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The Beloved Girls
"It's a funny old house. They have this ceremony every summer . . . There's an old chapel, in the grounds of the house. It's half-derelict. The Hunters keep bees in there. Every year, on the same day, the family processes to the chapel. They open the combs, taste the honey. Take it back to the house. Half for them -" my father winced, as though he had bitten down on a sore tooth. "And half for us."
Catherine, a successful barrister, vanishes from a train station on the eve of her anniversary. Is it because she saw a figure - someone she believed long dead? Or was it a shadow cast by her troubled, fractured mind?
The answer lies buried in the past. It lies in the events of the hot, seismic summer of 1989, at Vanes - a mysterious West Country manor house - where a young girl, Jane Lestrange, arrives to stay with the gilded, grand Hunter family, and where a devastating tragedy will unfold. Over the summer, as an ancient family ritual looms closer, Janey falls for each member of the family in turn. She and Kitty, the eldest daughter of the house, will forge a bond that decades later, is still shaping the present . . .
'We need the bees to survive, and they need us to survive. Once you understand that, you understand the history of Vanes, you understand our family.'
Catherine, a successful barrister, vanishes from a train station on the eve of her anniversary. Is it because she saw a figure - someone she believed long dead? Or was it a shadow cast by her troubled, fractured mind?
The answer lies buried in the past. It lies in the events of the hot, seismic summer of 1989, at Vanes - a mysterious West Country manor house - where a young girl, Jane Lestrange, arrives to stay with the gilded, grand Hunter family, and where a devastating tragedy will unfold. Over the summer, as an ancient family ritual looms closer, Janey falls for each member of the family in turn. She and Kitty, the eldest daughter of the house, will forge a bond that decades later, is still shaping the present . . .
'We need the bees to survive, and they need us to survive. Once you understand that, you understand the history of Vanes, you understand our family.'
448 pages, Hardcover
First published August 19, 2021
266 people are currently reading
5866 people want to read
About the author
Harriet Evans
109 books1,203 followersI was born in London and grew up there. I was very bookish, and had a huge imagination which used to cause me to get rather anxious at times. Now I know it's a good thing for a writer to have. I loved musicals, and playing imaginative games, and my Barbie perfume making kit. Most of all I loved reading. I read everything, but I also read lots of things over and over, which I think is so important.
At university I read Classical Studies, which is a great way of finding out that the world doesn't change much and people make the same mistakes but it's interesting to look at why. I was at Bristol, and i loved the city, making new friends, being a new person.
After university I came back to London and got a job in publishing. I loved working in publishing so much, and really felt for the first time in my life that when I spoke people understood what I was saying. Book people are good people. I became an editor after a few years, working with many bestselling novelists, and in 2009 I left to write full time.
I've written 13 novels and several short stories and one Quick Read, which is an excellent way of getting people into reading more. I've acquired a partner and two children along the way.
In 2019 we moved to Bath, out of London, and I am very happy there. We live opposite a hedgerow, and I can be boring about gardening, and there's room for my collection of jumpsuits and all our books. We have lots of books. Apart from anything else they keep the house warm. xxx
At university I read Classical Studies, which is a great way of finding out that the world doesn't change much and people make the same mistakes but it's interesting to look at why. I was at Bristol, and i loved the city, making new friends, being a new person.
After university I came back to London and got a job in publishing. I loved working in publishing so much, and really felt for the first time in my life that when I spoke people understood what I was saying. Book people are good people. I became an editor after a few years, working with many bestselling novelists, and in 2009 I left to write full time.
I've written 13 novels and several short stories and one Quick Read, which is an excellent way of getting people into reading more. I've acquired a partner and two children along the way.
In 2019 we moved to Bath, out of London, and I am very happy there. We live opposite a hedgerow, and I can be boring about gardening, and there's room for my collection of jumpsuits and all our books. We have lots of books. Apart from anything else they keep the house warm. xxx
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews
May 11, 2022
The Beloved Girls by Harriet Evans is a 2022 Grand Central Publication.
I really wanted to like this book. It had an interesting premise and some review blurbs suggested it had a slight Gothic tone to it, which made it sound even more intriguing. Unfortunately, this book fell flat. I had a very hard time staying interested in it and took me an age to finish it. Then once I finally made it to the end, it was too understated, and anticlimactic. The old rituals and the ditty that accompanied it was overdone and just didn’t make all that much sense to me.
This one didn’t work for me, but it seems to be well received overall by others, overall, so you might have better luck with it than I did.
2 stars
I really wanted to like this book. It had an interesting premise and some review blurbs suggested it had a slight Gothic tone to it, which made it sound even more intriguing. Unfortunately, this book fell flat. I had a very hard time staying interested in it and took me an age to finish it. Then once I finally made it to the end, it was too understated, and anticlimactic. The old rituals and the ditty that accompanied it was overdone and just didn’t make all that much sense to me.
