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Rye Bay #1
The Wife in the Attic
Goldengrove’s towers and twisted chimneys rose at the very edge of the peaceful Weald, a stone’s throw from the poisonous marshes and merciless waters of Rye Bay. Young Tabby Palethorp had been running wild there, ever since her mother grew too ill to leave her room.
I was the perfect choice to give Tabby a good English education: thoroughly respectable and far too plain to tempt her lonely father, Sir Kit, to indiscretion.
I knew better than to trust my new employer with the truth about my past. But knowing better couldn’t stop me from yearning for impossible things: to be Tabby’s mother, Sir Kit’s companion, Goldengrove’s new mistress.
All that belonged to poor Lady Palethorp. Most of all, I burned to finally catch a glimpse of her.
Surely she could tell me who had viciously defaced the exquisite guitar in the music room, why all the doors in the house were locked after dark, and whose footsteps I heard in the night…
I was the perfect choice to give Tabby a good English education: thoroughly respectable and far too plain to tempt her lonely father, Sir Kit, to indiscretion.
I knew better than to trust my new employer with the truth about my past. But knowing better couldn’t stop me from yearning for impossible things: to be Tabby’s mother, Sir Kit’s companion, Goldengrove’s new mistress.
All that belonged to poor Lady Palethorp. Most of all, I burned to finally catch a glimpse of her.
Surely she could tell me who had viciously defaced the exquisite guitar in the music room, why all the doors in the house were locked after dark, and whose footsteps I heard in the night…
17 pages, Audible Audio
First published February 9, 2021
56 people are currently reading
768 people want to read
About the author
Rose Lerner
20 books588 followersI discovered historical romance when I was twelve, and took my first stab at writing one a few years later. My prose has improved since then, but my fascination with all things Regency hasn’t changed. When I'm not writing and researching my own stories, or helping other authors write and research theirs over at Rose Does The Research, you can find me reading, watching, cooking, doodling, rambling, and daydreaming in Philadelphia.
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FYI: I use this space for recs of books I wholeheartedly love only. My recs are honest, but I have social relationships with some of the romance authors whose books I rec.
Sign up to be notified when my next book comes out! https://www.roselerner.com/#news
FYI: I use this space for recs of books I wholeheartedly love only. My recs are honest, but I have social relationships with some of the romance authors whose books I rec.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
March 23, 2021
I was learning that I was not the sort of person fear could be burned out of. Like the bush in the desert, I burned and was not consumed.
4.5 stars. I've been a fan of Rose Lerner's historical romances for a while, and I was beyond excited about this, her first f/f book and a queer Jewish Jane Eyre retelling (of sorts). Expectations should probably be set though: this wasn't, unlike every other book I've read by her, a historical romance. It was more of a gothic/soft horror historical with a good heaping of romance. Which, I can't lie, did disappoint me a bit. I would have LOVED to read an out-and-out queer romance in this style and setting with this gorgeous writing and these terrible, wonderful characters. Still, there's so much to love about this and I recommend it so much.
The setup: Miss Oliver, almost penniless and nearly friendless, manages to secure a new position as the new governess of Goldengrove Manor. Her new employer is handsome and charming, her new charge is sweet but vexing, and the lady of the house is... ill. Perpetually indisposed. The story goes from there, and one of the things I ended up really enjoying is the fact that for the majority of this book, I really did not know how thing were going to end up. I thought I did, then I really didn't. Books like that can sometimes frustrate me, when there's such a huge element of doubt, and the author deliberately makes sure we don't know what to think. But I think it was the perfect choice in this scenario, because it made everything that much more sinister, added to the creeping sense of horror and fear. Again, it's not true horror in the typical sense of it, but deliciously frightening nonetheless, in a way I found perfectly effective. I never counted myself as particularly afraid of fire, but god, I am a little but now.
Of course I wasn't pretty; I was only hungry, and she had sensed it in spite all my efforts at concealment.
But the writing. The writing! It's so so lovely and easily my favourite thing about this experience. It's nice to be able to gasp and hold your throat at a really effective and well crafted turn of phrase, and really get lost in the words. I know Lerner does a lot of research, and it shows; this was wholly immersive. So many little details! I also really like how other literature was incorporated, and enjoyed the snippets of Austen and Shakespeare and what they did for the story. The romance was, again, not typical, but GOD did I ever pull for them. Shared trauma in romance is something I'll always love if it's well done, and this was perfect.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Elsa Lepecki Bean, and I mostly liked it. Miss Oliver's Portuguese roots and the way she sometimes felt wholly non-English was really important to the story, and it was fitting and wonderful to have an own voices narrator in that way. Her pitch and tone took me a while to get used to, and came off a bit stilted at times, and in general I found myself wishing that Miss Oliver had been American, because that would have also been enjoyable, and I wouldn't have been so aware that the narrator was putting on a voice. It was still enjoyable overall, and I don't think I'd have liked this any more if I'd just read it physically, but I wouldn't have liked it less either.
This ended up staying on my back-burner for longer than expected, and I'm glad to have finally finished it. I will forever be hungry for historical f/f, and this did scratch my itch, even if in my heart of hearts I wanted something sliiiiightly different. But that's my problem, not the book's problem. This was sublime.
There was no path of truth or virtue. There was only choosing a direction to walk, or standing still.
Act, or atrophy.
Content warnings:
☆ Review copy provided via the author. Thank you!
July 2, 2021
DNF at 75%
Trigger warnings: antisemitism, antisemitic killings, imprisonment, gaslighting, rape, PTSD
The historical suspense novel, a retelling of Jane Eyre, begins in the Regency era, in the village of Lively St. Lemeston. Guitarist and music teacher Deborah Oliver is struggling to find work and can barely feed herself. She is almost alone in the world. Her friend and sometime lover, Iphigenia Lemmon, is elsewhere and Deborah doesn’t want to ask her for help.
Deborah is then approached by a countess, Lady Tassell. Lady Tassell has heard good things about Deborah and suggests a means of employment. Sir Kit Palethorp, an acquaintance of Lady Tassell’s, is in need of a governess for his young daughter, Tabby. Sir Kit’s estate and his country house, Goldengrove, are remote and Deborah knows little about him. As a woman of Portuguese Jewish descent, she is slow to trust strangers since they may harbor antisemitism. But she agrees to take the position since it will in all likelihood put a stop to her hunger pangs.
Shortly after her arrival at Goldengrove Deborah realizes there are some strange goings-on in the house. For one thing, Sir Kit keeps both the outer doors and the doors to all the rooms locked at night. To Deborah, who has a deathly fear of fires (the reason why is only gradually revealed) this is horrifying, and though Sir Kit gives her a key that opens all the rooms within the house, including her own, the locked exterior still poses a terror.
