Ik heb genoten van de verhalen die hoorden bij het feit dat Katya veel herinneringen heeft die niet van haar zijn. Lezen over al die periodes in de geschiedenis is heerlijk.
Het bijzondere idee van de herinneringen sprak me ook erg aan. De karakters blijven wel wat oppervlakkig, door de vele karakter- en tijdssprongen.
Het boek leest makkelijk, de verhalen en sprongen zijn echter vaak wat chaotisch. Missen iets. Maar dat lag ook aan de schrijfstijl.
Het einde was ongetwijfeld goed en passend, het stond mij echter niet aan.
Het concept van het boek was veelbelovend, de uitwerking had echter een stuk beter gekund.
Maar toch, een aangenaam en bijzonder boek.
NL scroll ⬇️
A hard book to review...
I enjoyed the stories that go with the fact that Katya has many memories that aren't her own. Reading about all those different times in history is wonderful.
The special concept of the memories spoke to me a lot. The different characters remain shallow though, because the book makes many character ánd time jumps.
The writingstyle is easy, the jumps and stories are somewhat chaotic at times. Lacking. Which was caused by the writing style as well.
The ending was good and befitting I suppose, but I didn't like it.
The premise of the book was a promising one, but the execution could have been a lot better.
Still, a very enjoyable and extraordinary read.
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Wat een lastig boek om te reviewen!
Ik heb genoten van de verhalen die hoorden bij het feit dat Katya veel herinneringen heeft die niet van haar zijn. Lezen over al die periodes in de geschiedenis is heerlijk.
Het bijzondere idee van de herinneringen sprak me ook erg aan. De karakters blijven wel wat oppervlakkig, door de vele karakter- en tijdssprongen.
Het boek leest makkelijk, de verhalen en sprongen zijn echter vaak wat chaotisch. Missen iets. Maar dat lag ook aan de schrijfstijl.
Het einde was ongetwijfeld goed en passend, het stond mij echter niet aan.
Het concept van het boek was veelbelovend, de uitwerking had echter een stuk beter gekund.
Maar toch, een aangenaam en bijzonder boek.
October 15, 2022
Een boek uit mijn gewoonlijke comfort zone maar wel heel spannend en historisch. Een verhaal vol met herinneringen, verlies, liefde, rijkdom en armoede. Het sleept je door de jaren heen. Als je fan bent van the midnight library moet je deze ook lezen 🤍
June 3, 2023
I was at the bookstore with no intention to buy anything, when I was drawn this book by its pretty cover. Then I realized that some of the main characters are Czech and that parts of the book are set in the Czech Republic, I got very excited. An English book inspired by Czech history? I had to get it.
Unfortunately, I ended up being rather disappointed. If I had only bothered to pay closer attention to the Czech characters' names, I would have realised that this book is not very well researched (more on this later). A clear warning sign that a book will not live up to my standards.
While reading The Many Lives of Heloise Starchild, I felt confused as to who the target audience is. At times, I felt like I was reading a children’s book because of the straightforward plot and one-dimensional characters. To me, the story seems very idealized and oversimplified. This jarred with some of the more mature content of the book. There were several allusions to sexual themes and the book includes graphic scenes.
I found all the characters lacking in personality. The characters’ conversations are overly dramatic, superficial even. The types of conversations you hear in poorly written movies. I found myself thinking "nobody talks like this" a lot.
Though the author uses some nice language (which I enjoyed), overall, the book is written like a movie. In this aspect, it reminded me of The Midnight Library and Cloud Atlas. I feel all three books would (in the case of Cloud Atlas DO) make better movies. What all three books also have in common is the theme of reincarnation. Now, this is a personal preference, but I’m not a fan of the reincarnation theme. To me, it seems like a lazy plot element. What I will give John Ironmonger though is that the individual stories were, in my opinion, strung together better than in Cloud Atlas. Ironmonger’s plot is quite elaborate and there are some plot twists that I enjoyed.
Another thing that really takes away from the quality of this book is that it's not researched well enough. Clearly the author did do some research, as is evident from the acknowledgements. It just wasn't enough for me to find all the historical parts of the story convincing. Especially the bits set in Czechoslovakia didn't seem authentic - or I guess Czech enough - to me. Furthermore, there are several mistakes very blatant to anyone who speaks Czech: In the Czech languages, women’s’ last names end with -ova (except for a few rare exceptions that have their own rules). You wouldn’t find a Czech woman called “Františka Dvořák". The parts of the book set during the First French Empire, Marianne's story that is, also seemed too superficial to me.