This one didn’t work for me, but it seems to be well received overall by others, overall, so you might have better luck with it than I did.
2 stars
August 30, 2021
Harriet Evans is the Sunday Times top five bestselling author of many popular novels including the successful ‘The Garden of the Lost and Found’.
“The Beloved Girls” is her latest remarkable historical novel that predominantly focuses on an old family home and an ancient ritual ceremony with bees and their honey.
- 'It's a funny old house. They have this ceremony every summer . . There's an old chapel, in the grounds of the house. Half-derelict. The Hunters keep bees in there. Every year, on the same day, the family processes to the chapel. They open the combs, taste the honey. Take it back to the house. ‘Half for them -' my father winced, as though he had bitten down on a sore tooth. 'And half for us.'
“The Beloved Girls” is my first Harriet Evans novel and I really enjoyed reading this epic family saga. With a literary gothic feel, this book takes the reader on a journey of dark family secrets, old traditions and the emotions of someone as an outsider, trying to fit into an established family.
I found at times, the story deeply unsettling and ominous that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. However, it was creepily addictive, which occasionally made me feel almost like a voyeur. The story switches back and forth between various timelines and character viewpoints from the 1950’s to 1989 and present time. Thus enabling you to see the build up of events, thoughts and actions, leading to the present day storyline of successful barrister Catherine, going missing from a train station on the eve of her anniversary.
There are some very unique and strange characters to the cast, which are a perfect example of the author’s traditional unreliable narrators, whose perspectives are ambiguous, twisted and distorted. I can’t say I endeared to any of the characters but I did have an inkling of sympathy for Sylvia after reading her story and I was very happy with the denouement.
I give this book 4 stars, I was a bit lost with the rhymes and as I didn’t know the original folk song tune, I didn’t get the connection. I did appreciate its necessity to the story though and along with an absolute beaut of a book cover depicting the rhyme - “The Beloved Girls” is a gem of a book and one to savour and enjoy at your leisure.
“The Beloved Girls” is her latest remarkable historical novel that predominantly focuses on an old family home and an ancient ritual ceremony with bees and their honey.
- 'It's a funny old house. They have this ceremony every summer . . There's an old chapel, in the grounds of the house. Half-derelict. The Hunters keep bees in there. Every year, on the same day, the family processes to the chapel. They open the combs, taste the honey. Take it back to the house. ‘Half for them -' my father winced, as though he had bitten down on a sore tooth. 'And half for us.'
“The Beloved Girls” is my first Harriet Evans novel and I really enjoyed reading this epic family saga. With a literary gothic feel, this book takes the reader on a journey of dark family secrets, old traditions and the emotions of someone as an outsider, trying to fit into an established family.
I found at times, the story deeply unsettling and ominous that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. However, it was creepily addictive, which occasionally made me feel almost like a voyeur. The story switches back and forth between various timelines and character viewpoints from the 1950’s to 1989 and present time. Thus enabling you to see the build up of events, thoughts and actions, leading to the present day storyline of successful barrister Catherine, going missing from a train station on the eve of her anniversary.
There are some very unique and strange characters to the cast, which are a perfect example of the author’s traditional unreliable narrators, whose perspectives are ambiguous, twisted and distorted. I can’t say I endeared to any of the characters but I did have an inkling of sympathy for Sylvia after reading her story and I was very happy with the denouement.
I give this book 4 stars, I was a bit lost with the rhymes and as I didn’t know the original folk song tune, I didn’t get the connection. I did appreciate its necessity to the story though and along with an absolute beaut of a book cover depicting the rhyme - “The Beloved Girls” is a gem of a book and one to savour and enjoy at your leisure.
August 30, 2021
Opening in 2018 and then going back in time to 1989 and 1959, before returning in reverse to 2018, The Beloved Girls has a cast of damaged individuals; the male characters, with a few exceptions, are particularly unpleasant.
Janey is struggling to manage her grief following a traumatic event that came out of the blue, and is in search of somewhere she feels she can belong. She thinks she has found that at Vanes, the country house of the Hunter family that she once visited as a child.
Ah yes, the Hunter family. I have to say they’re not a group of people I’d be keen to spend time with, much less be a member of. The creation of this dysfunctional family and the sense of menace, of suppressed rage and discontent that threatens to spill over into violence, was probably the strongest part of the book for me.