Another disturbing thing is that Lady Palethorp, although alive, almost never appears. She’s said to be mad, locked away so as not to endanger others, yet Deborah finds ominous signs of her unsettling presence, such as a guitar with cut strings that Sir Kit restrings for her.
Tabby is a spoiled child who is often peevish and throws temper tantrums, but Deborah helps her improve her behavior over time. Deborah doesn’t believe she will ever have children of her own and she grows to love Tabby and view her almost as her own child.
Sir Kit, Tabby’s father, exudes charm and quickly worms his way into Deborah’s thoughts. He turns on his bright smiles and personal interest whenever he is with Deborah, and Deborah, who has always considered herself too plain to attract any man, feels intensely drawn to him, though she knows it would be unwise for her to become involved with her (married!) employer.
But Deborah and Sir Kit find time to be together in private. They read aloud to each other and Deborah plays the guitar for him after the rest of the household falls asleep. Though he hints that he’d like to sleep with her, he accepts Deborah’s refusal with good grace.
As time passes, Deborah wonders at the fact that Iphigenia has not written to her. She begins to ask herself if it’s possible that Sir Kit is withholding her mail, and even, after she catches him making a seemingly throwaway comment or two, whether he might be antisemitic (he is not aware that she is half Jewish; it’s not something she advertises). But his charm and good humor, his utter—or so it seems—kindness, cause her to question this instinct.
Things get creepier in the house and some of the staff and Sir Kit’s behavior begins to verge on inexplicable. Deborah starts to consider whether she might be wrong about Sir Kit—and about the wife he keeps locked up in his attic.
This audiobook and I began on a good foot. I have enjoyed your other books and was prepared to love this one. Everything about it sounded good, most of all the twist on Jane Eyre since I’ve felt for years that Rochester, Jane’s love interest, was unbearable and his actions unforgivable.
And indeed, the book got off to a good start. Deborah was an interesting and engaging narrator, Goldengrove eerie and disquieting, and Sir Kit’s creepy charm so very effective. As I continued reading, though, I became frustrated with Deborah, whose thoughts are a constant stream of uneasiness, anxiety, and self-doubt. So much so that this aspect of her overshadows most of her other characteristics.
This is a partial review. Read the complete review at Dear Author: https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/a...
Trigger warnings: antisemitism, antisemitic killings, imprisonment, gaslighting, rape, PTSD
The historical suspense novel, a retelling of Jane Eyre, begins in the Regency era, in the village of Lively St. Lemeston. Guitarist and music teacher Deborah Oliver is struggling to find work and can barely feed herself. She is almost alone in the world. Her friend and sometime lover, Iphigenia Lemmon, is elsewhere and Deborah doesn’t want to ask her for help.
Deborah is then approached by a countess, Lady Tassell. Lady Tassell has heard good things about Deborah and suggests a means of employment. Sir Kit Palethorp, an acquaintance of Lady Tassell’s, is in need of a governess for his young daughter, Tabby. Sir Kit’s estate and his country house, Goldengrove, are remote and Deborah knows little about him. As a woman of Portuguese Jewish descent, she is slow to trust strangers since they may harbor antisemitism. But she agrees to take the position since it will in all likelihood put a stop to her hunger pangs.
Shortly after her arrival at Goldengrove Deborah realizes there are some strange goings-on in the house. For one thing, Sir Kit keeps both the outer doors and the doors to all the rooms locked at night. To Deborah, who has a deathly fear of fires (the reason why is only gradually revealed) this is horrifying, and though Sir Kit gives her a key that opens all the rooms within the house, including her own, the locked exterior still poses a terror.
Another disturbing thing is that Lady Palethorp, although alive, almost never appears. She’s said to be mad, locked away so as not to endanger others, yet Deborah finds ominous signs of her unsettling presence, such as a guitar with cut strings that Sir Kit restrings for her.
Tabby is a spoiled child who is often peevish and throws temper tantrums, but Deborah helps her improve her behavior over time. Deborah doesn’t believe she will ever have children of her own and she grows to love Tabby and view her almost as her own child.
Sir Kit, Tabby’s father, exudes charm and quickly worms his way into Deborah’s thoughts. He turns on his bright smiles and personal interest whenever he is with Deborah, and Deborah, who has always considered herself too plain to attract any man, feels intensely drawn to him, though she knows it would be unwise for her to become involved with her (married!) employer.
But Deborah and Sir Kit find time to be together in private. They read aloud to each other and Deborah plays the guitar for him after the rest of the household falls asleep. Though he hints that he’d like to sleep with her, he accepts Deborah’s refusal with good grace.
As time passes, Deborah wonders at the fact that Iphigenia has not written to her. She begins to ask herself if it’s possible that Sir Kit is withholding her mail, and even, after she catches him making a seemingly throwaway comment or two, whether he might be antisemitic (he is not aware that she is half Jewish; it’s not something she advertises). But his charm and good humor, his utter—or so it seems—kindness, cause her to question this instinct.
Things get creepier in the house and some of the staff and Sir Kit’s behavior begins to verge on inexplicable. Deborah starts to consider whether she might be wrong about Sir Kit—and about the wife he keeps locked up in his attic.
This audiobook and I began on a good foot. I have enjoyed your other books and was prepared to love this one. Everything about it sounded good, most of all the twist on Jane Eyre since I’ve felt for years that Rochester, Jane’s love interest, was unbearable and his actions unforgivable.
And indeed, the book got off to a good start. Deborah was an interesting and engaging narrator, Goldengrove eerie and disquieting, and Sir Kit’s creepy charm so very effective. As I continued reading, though, I became frustrated with Deborah, whose thoughts are a constant stream of uneasiness, anxiety, and self-doubt. So much so that this aspect of her overshadows most of her other characteristics.
This is a partial review. Read the complete review at Dear Author: https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/a...
Want to read
January 18, 2021A gothic historical novel and queer Jane Eyre retelling in which the governess falls in love with the wife in the attic, and together they wreak fiery vengeance on the tyrannical master of the house.
This blurb is speaking my love language.
This blurb is speaking my love language.
October 17, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up.
tl;dr: odd pacing, little chemistry, and ... the accent
The Wife in the Attic is a sapphic retelling of Jane Eyre (with Jewish main characters) and I had high hopes for it. Earlier this year, I read The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (my review), a very white, cis-het retelling of Jane Eyre and I had thought that the story could’ve been sapphic (and less white). Now, Lerner has granted my wish, but I was slightly let down by both the audiobook and the pacing of the story.