I’ll admit I’m holding this book up to quite high standards. Someone who is reading purely for pleasure may find The Many Lives of Heloise Starchild enjoyable. What I did like about the book was that it was a fun way of refreshing my knowledge on some European history. I was flattered that the author included two major events from Czechoslovakian history: the Lidice massacre and the Prague Spring. The book sent me on several Wikipedia research trips.
What I found interesting about the concept of the book (and what also initially attracted me to it) is that the story spans over several countries: the France, Czech Republic, Austria, UK, USA. The languages spoken in these countries (French, English, German and Czech) happen to be the languages that I am fluent in. I guess I had hoped I would have a deeper connection with this book. If I were to ever write a book myself, I feel like it might take place somewhere at the crossroads of these four cultures. The book that Ironmonger wrote is not the one that I had hoped I would get.
Unfortunately, I ended up being rather disappointed. If I had only bothered to pay closer attention to the Czech characters' names, I would have realised that this book is not very well researched (more on this later). A clear warning sign that a book will not live up to my standards.
While reading The Many Lives of Heloise Starchild, I felt confused as to who the target audience is. At times, I felt like I was reading a children’s book because of the straightforward plot and one-dimensional characters. To me, the story seems very idealized and oversimplified. This jarred with some of the more mature content of the book. There were several allusions to sexual themes and the book includes graphic scenes.
I found all the characters lacking in personality. The characters’ conversations are overly dramatic, superficial even. The types of conversations you hear in poorly written movies. I found myself thinking "nobody talks like this" a lot.
Though the author uses some nice language (which I enjoyed), overall, the book is written like a movie. In this aspect, it reminded me of The Midnight Library and Cloud Atlas. I feel all three books would (in the case of Cloud Atlas DO) make better movies. What all three books also have in common is the theme of reincarnation. Now, this is a personal preference, but I’m not a fan of the reincarnation theme. To me, it seems like a lazy plot element. What I will give John Ironmonger though is that the individual stories were, in my opinion, strung together better than in Cloud Atlas. Ironmonger’s plot is quite elaborate and there are some plot twists that I enjoyed.
Another thing that really takes away from the quality of this book is that it's not researched well enough. Clearly the author did do some research, as is evident from the acknowledgements. It just wasn't enough for me to find all the historical parts of the story convincing. Especially the bits set in Czechoslovakia didn't seem authentic - or I guess Czech enough - to me. Furthermore, there are several mistakes very blatant to anyone who speaks Czech: In the Czech languages, women’s’ last names end with -ova (except for a few rare exceptions that have their own rules). You wouldn’t find a Czech woman called “Františka Dvořák". The parts of the book set during the First French Empire, Marianne's story that is, also seemed too superficial to me.
I’ll admit I’m holding this book up to quite high standards. Someone who is reading purely for pleasure may find The Many Lives of Heloise Starchild enjoyable. What I did like about the book was that it was a fun way of refreshing my knowledge on some European history. I was flattered that the author included two major events from Czechoslovakian history: the Lidice massacre and the Prague Spring. The book sent me on several Wikipedia research trips.
What I found interesting about the concept of the book (and what also initially attracted me to it) is that the story spans over several countries: the France, Czech Republic, Austria, UK, USA. The languages spoken in these countries (French, English, German and Czech) happen to be the languages that I am fluent in. I guess I had hoped I would have a deeper connection with this book. If I were to ever write a book myself, I feel like it might take place somewhere at the crossroads of these four cultures. The book that Ironmonger wrote is not the one that I had hoped I would get.
April 28, 2023
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2 which I might rounded up to 4, but though I very much enjoyed it, I wasn’t completely invested in the story.
If there were awards for cover art of books, The Many Lives of Heloise Starchild by John Ironmong would definitely be in the running. It’s beautiful, colorful and indicative of the stories within its covers: An air balloon reminiscent of the one in The Wizard of Oz. A flock of birds flying across the sky. A pretty, hearty-looking woman wearing a scarf, wiping her brow with one hand and holding a pitchfork with the other. To me she is reminiscent of a young trailblazing Kibbutznik of early Israel, though that has nothing to do with this story, just my observation. The Eiffel Tower. An old European looking building. The Statue of Liberty. A wide white bureaucratic building with many windows. A woman who looks like Marie Antoinette in full regalia, holding a book. A ballerina. A lynx. The Arch du Triumph. French Revolutionary soldiers. Old French coins. And pretty flowers and vines tying it all together.
The novel spans history from revolutionary France to the world wars, the Prague Spring and beyond. Basically it is a story of three women who share inherited memories, literally. John Ironmonger’s writing is exemplary just like it was in Not Forgetting the Whale.