Charles Hunter, referred to as pater familias by his children, is irascible, petty and often cruel towards those around him. He is in thrall to his family’s history and the traditions associated with it, especially the annual ritual known as The Collecting. His wife, Sylvia, is a talented designer whose time has been diverted to running the household in accordance with the whims of her husband, and to protecting her children – the twins Kitty and Joss, and Melissa (known as Merry) their younger sister – from the malign influences that seem to hover around them. The sense of unease is heightened by the presence of the bees, housed in an old, rundown chapel, whose humming is a constant backdrop to life at Vanes.
For me, the chapters set in 2018 felt very different in tone from those of the earlier timelines. The run-up to Catherine’s disappearance conforms to everything you might expect from a modern day thriller. On the other hand, the sections set in 1989 had a rather timeless quality despite the frequent references to 1980s music. Part three of the book, set in 1959, filled in the back stories of key characters but for others represented their sole appearance.
I wasn’t quite sure how the author would manage to bring together the three timelines to form a coherent whole but I think this was largely achieved, although for the observant reader the direction the story will take won’t be a great surprise. On the other hand, the book leaves a few unanswered questions for readers to ponder.
At just under 450 pages, The Beloved Girls represents quite an investment in reading time but will reward the reader who is prepared for a slow increase in tension and is happy to inhabit the strange, unsettling world the author has created.
Janey is struggling to manage her grief following a traumatic event that came out of the blue, and is in search of somewhere she feels she can belong. She thinks she has found that at Vanes, the country house of the Hunter family that she once visited as a child.
Ah yes, the Hunter family. I have to say they’re not a group of people I’d be keen to spend time with, much less be a member of. The creation of this dysfunctional family and the sense of menace, of suppressed rage and discontent that threatens to spill over into violence, was probably the strongest part of the book for me.
Charles Hunter, referred to as pater familias by his children, is irascible, petty and often cruel towards those around him. He is in thrall to his family’s history and the traditions associated with it, especially the annual ritual known as The Collecting. His wife, Sylvia, is a talented designer whose time has been diverted to running the household in accordance with the whims of her husband, and to protecting her children – the twins Kitty and Joss, and Melissa (known as Merry) their younger sister – from the malign influences that seem to hover around them. The sense of unease is heightened by the presence of the bees, housed in an old, rundown chapel, whose humming is a constant backdrop to life at Vanes.
For me, the chapters set in 2018 felt very different in tone from those of the earlier timelines. The run-up to Catherine’s disappearance conforms to everything you might expect from a modern day thriller. On the other hand, the sections set in 1989 had a rather timeless quality despite the frequent references to 1980s music. Part three of the book, set in 1959, filled in the back stories of key characters but for others represented their sole appearance.
I wasn’t quite sure how the author would manage to bring together the three timelines to form a coherent whole but I think this was largely achieved, although for the observant reader the direction the story will take won’t be a great surprise. On the other hand, the book leaves a few unanswered questions for readers to ponder.
At just under 450 pages, The Beloved Girls represents quite an investment in reading time but will reward the reader who is prepared for a slow increase in tension and is happy to inhabit the strange, unsettling world the author has created.
February 16, 2023
Muchísimo ruido pa mu poquitas nueces. Uf, qué cabreo tengo.
This was SO promising and had me SO hooked during its first three quarters. It is VERY well-written and the different sub-plots were extremely intriguing. Such a pity that the author decided to give the dullest possible explanation to each and every one of them; and, what's worse in my eyes: to not have them connected AT ALL. I had such high expectations for how everything would tie up at the end just to discover that it doesn't: the sub-plots were just coincidences, underwhelming events, unexplained and isolated narrative knots.
I don't know... I have been left with the feeling that the author ran out of ideas as to how best solve the plot. Most dissappointing and unsatisfying ending ever.
This was SO promising and had me SO hooked during its first three quarters. It is VERY well-written and the different sub-plots were extremely intriguing. Such a pity that the author decided to give the dullest possible explanation to each and every one of them; and, what's worse in my eyes: to not have them connected AT ALL. I had such high expectations for how everything would tie up at the end just to discover that it doesn't: the sub-plots were just coincidences, underwhelming events, unexplained and isolated narrative knots.
I don't know... I have been left with the feeling that the author ran out of ideas as to how best solve the plot. Most dissappointing and unsatisfying ending ever.
August 26, 2022
My first read by Harriet Evans and I must admit I was not overly enthralled by this novel. Split over 3 time periods the tale unfolds with Janey taking refuge with the Hunter family whom she met earlier on in life.
The Hunters are not a particularly pleasant bunch I must say, and I found myself struggling to like any of the characters in this tale.
I had guessed fairly early on the twist so found myself floundering in this slow burning book.
The Hunters are not a particularly pleasant bunch I must say, and I found myself struggling to like any of the characters in this tale.