This book was fully read in RP (or at least I think it is) and while Elsa Lepecki Bean did a great job at following through, the overenunciation frequently snapped me out of the story. Soon, I became overwhelmed by the accent alone that I couldn’t listen to the audiobook. It took me eight months, listening on and off, to finally finish it. I have to say that Bean is a talented narrator; I love her normal vs drunk voices of the characters, and right before the book ends, there was also some brief singing that was enjoyable. While I might not listen to Bean narrate in her British accent for the full length of a book again, I’d definitely be interested in listening to more of her other works.
Told through the first-person POV of Deborah Oliver (34, Jewish) who starts a job as the governess for young Tabby Palethorp (who is, I must say, a very spoiled little girl), we get to see Miss Oliver’s thoughts and fears and history. The first 60% or so of the book is very slow, which is understandable since everything contributes to the world building and getting to know the charming Sir Kit. But it wasn’t until very late into the story that we started to see Lady Palethorp and even by the end of the book, I was not convinced of the mutual attraction between Miss Oliver and Lady Palethorp. It felt more like convenience, since there aren’t any other suitable love interest at Goldengrove. The last 20% or so of the book turned slow again, but at least the ending was kind of sweet. Overall, most of the book is descriptions of Goldengrove and Sir Kit, and while these are all very well written, it made the pacing odd as most of the important events happened around the 75% mark.
I feel like there is a little too much literary and historical references in the story that made everything a bit too on the nose. There are several mentions of The Merchant of Venice (because Jewish) and other Shakespeare plays and Archimedes, etc. But I appreciate the very relevant history of sexism and antisemitism woven through the plot.
My listening enjoyment went up during the second half, and though I cannot say if I’ll like The Wife in the Attic more or less had I read it on paper, I am definitely glad that I got to experience the story with Miss Oliver.
content warning: pyrophobia, gaslighting, arson, sexism, antisemitism, isolation, forced captivity, blood, sex (m/f & f/f), implied homophobia, death, abusive relationship, manipulation
I received an audio review copy from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
tl;dr: odd pacing, little chemistry, and ... the accent
The Wife in the Attic is a sapphic retelling of Jane Eyre (with Jewish main characters) and I had high hopes for it. Earlier this year, I read The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (my review), a very white, cis-het retelling of Jane Eyre and I had thought that the story could’ve been sapphic (and less white). Now, Lerner has granted my wish, but I was slightly let down by both the audiobook and the pacing of the story.
This book was fully read in RP (or at least I think it is) and while Elsa Lepecki Bean did a great job at following through, the overenunciation frequently snapped me out of the story. Soon, I became overwhelmed by the accent alone that I couldn’t listen to the audiobook. It took me eight months, listening on and off, to finally finish it. I have to say that Bean is a talented narrator; I love her normal vs drunk voices of the characters, and right before the book ends, there was also some brief singing that was enjoyable. While I might not listen to Bean narrate in her British accent for the full length of a book again, I’d definitely be interested in listening to more of her other works.
Told through the first-person POV of Deborah Oliver (34, Jewish) who starts a job as the governess for young Tabby Palethorp (who is, I must say, a very spoiled little girl), we get to see Miss Oliver’s thoughts and fears and history. The first 60% or so of the book is very slow, which is understandable since everything contributes to the world building and getting to know the charming Sir Kit. But it wasn’t until very late into the story that we started to see Lady Palethorp and even by the end of the book, I was not convinced of the mutual attraction between Miss Oliver and Lady Palethorp. It felt more like convenience, since there aren’t any other suitable love interest at Goldengrove. The last 20% or so of the book turned slow again, but at least the ending was kind of sweet. Overall, most of the book is descriptions of Goldengrove and Sir Kit, and while these are all very well written, it made the pacing odd as most of the important events happened around the 75% mark.
I feel like there is a little too much literary and historical references in the story that made everything a bit too on the nose. There are several mentions of The Merchant of Venice (because Jewish) and other Shakespeare plays and Archimedes, etc. But I appreciate the very relevant history of sexism and antisemitism woven through the plot.
My listening enjoyment went up during the second half, and though I cannot say if I’ll like The Wife in the Attic more or less had I read it on paper, I am definitely glad that I got to experience the story with Miss Oliver.
content warning: pyrophobia, gaslighting, arson, sexism, antisemitism, isolation, forced captivity, blood, sex (m/f & f/f), implied homophobia, death, abusive relationship, manipulation
I received an audio review copy from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 14, 2021
I have put off this review for quite a while now because I just don't know how to put my feelings into words. I did like this book but there were also things that just didn't quite work for me. The Wife in the Attic is a story in the tradition of Gothic Novels. Spooky houses, dark secrets...almost every chapter ends with the heroine being shocked by something and half of those cliff-hangers get resolved a few lines into the next chapter. E.g. one chapter ends with Deborah opening and orange and being shocked because blood is coming from it. The next one opens with someone explaining to her what a blood orange is. In most other books I would have rolled my eyes at that but here it fits right into the atmosphere. Because the atmosphere is properly Gothic, mostly because of how great Sir Kit is written. He makes a brilliant gothic villain by being...nice. He is very nice to Deb as long as she does what he wants. Actually he is still very nice is if she doesn't do it...then he smiles and makes sure that she feels very stupid for wanting it in the first place. As someone who has actually an easier time with reading/watching physical violence than gaslighting/emotional manipulation those were scenes that made me very uncomfortable but then that's what they were supposed to do.
And of course The Wife in the Attic doesn't just take ye olden gothic tropes without questioning them. Especially the "Otherness" - in the sense of non-WASP non-English - being the scary thing. Because Deb's family are Portuguese Jews and so for her white (English) people are rather scary. (Not just in a vague sense, her grandmother's family was killed by the inquisition and she suffers from intergenerational trauma). And, more generally the book also has a lot to say about the role of women in that ere and their lack of power...but it does all this while still "staying gothic". Sure, it would be frightening if the villain found out what Deb is doing behind his back. And him discovering that she's Jewish would be even more frightening.
And because everything is so gothic I found it odd that the story continued even after a "proper" gothic novel would have ended. After they escaped the creepy castle. And it doesn't just continue for a bit to tie up some loose ends, the audiobook goes on for over 3 more hours after what I expected the end to be. Now some of it fits together with the modernized gothic tropes, but a lot of it felt like I was suddenly reading/listening to a completely different genre and that made those last hours drag on quite a bit.
And of course The Wife in the Attic doesn't just take ye olden gothic tropes without questioning them. Especially the "Otherness" - in the sense of non-WASP non-English - being the scary thing. Because Deb's family are Portuguese Jews and so for her white (English) people are rather scary. (Not just in a vague sense, her grandmother's family was killed by the inquisition and she suffers from intergenerational trauma). And, more generally the book also has a lot to say about the role of women in that ere and their lack of power...but it does all this while still "staying gothic". Sure, it would be frightening if the villain found out what Deb is doing behind his back. And him discovering that she's Jewish would be even more frightening.