If there were awards for cover art of books, The Many Lives of Heloise Starchild by John Ironmong would definitely be in the running. It’s beautiful, colorful and indicative of the stories within its covers: An air balloon reminiscent of the one in The Wizard of Oz. A flock of birds flying across the sky. A pretty, hearty-looking woman wearing a scarf, wiping her brow with one hand and holding a pitchfork with the other. To me she is reminiscent of a young trailblazing Kibbutznik of early Israel, though that has nothing to do with this story, just my observation. The Eiffel Tower. An old European looking building. The Statue of Liberty. A wide white bureaucratic building with many windows. A woman who looks like Marie Antoinette in full regalia, holding a book. A ballerina. A lynx. The Arch du Triumph. French Revolutionary soldiers. Old French coins. And pretty flowers and vines tying it all together.
The novel spans history from revolutionary France to the world wars, the Prague Spring and beyond. Basically it is a story of three women who share inherited memories, literally. John Ironmonger’s writing is exemplary just like it was in Not Forgetting the Whale.
April 24, 2022
What a brilliant concept! This book takes the reader on a journey through time, we wallow in the mud at the bastille, freeze in the snow on the alps, live a nun’s life, see death and new life, fall in love, escape Czechoslovakia, live in a futuristic universe amongst other lives, as the memories of each female in the family are passed from mother to daughter at puberty through their dreams. It’s a fantastic read, executed well (if you’ll excuse the pun!), well researched and very entertaining!
Plus the end chapters are scarily accurate as to what the WEF are attempting to do to us… 1984 revamped! Hold on to your freedom people!
Plus the end chapters are scarily accurate as to what the WEF are attempting to do to us… 1984 revamped! Hold on to your freedom people!
Read
January 8, 2025This book was quite enjoyable. I liked how real historical events were woven into the plot. That, along with the foreign languages sprinkled throughout, shows how much research the author put into this. It did get a bit confusing and overwhelming at times with how many characters and time periods there were, but it wasn’t enough to really halt my enjoyment of the book. For a few events it feels like I’m being told about them instead of shown them, but it wasn’t near all of them and I’d say was a symptom of the book spanning so many generations. If the book was longer those events could’ve been expanded upon, but they didn’t really *need* to be for them to be effective enough in my opinion. I eventually deeply cared for the characters, and sincerely hoped things got better for them. The last chapter was pretty different from the rest and was initially confusing, however by the end it wasn’t confusing anymore and the chapter left the story on a hopeful note and was awfully beautiful. I don’t know if/when I’d reread it, but it was a gem I won’t be forgetting for a while.
January 15, 2022
Ik had dit boek heel graag heel mooi willen vinden en sommige delen waren heel goed. Maar de slordige historische fouten namen een groot deel van mijn plezier weg en de vage wetenschappelijke verklaring had voor mij ook niet gehoeven. Helaas, dit boek viel tegen.
January 7, 2023
What a special book this was!
The book begins with the story of Heloise, born during the arrival of a comet, in Napoleon's France.
After Heloise dies, she gives her memories of her life to her daughter.
From that moment on, the memories have been passed down from mother to daughter in all the lives that followed.
When the daughter reaches the age of 13, they begin to dream.
They dream of the lives of all the women descended from Heloise, and so do the memories of those lives.
Born behind the Iron Curtain in the 1950s, Katya initially does not understand what is happening to her when the dreams begin.
It is a book full of adventure that takes the reader to a piece of history and a glimpse into the future.
A wonderful story!
The book begins with the story of Heloise, born during the arrival of a comet, in Napoleon's France.
After Heloise dies, she gives her memories of her life to her daughter.
From that moment on, the memories have been passed down from mother to daughter in all the lives that followed.
When the daughter reaches the age of 13, they begin to dream.
They dream of the lives of all the women descended from Heloise, and so do the memories of those lives.
Born behind the Iron Curtain in the 1950s, Katya initially does not understand what is happening to her when the dreams begin.
It is a book full of adventure that takes the reader to a piece of history and a glimpse into the future.
A wonderful story!
October 3, 2025
Wow this was so impressive! I loved this book, multilayered from the past tot the future, can’t lie, this has been either the best book I read this year or in my top 10! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read
January 24, 2022DNF. Couldn’t get into it: Too many time jumps back and forth. And too many characters I didn’t care about.
January 26, 2022
Ik klapte het toe met een zucht, jammer dat het uit is. Wat een boeiende reis.
December 26, 2025
Een dikke 3,5⭐
Fantasyboek over prachtige vrouwen en hun gedeelde herinneringen. Een spannend avontuur doorheen plaats en tijd.
Fantasyboek over prachtige vrouwen en hun gedeelde herinneringen. Een spannend avontuur doorheen plaats en tijd.
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