I had guessed fairly early on the twist so found myself floundering in this slow burning book.
June 19, 2022
After reading and loving this author's "A Place For Us", I had high expectations that I would love this book as well. My expectations were unfounded. I expected a warm family saga, yet it was more an unsettling, over-long thriller.
The setting was perfection, but the plot was meandering, slow, and confusing. I wanted so much to get into this novel, yet it didn't really hold my attention as I expected it to. The Hunter family were eccentric, yet not in a good way. The patriarch, Charles Hunter gave off a odious, supercilious, and somewhat lecherous vibe. The only two characters that I really cared for were Janey Lestrange and her father Simon Lestrange. Janey's story had an almost dreamlike quality. Her relationship with the Hunter's son left me feeling uncomfortable... Simon's narrative was more grounded and described how deeply damaged he was by his experiences in the war.
I enjoyed the triple timeline, I quite like a saga with some back and forthing. I enjoyed the history of the old family house, and the ancient honey collecting rituals associated with it. These though, were a bit repetitive which mired down the plot.
I predicted the ending way ahead of time, though I didn't know the logistics of how it would come about.
I did enjoy the writing, but felt a distinct disconnect to most of the characters and the plot. I liked the way the author subtly disparaged class snobbishness. Also, her story emphasized how outward seeming perfection can harbour a nasty, rotten underbelly. It told of family dysfunction and the lengths some people will go to escape.
Given that I have really enjoyed other works by this author, I would definitely read more of her work, though this time, I wasn't enamored with the book. Still, though, this book has been very positively reviewed by many readers whose opinions I respect and the ending proved satisfactory. Give it a try and see, it might just be the perfect read for you.
The setting was perfection, but the plot was meandering, slow, and confusing. I wanted so much to get into this novel, yet it didn't really hold my attention as I expected it to. The Hunter family were eccentric, yet not in a good way. The patriarch, Charles Hunter gave off a odious, supercilious, and somewhat lecherous vibe. The only two characters that I really cared for were Janey Lestrange and her father Simon Lestrange. Janey's story had an almost dreamlike quality. Her relationship with the Hunter's son left me feeling uncomfortable... Simon's narrative was more grounded and described how deeply damaged he was by his experiences in the war.
I enjoyed the triple timeline, I quite like a saga with some back and forthing. I enjoyed the history of the old family house, and the ancient honey collecting rituals associated with it. These though, were a bit repetitive which mired down the plot.
I predicted the ending way ahead of time, though I didn't know the logistics of how it would come about.
I did enjoy the writing, but felt a distinct disconnect to most of the characters and the plot. I liked the way the author subtly disparaged class snobbishness. Also, her story emphasized how outward seeming perfection can harbour a nasty, rotten underbelly. It told of family dysfunction and the lengths some people will go to escape.
Given that I have really enjoyed other works by this author, I would definitely read more of her work, though this time, I wasn't enamored with the book. Still, though, this book has been very positively reviewed by many readers whose opinions I respect and the ending proved satisfactory. Give it a try and see, it might just be the perfect read for you.
May 15, 2022
Complex, mysterious, and dark!
The Beloved Girls transports you to England between 1959 and 2018 and immerses you into the ongoing, entangled, multi-generational relationships between the entitled, dysfunctional Hunter family and the sweet, reliable Lestrange family, complete with all the powerful emotions, unnerving traditions, long-buried secrets, abusive behaviours, and unimaginable tragedy that has tied them together for almost sixty years.
The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are damaged, eccentric, and conflicted with the setting, Vanes Manor, being a character itself with its history, rituals, abundance of bees, and multitude of secrets. And the plot told in a back-and-forth style is an unsettling tale about life, loss, family, friendship, identity, betrayal, social division, ambition, exploitation, manipulation, and heartbreak.
Overall, The Beloved Girls is a menacing, sinuous, somewhat disturbing tale that is beautifully written and incredibly atmospheric but a little too long and perplexing to really keep me engaged and invested from start to finish and thus will unfortunately not, as I highly expected, be taking the spot of one of my favourite reads of all time, to which Evans definitely has one or two.
Thank you to HBG Canada & Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Beloved Girls transports you to England between 1959 and 2018 and immerses you into the ongoing, entangled, multi-generational relationships between the entitled, dysfunctional Hunter family and the sweet, reliable Lestrange family, complete with all the powerful emotions, unnerving traditions, long-buried secrets, abusive behaviours, and unimaginable tragedy that has tied them together for almost sixty years.
The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are damaged, eccentric, and conflicted with the setting, Vanes Manor, being a character itself with its history, rituals, abundance of bees, and multitude of secrets. And the plot told in a back-and-forth style is an unsettling tale about life, loss, family, friendship, identity, betrayal, social division, ambition, exploitation, manipulation, and heartbreak.