And because everything is so gothic I found it odd that the story continued even after a "proper" gothic novel would have ended. After they escaped the creepy castle. And it doesn't just continue for a bit to tie up some loose ends, the audiobook goes on for over 3 more hours after what I expected the end to be. Now some of it fits together with the modernized gothic tropes, but a lot of it felt like I was suddenly reading/listening to a completely different genre and that made those last hours drag on quite a bit.
March 1, 2021
OMG. This went on FOREVER. Classic gothic Jane Eyre-esque novel with an interesting twist. The plot was actually good but the telling of it was tedious. I listened to this as a free Audible book and I several times had to fast forward just to get through some of the sentimental trope. But maybe that's part of the gothic-build of atmosphere.
PLAYERS
Sir Kit (every time I heard it I thought they said circuit)--master of the manor
Lady Palethorpe--the wife in the attic, "foreign," moneyed, and Jewish
Tabby Palethorpe--the five-year-old spoiled daughter
and The Governess--34-year-old spinster, educated, poor, and born of a Jewish mother
And of course, they live near the sea in the manor house, Goldengrove. Great ending.
PLAYERS
Sir Kit (every time I heard it I thought they said circuit)--master of the manor
Lady Palethorpe--the wife in the attic, "foreign," moneyed, and Jewish
Tabby Palethorpe--the five-year-old spoiled daughter
and The Governess--34-year-old spinster, educated, poor, and born of a Jewish mother
And of course, they live near the sea in the manor house, Goldengrove. Great ending.
February 24, 2021
I finally finished listening to this book on Audible and it’s free. But this book was not for me. The plot and characters and narrative was repetitive and not for me.
January 28, 2022
This book was a struggle to finish - irritating from first word to last.
February 16, 2021
I received a complimentary copy from the author and Audible in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Jane Eyre remains forever doomed to be a great classic that will always be outdone by its retellings, and that remains true with Rose Lerner’s take on the tale, The Wife in the Attic. Simultaneously dark and romantic, the young governess, finds herself as entranced with the “mad” wife as she does the Byronic antihero.
Deborah is a compelling heroine, perhaps even more so than her literary predecessor. I was engaged with every word as the story progressed, as she found herself equally transfixed by Sir Kit and Jael, until her love for the latter and her horror at Sir Kit’s mistreatment of her led her to make some pretty dark choices. It can be hard to pull off unreliable narrators and characters with devious motives that go to extremes in romance, but the narrative pulls it off, making you root for this dark, twisted love story, even while you’re still not entirely sure about the mental state of the characters.
And given the…problematic…racial politics of the original, I like the way Lerner adapted it to focus on a compassionate conversation on religious differences. Jael is Jewish and this is a point of contention in her marriage.
And the narration…I previously struggled with single-narrator audio for various reasons, but I was able to follow this one perfectly well, and found that Elsa Lepecki Bean was able to provide distinct voices for each of the characters without any feeling cringey, as can sometimes be the case.
If you check out one audiobook this year (and this may very well be my one audiobook for a while, given my own preferences), I strongly suggest this one, especially if you love f/f romance, Gothics, and Jane Eyre.
Jane Eyre remains forever doomed to be a great classic that will always be outdone by its retellings, and that remains true with Rose Lerner’s take on the tale, The Wife in the Attic. Simultaneously dark and romantic, the young governess, finds herself as entranced with the “mad” wife as she does the Byronic antihero.
Deborah is a compelling heroine, perhaps even more so than her literary predecessor. I was engaged with every word as the story progressed, as she found herself equally transfixed by Sir Kit and Jael, until her love for the latter and her horror at Sir Kit’s mistreatment of her led her to make some pretty dark choices. It can be hard to pull off unreliable narrators and characters with devious motives that go to extremes in romance, but the narrative pulls it off, making you root for this dark, twisted love story, even while you’re still not entirely sure about the mental state of the characters.
And given the…problematic…racial politics of the original, I like the way Lerner adapted it to focus on a compassionate conversation on religious differences. Jael is Jewish and this is a point of contention in her marriage.
And the narration…I previously struggled with single-narrator audio for various reasons, but I was able to follow this one perfectly well, and found that Elsa Lepecki Bean was able to provide distinct voices for each of the characters without any feeling cringey, as can sometimes be the case.
If you check out one audiobook this year (and this may very well be my one audiobook for a while, given my own preferences), I strongly suggest this one, especially if you love f/f romance, Gothics, and Jane Eyre.
April 4, 2021
I’m going to be clear up front that I am not a fan of the Brontes and I really dislike Mr. Rochester. When he gets held up as a romantic hero my jaw clenches. When Rose Lerner announced she was writing an f/f retelling of Jane Eyre I was delighted. I was delighted Mr. Rochester wouldn’t end up with the love of a good woman, and more importantly, Rose Lerner is an amazing author and I’d read her retelling of my grocery list.
The Wife in the Attic is a very good gothic romance. The narrator, Elsa Lepecki Bean, brings all the suspense, confusion and paranoia that a good gothic needs to the performance.
Miss Deborah “Livvy” Oliver is a plain, poor, well educated woman of a certain age given the opportunity by her patroness, Lady Tassell, to become the governess for young Miss Palethorp at Goldengrove, a remote estate on the coast. Tabby Palethorp is an only child, beloved and indulged by her father, Sir Kit, and it appears, ignored by her invalid mother. When Livvy arrives, she is surprised to learn that Sir Kit locks all of the doors at night. All of the residents are locked into their rooms and into the house. Sir Kit claims a fear of thieves. After confessing her fear of fire, Livvy is given her own key on a beautiful golden chain, courtesy of Lady Palethorp. Livvy is immediately drawn into Sir Kit’s inner circle. He overshares, over steps boundaries, and sends up a parade of red flags that Livvy only half recognizes. As the oddities pile up though, her sympathies begin to fray. Livvy has her own secret – her mother was Jewish.
The Wife in the Attic is a great book, but not a nice book. Everyone is at points unlikable and paranoid. Livvy makes terrible choices and commits a heinous act that will surprise no one who has read Jane Eyre. Livvy ruminates on slavery, misogyny, and the persecution of Jews in Portugal. Lerner makes good use of foreshadowing both in the catastrophe and in the recovery from it. I loved that Lerner kept the atmosphere tense and paranoid even as the summer sun beat down of the beaches and fields of grain around Goldengrove.
The Wife in the Attic is a very good gothic romance. The narrator, Elsa Lepecki Bean, brings all the suspense, confusion and paranoia that a good gothic needs to the performance.