Overall, The Beloved Girls is a menacing, sinuous, somewhat disturbing tale that is beautifully written and incredibly atmospheric but a little too long and perplexing to really keep me engaged and invested from start to finish and thus will unfortunately not, as I highly expected, be taking the spot of one of my favourite reads of all time, to which Evans definitely has one or two.
Thank you to HBG Canada & Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 28, 2022
Fantastic!
Twisty turny, with a slow-building atmosphere of menace. I had so many questions and thoughts about what might happen when I was not reading, always a good sign of a compelling story.
This novel is deftly plotted, with leaps back and forth in time and to completely different settings. 1989 was interesting, the references took me straight back to my teens. Researching (or just remembering?) that period must have been fun.
The characterisation is solid; because despite a large cast I was never confused about who was who.
It also has to be said (because I bet I’m not the only one) that any book which is set within a large country house and grounds gets my vote too. Woodland, a pool and a view of the sea too? Tick, tick, tick!
My heart was beating so hard by the end. Loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.
28/07/21
Twisty turny, with a slow-building atmosphere of menace. I had so many questions and thoughts about what might happen when I was not reading, always a good sign of a compelling story.
This novel is deftly plotted, with leaps back and forth in time and to completely different settings. 1989 was interesting, the references took me straight back to my teens. Researching (or just remembering?) that period must have been fun.
The characterisation is solid; because despite a large cast I was never confused about who was who.
It also has to be said (because I bet I’m not the only one) that any book which is set within a large country house and grounds gets my vote too. Woodland, a pool and a view of the sea too? Tick, tick, tick!
My heart was beating so hard by the end. Loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.
28/07/21
August 31, 2021
Unfortunately I couldn't gel with this book. The characters did seem interesting and at first the plot drew me in....but I just felt there was too much filler pages and this meant the pace slowed down.
Unfortunately I got half way through and ended up skipping pages to get to the end, just to see if it did get better. For me it didn't.
I have read previous books of hers and will continue to read future ones.
Unfortunately I got half way through and ended up skipping pages to get to the end, just to see if it did get better. For me it didn't.
I have read previous books of hers and will continue to read future ones.
December 29, 2021
Disappointing ….. a 2.5/5. I am beginning to doubt the Goodreads scoring system as defo not a 4.1 in my view. I so nearly gave up even at 75% read; skimmed to the end to confirm how I thought it would end (it was as suspected). Some uncomfortable grooming and Lolita-esque references; lazy stereotyping and far too long and rambling. Was a 99p deal - but still a waste of time. Nice front cover.
Want to read
May 18, 2022Harriet Evans, you are a force to be reckoned with and a fabulous storyteller.
I told myself in January that I wanted to prioritize "new" or "new to me" authors. Harriet Evans, was an author I had never heard of but when I read the synopsis for The Beloved Girls, I knew I was destined to become a long time fan. Well, Evans exceeded all of my expectations.
The Beloved Girls is told from three different time lines, this was really interesting and kept my attention. I tend to favor one point of view more than others but this what not the case when it came to this book. I loved every bit of it, I did not skip through a word let alone a page. I became obsessed with this storyline and I just had to know what was going to happen. The Beloved Girls, is a book that once you pick up there is no way you will want to put it down. I became completely consumed and lost.
Immediately after concluding The Beloved Girls, I hurried on over to Amazon to see if there were any other books by Harriet Evans, and lucky for me, there is!!! I just downloaded The Garden of the Lost and Found.
So while I go stick my nose in a book, I suggest you all run out and purchase The Beloved Girls. Anything short of a five star rating would not do this book any justice.
Big thank you to Netgalley, Grand Central Publishing, and of course Harriet Evans, for allowing me to read and review this incredible book.
I told myself in January that I wanted to prioritize "new" or "new to me" authors. Harriet Evans, was an author I had never heard of but when I read the synopsis for The Beloved Girls, I knew I was destined to become a long time fan. Well, Evans exceeded all of my expectations.
The Beloved Girls is told from three different time lines, this was really interesting and kept my attention. I tend to favor one point of view more than others but this what not the case when it came to this book. I loved every bit of it, I did not skip through a word let alone a page. I became obsessed with this storyline and I just had to know what was going to happen. The Beloved Girls, is a book that once you pick up there is no way you will want to put it down. I became completely consumed and lost.
Immediately after concluding The Beloved Girls, I hurried on over to Amazon to see if there were any other books by Harriet Evans, and lucky for me, there is!!! I just downloaded The Garden of the Lost and Found.
So while I go stick my nose in a book, I suggest you all run out and purchase The Beloved Girls. Anything short of a five star rating would not do this book any justice.
Big thank you to Netgalley, Grand Central Publishing, and of course Harriet Evans, for allowing me to read and review this incredible book.
May 10, 2022
This is the sort of book you need to give plenty of time to read - it is not a ‘few chapters at bedtime’ book - it’s an up all night til you’ve finished it, book…… the story weaves through the 1950’s, 1980’s and 2018, following the interwoven lives of Sylvia, Simon, Kitty, Janey and their families. It is both heartbreaking and uplifting as the story unfolds. Please be warned that there are some dark passages and the story includes some scenes of sexual violence, which are difficult to read, but crucial to understanding the personalities of the people involved. The story will stay with me for a long time having weaved it’s magic. Wonderful.
May 19, 2022
I really wanted to enjoy this book - it looked like it was going to be exciting and gripping, a big family saga and a bit gothic. Unfortunately it didn't grip me at all. I ploughed through to the end because I don't like to give up, but it's not a book I could recommend to anyone.
January 9, 2022
I was drawn to this book primarily because of the cover (it's beautiful!), and was mildly intrigued by the blurb. It certainly sounded... different.
This is a book which requires patience. The plot is slow to unfold. The prologue introduces us to several characters: young Jane Lestrange and her father visit the eccentric Hunter family in their grand country house, where everything and everyone seems slightly off-kilter.
The book is then split into sections, set in 2018, 1989, 1959, 1989 and then 2018 again. Each timeline has a different (unreliable) narrator and viewpoint. The writing styles also vary: thriller-esque in 2018 and a timeless gothic style in 1989, for example. This made things feel a bit choppy. I found the writing too wordy - particularly the 2018 sections, when a more concise narrative would have increased the tension. Many things in the 1989 sections are vaguely disconcerting and there's an unsettling energy to it; you sense something is coming, and it's uncomfortable.
However, the climax was disappointing and the ending was predictable. The drama of the central event in the 1989 timeline wasn't conveyed well in my opinion. The final section was drawn out and, again, lacking tension. I found the ending to be particularly dull and an observant reader will find nothing surprising here. There are some unanswered questions but not enough to really make it memorable.
I thought the themes of female independence, sexualisation of women, and male power were the strongest ideas in the book. It makes for uncomfortable reading, more so than the bizarre ritual, ancient lore, isolated setting and dysfunctional family relationships.
A mixed bag here, then. Some strong points but unfortunately not compulsive or consistent enough for my taste.
This is a book which requires patience. The plot is slow to unfold. The prologue introduces us to several characters: young Jane Lestrange and her father visit the eccentric Hunter family in their grand country house, where everything and everyone seems slightly off-kilter.
The book is then split into sections, set in 2018, 1989, 1959, 1989 and then 2018 again. Each timeline has a different (unreliable) narrator and viewpoint. The writing styles also vary: thriller-esque in 2018 and a timeless gothic style in 1989, for example. This made things feel a bit choppy. I found the writing too wordy - particularly the 2018 sections, when a more concise narrative would have increased the tension. Many things in the 1989 sections are vaguely disconcerting and there's an unsettling energy to it; you sense something is coming, and it's uncomfortable.
However, the climax was disappointing and the ending was predictable. The drama of the central event in the 1989 timeline wasn't conveyed well in my opinion. The final section was drawn out and, again, lacking tension. I found the ending to be particularly dull and an observant reader will find nothing surprising here. There are some unanswered questions but not enough to really make it memorable.
I thought the themes of female independence, sexualisation of women, and male power were the strongest ideas in the book. It makes for uncomfortable reading, more so than the bizarre ritual, ancient lore, isolated setting and dysfunctional family relationships.
A mixed bag here, then. Some strong points but unfortunately not compulsive or consistent enough for my taste.
May 10, 2022
This was a unique family drama with an intriguing and eerie concept. It was super atmospheric and unique but also a bit confusing at times.
My serious downfall with this one was it’s length. Coming in at 430 pages, it’s unfortunate that I did enjoy it once part 3 started and how everything ending up unfolding but I felt it dragged too much the initial 250 pages.
If you enjoy mysterious historical houses, questionable traditions and rituals and lots of family secrets, this one might be for you!
My serious downfall with this one was it’s length. Coming in at 430 pages, it’s unfortunate that I did enjoy it once part 3 started and how everything ending up unfolding but I felt it dragged too much the initial 250 pages.
If you enjoy mysterious historical houses, questionable traditions and rituals and lots of family secrets, this one might be for you!
June 18, 2022
I am not a person who DNFs books, but dear lord this one nearly broke me.