Miss Deborah “Livvy” Oliver is a plain, poor, well educated woman of a certain age given the opportunity by her patroness, Lady Tassell, to become the governess for young Miss Palethorp at Goldengrove, a remote estate on the coast. Tabby Palethorp is an only child, beloved and indulged by her father, Sir Kit, and it appears, ignored by her invalid mother. When Livvy arrives, she is surprised to learn that Sir Kit locks all of the doors at night. All of the residents are locked into their rooms and into the house. Sir Kit claims a fear of thieves. After confessing her fear of fire, Livvy is given her own key on a beautiful golden chain, courtesy of Lady Palethorp. Livvy is immediately drawn into Sir Kit’s inner circle. He overshares, over steps boundaries, and sends up a parade of red flags that Livvy only half recognizes. As the oddities pile up though, her sympathies begin to fray. Livvy has her own secret – her mother was Jewish.
The Wife in the Attic is a great book, but not a nice book. Everyone is at points unlikable and paranoid. Livvy makes terrible choices and commits a heinous act that will surprise no one who has read Jane Eyre. Livvy ruminates on slavery, misogyny, and the persecution of Jews in Portugal. Lerner makes good use of foreshadowing both in the catastrophe and in the recovery from it. I loved that Lerner kept the atmosphere tense and paranoid even as the summer sun beat down of the beaches and fields of grain around Goldengrove.
February 13, 2021
I absolutely love this! (I'm definitely getting an ebook and a paper copy when they're available)
I was excited about this book from the moment I heard that Rose Lerner was working on a "lesbian Jewish Regency Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre" back in 2019 (especially since at the time I'd just read a queer Jane Eyre-ish book that I found disappointing).
This is so good!! It's wonderfully gothic and queer! I like how the foreshadowing delved into Deborah's history as well as her future. I loved seeing Deborah and Jael's romance develop! I found the story a bit stressful at times (not enough to put a damper on my enjoyment of it, but if I'd had an ebook or paper copy I would've been flipping to the end to make sure things turned out okay for our heroines).
It was neat to see references to various characters from the Lively St. Lemeston series (this is set in the same universe), and I'm looking forward to reading Deborah's ex Iphigenia's book!
I was excited about this book from the moment I heard that Rose Lerner was working on a "lesbian Jewish Regency Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre" back in 2019 (especially since at the time I'd just read a queer Jane Eyre-ish book that I found disappointing).
This is so good!! It's wonderfully gothic and queer! I like how the foreshadowing delved into Deborah's history as well as her future. I loved seeing Deborah and Jael's romance develop! I found the story a bit stressful at times (not enough to put a damper on my enjoyment of it, but if I'd had an ebook or paper copy I would've been flipping to the end to make sure things turned out okay for our heroines).
It was neat to see references to various characters from the Lively St. Lemeston series (this is set in the same universe), and I'm looking forward to reading Deborah's ex Iphigenia's book!
April 29, 2022
Meh. Pretty much figured out how it will end but on another note, are we not being straight anymore? Why is their like a bi, gay angle to every fucking thing!
September 16, 2021
Ambitious, but ultimately not quite able to bridge the gap between the two genres at play. The thing about Gothics is that they generally have a fairly sad ending; even if our hero survives, they tend to lose everything (including the inhabitants of the mysterious mansion) in the process. Romance, on the other hand, demands an HEA. This book tries to do both, and it . . . doesn't quite pull it off. Is it really meant to be an unqualified triumph that Deborah ends up And while the end of the book tries to do a speedrun on Deborah's character development - taking her from a nervous wreck with negative self-esteem to someone who can stand on her own two feet - it doesn't scan.
In the end, I think the biggest problem with the ending is that Deborah and Jael barely seem to know each other, and certainly don't like each other. They're in lust, at best, and bound together by secrets that would be a death sentence for all but the most devoted of relationships. And yet, the ending is written in such a way as to imply that these two crazy kids are going to make it after all. It strains credulity past the breaking point.
(Also, it's a small point, but Deborah's backstory includes )
In the end, I think the biggest problem with the ending is that Deborah and Jael barely seem to know each other, and certainly don't like each other. They're in lust, at best, and bound together by secrets that would be a death sentence for all but the most devoted of relationships. And yet, the ending is written in such a way as to imply that these two crazy kids are going to make it after all. It strains credulity past the breaking point.
(Also, it's a small point, but Deborah's backstory includes )
October 14, 2023
Extremely tense, loved the balance between realism and the grotesque, appreciated the ways this did and did not hew to the classic/expected story arc (and was pleasantly surprised at how/how well it tied into the Lively St L books!).
The Judaism elements fit really seamlessly into the story - I’ve read a number of these retellings-with-a-twist, gothic and otherwise, and this is by far the best. The story/themes/tropes seem almost to make *more* sense in this book than in the original? And the queerness also felt extremely normal and yet period-accurate…. Rose Lerner killing it on every level apparently!
Re. the ending: it eventually got me there, I was surprised to find myself onboard during the last scene, but I think it just as easily could have gone a different way. Very interesting!
The Judaism elements fit really seamlessly into the story - I’ve read a number of these retellings-with-a-twist, gothic and otherwise, and this is by far the best. The story/themes/tropes seem almost to make *more* sense in this book than in the original? And the queerness also felt extremely normal and yet period-accurate…. Rose Lerner killing it on every level apparently!
Re. the ending: it eventually got me there, I was surprised to find myself onboard during the last scene, but I think it just as easily could have gone a different way. Very interesting!
March 4, 2021
When I first heard that Rose Lerner was writing an f/f/ gothic retelling of Jane Eyre, I was thrilled. My expectations were high! Then Audible picked it up as an Audible Original and I got even more excited knowing I wouldn't have to wait for one of those days when my brain can read words on a page. This book on audio is long--a little over 16 hours. I'm happy to report, however, that it's very much worth the time investment.
Like the classic novel it retells, The Wife in the Attic is a gothic novel full of questionable motives, suspense and the creeping terror of being trapped inside a house with strangers who may or may not be trying to kill you. (Or assault you, in this case.) Lerner excels at building the suspense gradually and her use of single POV was perfect for the slow reveal of shady goings-on.
Though I knew the Mr. Rochester character, Sir Kit, was keeping his wife imprisoned, I was swept up in Deborah's (Jane) initial attraction to this charismatic man who presents himself as a lonely and kindhearted man with a "mad" wife and young daughter. He is too tenderhearted to send her to a mental institution, you see. His wealthy, long-confined wife Jael does present herself as quite violent and unstable, kept away from human company for so long. She sneaks visits to her daughter at night and views Deborah as Sir Kit's ally, there to take young Tabby away from her.
The Wife in the Attic is a work of carefully- and expertly-wrought character development. Deborah's Jewish family was broken by persecution and murder, but her grandmother raised her to be proud of her people, even if she had to keep quiet to protect herself. Lerner explores generational trauma, PTSD and the wearing-down of a soul from decades of micro and macroaggresions. (Please see the content warnings below if you need them.)
Overcoming manipulation and gaslighting from both Sir Kit and Jael, Deborah forges her own path forward even as she questions her sanity and motives. Does she want to liberate Jael and Tabby just because she wants to be in a relationship with Jael? Or because Sir Kit is actually causing harm? When is murder justified?
This is a long book, but I was absolutely enthralled. 16 hours of audio in two days? Why not? (I listen at 1.5x, it wasn't quite that long.) I cannot recommend it enough.
Audio Notes: Elsa Lepecki Bean was a great fit for this book. The production itself was great, but one thing that stood out to me is the use of guitar throughout. Though her fingers were broken by Inquistors, her grandmother taught her how to play guitar, specifically Portuguese songs that she's felt she needs to hide. Deborah brought her guitar--one of her few possessions--with her to the house and she and Jael bond over some of the songs. It's a beautiful tribute to the ways in which cultural touchstones keep us connected to our families, our ancestors and our faith.
Like the classic novel it retells, The Wife in the Attic is a gothic novel full of questionable motives, suspense and the creeping terror of being trapped inside a house with strangers who may or may not be trying to kill you. (Or assault you, in this case.) Lerner excels at building the suspense gradually and her use of single POV was perfect for the slow reveal of shady goings-on.
Though I knew the Mr. Rochester character, Sir Kit, was keeping his wife imprisoned, I was swept up in Deborah's (Jane) initial attraction to this charismatic man who presents himself as a lonely and kindhearted man with a "mad" wife and young daughter. He is too tenderhearted to send her to a mental institution, you see. His wealthy, long-confined wife Jael does present herself as quite violent and unstable, kept away from human company for so long. She sneaks visits to her daughter at night and views Deborah as Sir Kit's ally, there to take young Tabby away from her.
The Wife in the Attic is a work of carefully- and expertly-wrought character development. Deborah's Jewish family was broken by persecution and murder, but her grandmother raised her to be proud of her people, even if she had to keep quiet to protect herself. Lerner explores generational trauma, PTSD and the wearing-down of a soul from decades of micro and macroaggresions. (Please see the content warnings below if you need them.)
Overcoming manipulation and gaslighting from both Sir Kit and Jael, Deborah forges her own path forward even as she questions her sanity and motives. Does she want to liberate Jael and Tabby just because she wants to be in a relationship with Jael? Or because Sir Kit is actually causing harm? When is murder justified?
This is a long book, but I was absolutely enthralled. 16 hours of audio in two days? Why not? (I listen at 1.5x, it wasn't quite that long.) I cannot recommend it enough.
Audio Notes: Elsa Lepecki Bean was a great fit for this book. The production itself was great, but one thing that stood out to me is the use of guitar throughout. Though her fingers were broken by Inquistors, her grandmother taught her how to play guitar, specifically Portuguese songs that she's felt she needs to hide. Deborah brought her guitar--one of her few possessions--with her to the house and she and Jael bond over some of the songs. It's a beautiful tribute to the ways in which cultural touchstones keep us connected to our families, our ancestors and our faith.
May 26, 2021
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this audiobook free in exchange for my honest review. Review also cross-posted to Audible.
First of all, let me say the narrator was fantastic. Elsa Lepecki Bean did such a great job giving all the characters distinct voices, and she was truly a pleasure to listen to. I saw the author remark on twitter that Bean had noted that she designed the voices of the two main female characters so that they'd sound good together, and you can tell that level of care and attention to detail was put into her entire performance. I'm excited to look into what else she's done (or will do in the future)!
As for the story itself, I really quite enjoyed most of it. I majored in English, so I've read my fair share of classics - though I can honestly say that many were not my cup of tea. Might be blasphemy given what I studied, but it's true. Jane Eyre was always one that I enjoyed more than most, however. I do love a good gothic mystery. So when I heard this was an LGBTQ+ reimagining, I was immediately drawn in and curious.
I do think the story dragged on a bit in the middle; it felt like some of the day to day life bits could have been parsed down a bit. But at the same time, I also wanted... a little bit more development from our main character? It just felt like we went from 'I don't trust the Lady of the house' to 'I don't trust the Lord of the house' to
That being said, I knew where this story was going from the get-go (the foreshadowing is heavy handed, even if you haven't read Jane Eyre and don't know the outcome in that book), but all in all I did enjoy the ride of this one and would recommend it to anyone wanting a fun gothic blend of romance and mystery, with a dash of a thriller thrown in as well. I look forward to seeing more from this author and am interested in reading some of her other works set in this same universe!
April 7, 2021
DNF. Holy shit. I did not expect this book to be such a drudge. I mean, when Jane Eyre is your inspiration, you should be flush with material. This seemed to drag on and on simply because the characters and the author could not make up their minds as to what should happen.
Absolutely NOTHING stood out in this novel. It was trite, uneventful, and just full of unnecessary "foreshadowing." The main character--I cannot even remember her name, if we ever even learned it, was so annoying. She could not make up her mind. The husband or the wife? Pick one so the story can move on! And where was the gay? There was no gay anywhere. The wife didn't seem genuinely interested in the governess, the governess was only interested in pitying herself.
It was supposed to be some big, gothic mystery but there was no urgency or dread. No sense of foreboding. It was so matter-of-fact that at times I forgot that this was supposed to be spooky! Or sad, or tragic. The wife wasn't frantic enough to be crazy, the husband wasn't cruel enough to be sinister, the child wasn't aware enough to be pitied and the governess wasn't interesting enough for us to care about what was going to happen to her.
I just did not like this book. It took away 2 weeks of my life. 2 whole weeks. I just kept thinking that it would get better or gayer and neither of those things happened. I listened to it because I love Jane Eyre and I love Lesbian fiction, but this was neither. It was as if the author took the absolute worst things about both and turned it into an unnecessarily overlong story to troll and tease the fans.
This book only merits the 2 stars because it COULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD! And someone can see this terrible story and revamp it into something worth reading. 2/5
Absolutely NOTHING stood out in this novel. It was trite, uneventful, and just full of unnecessary "foreshadowing." The main character--I cannot even remember her name, if we ever even learned it, was so annoying. She could not make up her mind. The husband or the wife? Pick one so the story can move on! And where was the gay? There was no gay anywhere. The wife didn't seem genuinely interested in the governess, the governess was only interested in pitying herself.
It was supposed to be some big, gothic mystery but there was no urgency or dread. No sense of foreboding. It was so matter-of-fact that at times I forgot that this was supposed to be spooky! Or sad, or tragic. The wife wasn't frantic enough to be crazy, the husband wasn't cruel enough to be sinister, the child wasn't aware enough to be pitied and the governess wasn't interesting enough for us to care about what was going to happen to her.