September 12, 2022
This was a Library Reading Group read. I wasn't sure how it was going to be received by the group as it's not the style of read that we have read in the past. Sadly, the group wasn't that impressed.
I found it an average read that kept me reading as I did want to know what happened. I feel that it tackled some serious issues at points and they were handled well. I did however feel that it was a tad overlong and I felt that I got lost at times, wondering what was happening.
It was a dual timeframe story that jumped around. At it's heart was a large manor house that the Hunter family lived in, when a young girl Jane Lestrange comes to stay with them things happen that will impact on the futures of all the inhabitants of Vanes.
To find out what happens and how it impacts on everyone, you will have to grab a copy of this to read. If you do, please come back to let me know what you think of it.
October 5, 2021
By chance I have just read 3 books involving a disappearing woman of uncertain identity and must admit that I am getting tired of the theme which seems to be in all genres of books at present. I was disappointed with this book which I found slow and the over repetition of the bee theme tedious as it appeared to be obvious what was going to happen. I didn't like any of the characters very much , perhaps they were meant to be unattractive, apart from Simon and Sylvia. The theme of the treatment of women and their independence was there and perhaps saved the book.
Perhaps it was me, I just longed for a straightforward family saga after reading psychological thrillers in the previous weeks.
Perhaps it was me, I just longed for a straightforward family saga after reading psychological thrillers in the previous weeks.
July 27, 2021
Catherine is a successful barrister, she’s just completed a high profile case that didn’t go as expected and is due to go to Paris for the weekend with her husband.
Catherine suddenly vanishes from the station, just as they are about to leave. Whilst she is usually calm and confident, recently she’s seemed unsettled and a little strange. She’s been unnerved by a woman who turned up at her office.
Catherine has never been open about her past. Her husband and two children know little about her childhood. All they know is that she left home on her 18th birthday and has never returned.
It is this secretive past that hold the clues to Catherine’s disappearance and this author effortlessly takes her readers back to the summer of 1989. Young Jane Lestrange arrives at Vanes; a manor house in the West Country where she becomes intricately interwoven with all of the family members. Jane also plays a large part in the ancient family ritual that is played out very year at Vanes, this year the event will have tragic consequences that impact on everyone involved for many years to come.
This is an absorbing, sweeping drama that is filled with mystery. With narrators who can never be quite relied upon and a tension that builds slowly to the chilling conclusion. The author touches upon some dark issues including abuse and mental health, but does it with empathy and ease, creating a story that feels like pure luxury.
Catherine suddenly vanishes from the station, just as they are about to leave. Whilst she is usually calm and confident, recently she’s seemed unsettled and a little strange. She’s been unnerved by a woman who turned up at her office.
Catherine has never been open about her past. Her husband and two children know little about her childhood. All they know is that she left home on her 18th birthday and has never returned.
It is this secretive past that hold the clues to Catherine’s disappearance and this author effortlessly takes her readers back to the summer of 1989. Young Jane Lestrange arrives at Vanes; a manor house in the West Country where she becomes intricately interwoven with all of the family members. Jane also plays a large part in the ancient family ritual that is played out very year at Vanes, this year the event will have tragic consequences that impact on everyone involved for many years to come.
This is an absorbing, sweeping drama that is filled with mystery. With narrators who can never be quite relied upon and a tension that builds slowly to the chilling conclusion. The author touches upon some dark issues including abuse and mental health, but does it with empathy and ease, creating a story that feels like pure luxury.
July 19, 2021
Janey and her father go to stay with his old friend Sylvia and her family in their grand old house. Janey is captivated by Kitty, Sylvia’s daughter, and the strange way in which the family seem to live. Years later, Janey returns after the death of her father. This time she is to participate in the collecting- a ritual performed each year to remove some honey from the bees who have made their home in a chapel on the land. It’s a long, unsettling summer and by the end nothing will be the same.
The story flits between Catherine Lestrange now, and Kitty and Janey in the past, then further back to Janey’s father and Kitty’s mother, Sylvia and her parents too. It’s one of these books that I’d prefer to read on paper so I could flick back to remind myself, but I managed ok on kindle!
The author writes well and I found the book very atmospheric. It has some very dark and disturbing themes, but overall it just feels vaguely menacing. There’s always something in the shadows- you just aren’t sure what! I didn’t love some of the ambiguity, but that’s my personal preference. It’s a long and tense read with interesting characters and a decent story. I enjoyed it and I’m sure it will do well. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.
The story flits between Catherine Lestrange now, and Kitty and Janey in the past, then further back to Janey’s father and Kitty’s mother, Sylvia and her parents too. It’s one of these books that I’d prefer to read on paper so I could flick back to remind myself, but I managed ok on kindle!