I just did not like this book. It took away 2 weeks of my life. 2 whole weeks. I just kept thinking that it would get better or gayer and neither of those things happened. I listened to it because I love Jane Eyre and I love Lesbian fiction, but this was neither. It was as if the author took the absolute worst things about both and turned it into an unnecessarily overlong story to troll and tease the fans.
This book only merits the 2 stars because it COULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD! And someone can see this terrible story and revamp it into something worth reading. 2/5
February 12, 2021
Lyrical and immersive writing combined with fantastic narration and beautiful chapter transition music make for a compelling story that kept me reading into the early hours of the morning.
A f/f gothic romance that takes a Jane Eyre setup in a different direction. Deborah is plucked from a life of barely scrapping by and recommended for a position as governess to a high-spirited little girl, the daughter of Sir Kit and the secluded Lady Palethorp.
Deborah grows fond of her charge, Tabby, and initially finds herself drawn to the seemingly kind Sir Kit and resentful towards Lady Palethorp who she first suspects of having neglected her duties as a mother out of laziness. As she spends more time at the manor, she begins to reassess her initial assumptions of Sir Kit and Lady Palethorp.
The foreshadowing of a central event is laid on heavy but it’s no surprise to anyone familiar with Jane Eyre, and the foreshadowing is used to flesh out Deborah’s past as much as it does her future.
A f/f gothic romance that takes a Jane Eyre setup in a different direction. Deborah is plucked from a life of barely scrapping by and recommended for a position as governess to a high-spirited little girl, the daughter of Sir Kit and the secluded Lady Palethorp.
Deborah grows fond of her charge, Tabby, and initially finds herself drawn to the seemingly kind Sir Kit and resentful towards Lady Palethorp who she first suspects of having neglected her duties as a mother out of laziness. As she spends more time at the manor, she begins to reassess her initial assumptions of Sir Kit and Lady Palethorp.
The foreshadowing of a central event is laid on heavy but it’s no surprise to anyone familiar with Jane Eyre, and the foreshadowing is used to flesh out Deborah’s past as much as it does her future.
March 12, 2021
I would say "slow burn," but that might be giving away too much... Not a terrible read, but the foreshadowing is overkill (especially if you're familiar with the source material).
There's a lot of time spent in the mc's head which isn't exactly my favorite. I was never really interested or invested in the characters. The plot was okay, but not at all what I came here for. I was expecting more payoff with the mystery aspect as well as the sapphic romance.
It could just be poor timing, but I read Bleak House (another book that stayed in the mc's head most of the time) just before watching The House of Bly Manor. It's not an obvious comparison, but because of Bleak House's story and Netflix's execution, this felt like it was trying to spin off that and just felt flat.
There's a lot of time spent in the mc's head which isn't exactly my favorite. I was never really interested or invested in the characters. The plot was okay, but not at all what I came here for. I was expecting more payoff with the mystery aspect as well as the sapphic romance.
It could just be poor timing, but I read Bleak House (another book that stayed in the mc's head most of the time) just before watching The House of Bly Manor. It's not an obvious comparison, but because of Bleak House's story and Netflix's execution, this felt like it was trying to spin off that and just felt flat.
March 19, 2021
The idea was interesting: Jane Eyre with a love triangle. I listened to this on audio and hated the narrator so much. The accents were all over the place and inconsistent. The love scenes were super crude and worth skipping not adding anything to the story. The ending dragged on and on. I rather wish I'd not bothered with this one.
March 21, 2021
At first, I was really liking this book. I thought it was interesting, I liked the time period it was set it, but it slowly started to go downhill. I liked the book as a whole, but it drug on way too long. I got bored, and was just ready for it to be done.
February 22, 2021
The perfect book for those who just want to see Mr. Rochester get what was coming to him. I myself am not a Rochester fan, so it is somewhat cathartic to see this extra shitty version literally burned alive by our heroine rather than just psychologically neutered and married to her in the end.
That said, it's really hard to like any of the characters in this book. It was super cringe when our heroine kept hating on a five year old girl within minutes of meeting her. And the women on women judgement and non support by our heroine is problematic. I get it, it's a manifestation of self esteem and trust issues, but it's hard to read and everyone is difficult to root for.
That said, it's really hard to like any of the characters in this book. It was super cringe when our heroine kept hating on a five year old girl within minutes of meeting her. And the women on women judgement and non support by our heroine is problematic. I get it, it's a manifestation of self esteem and trust issues, but it's hard to read and everyone is difficult to root for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2021
I didn’t like any of the characters in this book. The beginning started strong but my interest was lost about half way through.
March 1, 2021
Nozzzzzzzzer
April 3, 2021
it was boring without the charm of being a classic.
October 18, 2021
Beautifully written, and richly imagined, gothic retelling of Jane Eyre, although ultimately disturbing and unsatisfying for those looking for a happy ending. Here, the madwoman isn't a closely guarded secret, but an openly acknowledged "ill" mistress who keeps to her rooms while her sad, kind, self-absorbed and self-deprecating husband talks with his new governess in ways that tap dance on the edge of impropriety. And too, rather creepily although not entirely uncommon for the period, Sir Kit Palethorpe, fearing thieves, insists that all the servants (and his wife and daughter) be locked in at night. Since our governess, half-Jewish Deborah Oliver, has a dread of fire due to past family trauma/anti-semitism, she begs for a set of keys to her own rooms, which Sir Kit grants her.
Turns out she's not the only one with keys; the wife in the attic, Jael, who is Jewish, not West Indian in Lerner's version, has bribed someone to supply her with a key, too, so she might visit her five-year-old daughter in the middle of the night, something Deborah (and the reader) discovers about a third of the way into the story. Lerner almost dares the reader to dislike Jael, depicting her as slatternly, tempestuous, and uncaring, even while drawing parallels between her situation and those of Jews imprisoned, tortured, and killed during the Inquisition (as were Deborah's ancestors).
Deborah's shift from sympathizing with Sir Kit to throwing her lot in with Jael is very abrupt, as is her For me, Deborah's decision and actions shift the story from the "pleasurable" terror of the threatened female of the gothic to something closer to film noir hopelessness and despair. I couldn't like or respect Deborah's choice, nor could I believe that some kind of meaningful relationship had or would develop between Deborah and Jael, despite their two brief forays into sex.
Turns out she's not the only one with keys; the wife in the attic, Jael, who is Jewish, not West Indian in Lerner's version, has bribed someone to supply her with a key, too, so she might visit her five-year-old daughter in the middle of the night, something Deborah (and the reader) discovers about a third of the way into the story. Lerner almost dares the reader to dislike Jael, depicting her as slatternly, tempestuous, and uncaring, even while drawing parallels between her situation and those of Jews imprisoned, tortured, and killed during the Inquisition (as were Deborah's ancestors).
Deborah's shift from sympathizing with Sir Kit to throwing her lot in with Jael is very abrupt, as is her For me, Deborah's decision and actions shift the story from the "pleasurable" terror of the threatened female of the gothic to something closer to film noir hopelessness and despair. I couldn't like or respect Deborah's choice, nor could I believe that some kind of meaningful relationship had or would develop between Deborah and Jael, despite their two brief forays into sex.
June 7, 2021
I love Jane Eyre, but have always had misgivings about Mr. Rochester. I always think of poor Jane, settling for being a nursemaid to a broken, blind man, and the older I get, the less satisfying I find this ending. So, this book really piqued my interest-- the governess ending up with Mrs. Rochester (well, Mrs. Palethorp in this telling)? Amazing, right?
And it almost was. The atmosphere was right, The language was beautiful and captured the essence of gothic novels from that era. There was gaslighting and just enough moral ambiguity to make me question my assumptions. I loved the exploration of otherness, and how being Jewish and not English caused so much trauma (both intergenerational and in their current lives) for our main characters. The references to Shakespeare, Austen, and the Bible were well-placed and added to the richness of the story.
But I wanted something more. I just thought certain parts of the story moved too fast, and weren't developed enough. Deborah went from trusting Sir Kit and thinking Jael mad or lazy to flip-flopping and feeling the opposite. While this was a natural progression, it happened kind of fast-- she went from Mrs. Palethorp is horrible to maybe she isn't to I want her to okay, let's kill him awfully quickly. I just needed a bit more to show Deborah's increasing distrust of Sir Kit and the development of her relationship with Jael.
The end also left me a bit unsettled (which is great for a gothic novel). I believe Deborah ended up with the wrong person. I think she is still being manipulated, and don't entirely trust Jael.
And it almost was. The atmosphere was right, The language was beautiful and captured the essence of gothic novels from that era. There was gaslighting and just enough moral ambiguity to make me question my assumptions. I loved the exploration of otherness, and how being Jewish and not English caused so much trauma (both intergenerational and in their current lives) for our main characters. The references to Shakespeare, Austen, and the Bible were well-placed and added to the richness of the story.
But I wanted something more. I just thought certain parts of the story moved too fast, and weren't developed enough. Deborah went from trusting Sir Kit and thinking Jael mad or lazy to flip-flopping and feeling the opposite. While this was a natural progression, it happened kind of fast-- she went from Mrs. Palethorp is horrible to maybe she isn't to I want her to okay, let's kill him awfully quickly. I just needed a bit more to show Deborah's increasing distrust of Sir Kit and the development of her relationship with Jael.
The end also left me a bit unsettled (which is great for a gothic novel). I believe Deborah ended up with the wrong person. I think she is still being manipulated, and don't entirely trust Jael.
dnf
March 1, 2022 Having loved Jane Eyre, I was very excited for this queer take. But, nearly a year ago I paused this book at 18% and have only thought about it in passing.
I remember enjoying the narrator’s voice and appreciatinging how descriptive the writing was but it still couldn’t hold my attention. At some point, I found myself more curious about the treatment of Jewish women in England during that time than unraveling the mystery. I’m not sure if I’ll try this book again in the future, but I really like the idea of it, so maybe. With that said though, after one of the instances where I paused the book, I found myself looking through reviews, hoping to regain the spark of excitement I had at the beginning when I saw mention of something that was pretty offputting. I’ll put it in a spoiler tag because while it was a deterrent for me, I only saw one reviewer not it so it might not be for other folks. All I will say though, is that it has to do with hygiene.
I remember enjoying the narrator’s voice and appreciatinging how descriptive the writing was but it still couldn’t hold my attention. At some point, I found myself more curious about the treatment of Jewish women in England during that time than unraveling the mystery. I’m not sure if I’ll try this book again in the future, but I really like the idea of it, so maybe. With that said though, after one of the instances where I paused the book, I found myself looking through reviews, hoping to regain the spark of excitement I had at the beginning when I saw mention of something that was pretty offputting. I’ll put it in a spoiler tag because while it was a deterrent for me, I only saw one reviewer not it so it might not be for other folks. All I will say though, is that it has to do with hygiene.
November 18, 2021
Huge rec for lovers of historical detail and a strong sense of place--but not an easy read in any direction. Deborah, our half-Jewish Jane Eyre, suffers from a deep fear of fire. She's anxious and wary of the people around her as well as herself and her instincts. There's strong generational trauma. If you're someone who likes people to "get on with things", this book is not for you. As a fairly anxious, depression-prone person myself, I often found myself in moods while reading, so I'd recommend not reading this while you need to function at 100%.
That's the disclaimer. The re-claimer? Exclaimer? Is that this book cut into so many issues of conscience and self that I know I'll be in silent conversation with it for a long time. It was thorny and vivid and compelled me even when I was frustrated with the main character for wavering back and forth between extremes. Deborah is suspicious of others in some places and wants to trust them too badly in others. She's inconsistent--which is exactly right. I told my friend I was reading "Gaslighting: The Novel" in the first half. It's all tangled, and it should be. The supporting cast shines too, with none of them being either fully good or bad.
So: even though Rose Lerner writes lovely historical romances, remember this is a gothic romance. It's unsettling, the setting is basically a character, and falling in love doesn't save you. The Wife in the Attic is a rich journey with a wonderful conclusion, delving into one household and the inconsistencies present in all people. I loved it.
That's the disclaimer. The re-claimer? Exclaimer? Is that this book cut into so many issues of conscience and self that I know I'll be in silent conversation with it for a long time. It was thorny and vivid and compelled me even when I was frustrated with the main character for wavering back and forth between extremes. Deborah is suspicious of others in some places and wants to trust them too badly in others. She's inconsistent--which is exactly right. I told my friend I was reading "Gaslighting: The Novel" in the first half. It's all tangled, and it should be. The supporting cast shines too, with none of them being either fully good or bad.
So: even though Rose Lerner writes lovely historical romances, remember this is a gothic romance. It's unsettling, the setting is basically a character, and falling in love doesn't save you. The Wife in the Attic is a rich journey with a wonderful conclusion, delving into one household and the inconsistencies present in all people. I loved it.
April 8, 2021
I read Rose Lerner first as a romance writer, and while this is categorized as romance, it would have to fall into the trauma version of romance at best. I would say it leans more psychological drama. It's doing some pretty heavy lifting on historical racism and goes to a few really dark places regarding the characters' actions. The characters were traumatized and I was as well, via them. I think that points to Lerner doing a really good job across the board with characterization. I also adore her historical research (her weekly update on Patreon is a hoot). I thought the book was really good, and I would recommend it.
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