The author writes well and I found the book very atmospheric. It has some very dark and disturbing themes, but overall it just feels vaguely menacing. There’s always something in the shadows- you just aren’t sure what! I didn’t love some of the ambiguity, but that’s my personal preference. It’s a long and tense read with interesting characters and a decent story. I enjoyed it and I’m sure it will do well. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.
August 15, 2021
I throughly enjoyed this read along, I will come to the actual book in a moment 😝, I had a lovely group for this one and we’re really chatty. What made this read along so special was the author. Harriet was just amazing, I’ve never done a read long where the author is so interactive. She replied to my stories and interacted with us all and she did a Insta live before the read along started. It was such a pleasure to read your book.
The Beloved Girls jumps between timelines, and different POV. However it never felt hard to keep up with the storyline and it was so interesting to see things from alternative minds.
I found it so immersive and compelling. I was on holiday at the time of the readalong but I spent many night sat awake until the early house reading as I was so engrossed.
The story and characters were described so well, I adored Jane and Kitty, and my heart broke for them in different ways.
I was so angry at the injustice in parts of the book and I wanted to strangle certain characters!!
The ending literally taking the reader full circle and ties the story up nicely, however we are left with one huge question that is very open to the readers interpretation. If you know you know……
The Beloved Girls jumps between timelines, and different POV. However it never felt hard to keep up with the storyline and it was so interesting to see things from alternative minds.
I found it so immersive and compelling. I was on holiday at the time of the readalong but I spent many night sat awake until the early house reading as I was so engrossed.
The story and characters were described so well, I adored Jane and Kitty, and my heart broke for them in different ways.
I was so angry at the injustice in parts of the book and I wanted to strangle certain characters!!
The ending literally taking the reader full circle and ties the story up nicely, however we are left with one huge question that is very open to the readers interpretation. If you know you know……
July 22, 2022
This was my second novel by this author and I had the same problem as with 'The Garden of Lost and Found': there is a real issue with cohesion. The idea for the story is a good one but it is way too confusing and disjointed. I frequently had to re-read pages to pick up the thread and in the end it was an endurance test to finish it. Twisting tales are one thing, but frequent cul-de-sacs or suddenly finding yourself on a completely alien path are just irritating. I might give her one more chance but I think she needs a more ruthless editor.
July 11, 2021
A little unsettling in the fact you always know something is coming,but for a very long time,you just don't know what.
The characters lives mix together,sometimes in a positive way,other times not.
I found myself racing through pages just to find out what had happened and indeed what was happening in the here and now.
Enjoyable stuff.
The characters lives mix together,sometimes in a positive way,other times not.
I found myself racing through pages just to find out what had happened and indeed what was happening in the here and now.
Enjoyable stuff.
November 12, 2022
I did not enjoy this book one bit. I flicked through page after page after page trying to like any of the characters, trying to find some thread that I could hold onto but it didn’t come. Basically it’s about a family who have an annual ceremony based around bees. Spanning different times and different people…..it’s about a family and bees. Just weird and nothing Beloved about it sadly.
January 4, 2022
Gave up!
December 2, 2024
Haunting
November 19, 2023
Good story but slow.
June 4, 2024
På väg mot ett slags femma, men det skrapade lite där den sista fjärdedelen.
Bonus: Kate Bush nämns flera gånger.
Bonus: Kate Bush nämns flera gånger.
March 28, 2025
I have to admit, this book wasn’t as good as others written by Harriet Evans. I expected the end of the book to have some dramatic plot twist but sadly it was just dull and disappointing!!!
October 17, 2021
A hive of secrets ★★☆☆☆
Catherine is haunted by the summer of 1989 when a pagan ceremony ended in death and she left her old life behind forever. Moving between that critical summer, present day, and the fifties, the history and secrets of the Lestrange and Hunter families are gradually brought to light.
The honey collecting ceremony, the eccentric Hunter family with their obsession with the bees and a character struggling between illusion and reality makes for a story steeped in strangeness which can be hard to follow at times. The Lolita-esque subplots and the simultaneous sexualisation and dismissal of women is also uncomfortable and disturbing.
A slow and twisting story of dark family secrets and mysterious rituals.
Catherine is haunted by the summer of 1989 when a pagan ceremony ended in death and she left her old life behind forever. Moving between that critical summer, present day, and the fifties, the history and secrets of the Lestrange and Hunter families are gradually brought to light.
The honey collecting ceremony, the eccentric Hunter family with their obsession with the bees and a character struggling between illusion and reality makes for a story steeped in strangeness which can be hard to follow at times. The Lolita-esque subplots and the simultaneous sexualisation and dismissal of women is also uncomfortable and disturbing.
A slow and twisting story of dark family secrets and mysterious rituals.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews