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The House of Closed Doors #1
The House of Closed Doors
Heedless. Stubborn. Disgraced. Small town Illinois, 1870: "My stepfather was not particularly fond of me to begin with, and now that he'd found out about the baby, he was foaming at the mouth" Desperate to avoid marriage, Nell Lillington refuses to divulge the name of her child's father and accepts her stepfather's decision that the baby be born at a Poor Farm and discreetly adopted. Until an unused padded cell is opened and two small bodies fall out. Nell is the only resident of the Poor Farm who is convinced the unwed mother and her baby were murdered, and rethinks her decision to abandon her own child to fate. But even if she manages to escape the Poor Farm with her baby she may have no safe place to run to.
370 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2012
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About the author
Jane Steen
10 books985 followersDear Reader,
Welcome to my page. Now, I could talk to you about myself in the third person, as if my author-self were someone else, but instead let me give you the Most Important Fact:
I was named after Jane Eyre.
I swear that this decision of my mother's influenced my entire life. I've always felt that I lead only half my existence here (here being wherever I happen to be) while the much more interesting stuff goes on in my head.
It also doomed me to spend most of that head-time in the nineteenth century, hence my books. My aim is to write entertaining fiction that hovers somewhere in the PG range (no graphic sex or nasty stuff unless the plot totally demands it) and is neither dumbed-down nor pretentiously intellectual. In short, it's the type of fiction I like to read when I just need to RELAX.
You can get to know me a lot better by subscribing to my newsletter.
The short biography is that I've lived in England, Belgium, the United States and England. The problem with moving around is that you end up torn between different countries and cultures; the advantage is that you get to speak more languages (my second language is French).
I've had an interestingly varied employment history (editor in a law firm, translating a Belgian aerospace magazine into English and real estate marketing spring to mind, but there were others), and have absorbed more education than is good for me. I'm married to a nice American, and have two adult daughters.
Welcome to my page. Now, I could talk to you about myself in the third person, as if my author-self were someone else, but instead let me give you the Most Important Fact:
I was named after Jane Eyre.
I swear that this decision of my mother's influenced my entire life. I've always felt that I lead only half my existence here (here being wherever I happen to be) while the much more interesting stuff goes on in my head.
It also doomed me to spend most of that head-time in the nineteenth century, hence my books. My aim is to write entertaining fiction that hovers somewhere in the PG range (no graphic sex or nasty stuff unless the plot totally demands it) and is neither dumbed-down nor pretentiously intellectual. In short, it's the type of fiction I like to read when I just need to RELAX.
You can get to know me a lot better by subscribing to my newsletter.
The short biography is that I've lived in England, Belgium, the United States and England. The problem with moving around is that you end up torn between different countries and cultures; the advantage is that you get to speak more languages (my second language is French).
I've had an interestingly varied employment history (editor in a law firm, translating a Belgian aerospace magazine into English and real estate marketing spring to mind, but there were others), and have absorbed more education than is good for me. I'm married to a nice American, and have two adult daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 923 reviews
July 30, 2012
“But I had been far more innocent than my flirtatious manner suggested, and therein lay my doom.”
Nell Lillington's got a big problem - her mother and stepfather have just discovered she's pregnant and she's not willing to name the father and enter into a marriage she doesn't want. Nell's stepfather is active in politics and the last thing he needs is a scandal, so he packs her off to a poor farm out in the country for her confinement. Nell settles in well at her new *home* and makes some interesting new friends (loved Tess!), but there's soon a bit of a mystery to be solved when the older wing is opened and a pair of bodies is found in one of the cells. Were they locked in, or did they lock themselves in? How did they get into a section of the home that was securely locked? And just who would want to *do in* an unwed mother and her young child? Hmmmm?
“The door slammed shut. I heard the spring bolt shoot into place with a hard thud. I leaped to my feet and screamed like I had never screamed in my entire life.”
That's about all I want to tell, going further would spoil the story. I liked this a lot, it was a quick easy read that kept me guessing; and there are more twists and turns after the evil baddie is revealed (my heart just about dropped when he did THAT). The 1870s Midwest setting was a refreshing change, and along with a look at life on a poor farm (it's like its own mini-society), and the author also worked the Great Chicago Fire into the story. I know I'm going to say this clumsily, but a huge thumbs up to the character of Tess, who suffered from Down's Syndrome. It so refreshing to have a character with a handicap worked into the story and to watch the strong bond develop between Nell and Tess. Other big pluses were no formatting errors, nor even a typo to be found (if there were, I missed them), so thank you Ms. Steen for taking the time to polish it up, we readers really do care about things like that. The author's notes at the end mention where the story idea came from and what was fact and what was not (always appreciated). My only real quibble is the story ended too soon. I wanted more, especially Martin (be still my beating heart). Thankfully there is a sequel in the works (whew).
Review copy provided by author, thank you.
Nell Lillington's got a big problem - her mother and stepfather have just discovered she's pregnant and she's not willing to name the father and enter into a marriage she doesn't want. Nell's stepfather is active in politics and the last thing he needs is a scandal, so he packs her off to a poor farm out in the country for her confinement. Nell settles in well at her new *home* and makes some interesting new friends (loved Tess!), but there's soon a bit of a mystery to be solved when the older wing is opened and a pair of bodies is found in one of the cells. Were they locked in, or did they lock themselves in? How did they get into a section of the home that was securely locked? And just who would want to *do in* an unwed mother and her young child? Hmmmm?
“The door slammed shut. I heard the spring bolt shoot into place with a hard thud. I leaped to my feet and screamed like I had never screamed in my entire life.”
That's about all I want to tell, going further would spoil the story. I liked this a lot, it was a quick easy read that kept me guessing; and there are more twists and turns after the evil baddie is revealed (my heart just about dropped when he did THAT). The 1870s Midwest setting was a refreshing change, and along with a look at life on a poor farm (it's like its own mini-society), and the author also worked the Great Chicago Fire into the story. I know I'm going to say this clumsily, but a huge thumbs up to the character of Tess, who suffered from Down's Syndrome. It so refreshing to have a character with a handicap worked into the story and to watch the strong bond develop between Nell and Tess. Other big pluses were no formatting errors, nor even a typo to be found (if there were, I missed them), so thank you Ms. Steen for taking the time to polish it up, we readers really do care about things like that. The author's notes at the end mention where the story idea came from and what was fact and what was not (always appreciated). My only real quibble is the story ended too soon. I wanted more, especially Martin (be still my beating heart). Thankfully there is a sequel in the works (whew).
Review copy provided by author, thank you.
December 26, 2018
Let me be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the writing of this book. I just didn't buy the story of an unwed woman giving birth to a child in late 19th century America and the story working out as it did.
February 20, 2015
I hesitate before reading a book by someone I "know" on Goodreads. It's tricky; if I like it, great – but then a positive review sounds suspicious. If I don't like it, the diplomatic engineering of that review is a challenge. I loved the synopsis for The House of Closed Doors, though – and the cover! That really is the most gorgeous cover - and so I quietly went off and bought it from Amazon.
I'm pleased to say I'm friends with Jane Steen on GR. And I enjoyed her book very much. So there. (It just took me forever and a day to finish and post this review – my apologies!)
Oh, I do like Nell Lillington. As a character. I'm not sure how charmed I'd be in person; she starts off this tale as an admittedly spoiled and self-centered seventeen year old girl, who has never had any reason or impetus to become anything else. She has had license to flirt all her life – it's great fun, a skill she has developed to fine art. She has no inclination to marry – not out of an anachronistic desire to hoe her own row, but at least in part because there are no good candidates about, not even her dear old friend Martin. However, combined with the sheer criminal ignorance girls were kept in for … ever, one afternoon's flirtation with a visiting cousin develops in a way she could never see coming. And a few months later the pregnancy she has been hiding is abruptly revealed to her mother and step-father.
Speaking of lovely characters. I loved Nell's mother – soft and sweet, but no fool, she; I loved to hate her step-father, who just, shall we say, did not improve upon acquaintance. I think the best of the two of them was that neither was entirely one thing: Nell's mother is tougher than she seems (she's had to be), and can deal with difficulties more readily than many women of her period and class. And Hiram is … no, I don't want to use that word. No, not that one, either… Hm. He's arrogant, and self-centered, and harshly righteous – but he truly does love his wife and will do anything for her. That came really close to redeeming him, until more information started to come out.
The House of Closed Doors is peopled by characters who are not of sorts often seen in historical fiction – any fiction, really, and reading this I kept wondering why. Nell is a self-centered girl, naïve yet proceeding under the delusion that she is in complete control of her life – until it is very forcefully proven to her that there are a great many things beyond her power. She's not a Mary Sue, not a Standard Issue Teenaged Girl Circa 1870; she is well-rounded and has a life of her own. Her self-absorption (which is partly down to her age and status) makes her an unlikely friend to Tess, a girl who is now easily recognizable as having Down Syndrome, and who was then simply considered damaged. Tess is one of the parts of the book that lingers – partly because she too was a beautifully drawn character who was more than just the sum of her adjectives, and partly because I can't shake the question of why on earth more isn't written about those with Down Syndrome in other time periods and what they went through.
Nell's friend Martin is a pretty special character as well. It's a pleasure to read about a man the likes of which just about everyone knows, a "type", if I may, who has to have existed in every era: the handsome, unattached man who, in today's parlance, pings the gay-dar without quite setting it off. He's not known for wenching – this could be virtue, or inclination of one sort or another. He might be in love with Nell – or it might just be the affection of a true friend. One thing's certain: if you're a man and you impugn his manhood, you will find yourself on your back watching stars and birdies circle overhead. I liked him at least as much as I like Nell, and I particularly enjoyed not knowing where the story would take him, or them. Would there be a "them"? Would there be love, a mariage de convenance, a continuance of their friendship -? At different points in the book I had different guesses. I think they were all wrong. I love that.
For some reason I wasn't expecting the level of suspense and mystery in the story. What I was expecting to be a sort of a coming-of-age story became not only that but much more as well. And while the ending set me up for the sequel, and I can't wait to find out where these folks go next (literally), The House of Closed Doors is very, very satisfying in its own right.
I'm pleased to say I'm friends with Jane Steen on GR. And I enjoyed her book very much. So there. (It just took me forever and a day to finish and post this review – my apologies!)
Oh, I do like Nell Lillington. As a character. I'm not sure how charmed I'd be in person; she starts off this tale as an admittedly spoiled and self-centered seventeen year old girl, who has never had any reason or impetus to become anything else. She has had license to flirt all her life – it's great fun, a skill she has developed to fine art. She has no inclination to marry – not out of an anachronistic desire to hoe her own row, but at least in part because there are no good candidates about, not even her dear old friend Martin. However, combined with the sheer criminal ignorance girls were kept in for … ever, one afternoon's flirtation with a visiting cousin develops in a way she could never see coming. And a few months later the pregnancy she has been hiding is abruptly revealed to her mother and step-father.
Speaking of lovely characters. I loved Nell's mother – soft and sweet, but no fool, she; I loved to hate her step-father, who just, shall we say, did not improve upon acquaintance. I think the best of the two of them was that neither was entirely one thing: Nell's mother is tougher than she seems (she's had to be), and can deal with difficulties more readily than many women of her period and class. And Hiram is … no, I don't want to use that word. No, not that one, either… Hm. He's arrogant, and self-centered, and harshly righteous – but he truly does love his wife and will do anything for her. That came really close to redeeming him, until more information started to come out.
The House of Closed Doors is peopled by characters who are not of sorts often seen in historical fiction – any fiction, really, and reading this I kept wondering why. Nell is a self-centered girl, naïve yet proceeding under the delusion that she is in complete control of her life – until it is very forcefully proven to her that there are a great many things beyond her power. She's not a Mary Sue, not a Standard Issue Teenaged Girl Circa 1870; she is well-rounded and has a life of her own. Her self-absorption (which is partly down to her age and status) makes her an unlikely friend to Tess, a girl who is now easily recognizable as having Down Syndrome, and who was then simply considered damaged. Tess is one of the parts of the book that lingers – partly because she too was a beautifully drawn character who was more than just the sum of her adjectives, and partly because I can't shake the question of why on earth more isn't written about those with Down Syndrome in other time periods and what they went through.
Nell's friend Martin is a pretty special character as well. It's a pleasure to read about a man the likes of which just about everyone knows, a "type", if I may, who has to have existed in every era: the handsome, unattached man who, in today's parlance, pings the gay-dar without quite setting it off. He's not known for wenching – this could be virtue, or inclination of one sort or another. He might be in love with Nell – or it might just be the affection of a true friend. One thing's certain: if you're a man and you impugn his manhood, you will find yourself on your back watching stars and birdies circle overhead. I liked him at least as much as I like Nell, and I particularly enjoyed not knowing where the story would take him, or them. Would there be a "them"? Would there be love, a mariage de convenance, a continuance of their friendship -? At different points in the book I had different guesses. I think they were all wrong. I love that.
For some reason I wasn't expecting the level of suspense and mystery in the story. What I was expecting to be a sort of a coming-of-age story became not only that but much more as well. And while the ending set me up for the sequel, and I can't wait to find out where these folks go next (literally), The House of Closed Doors is very, very satisfying in its own right.
September 29, 2020
4.5 STARS
Loved this first book in the series, and I'm anxious to move on. I am not at all happy with where we left off in this first book. I am happy with many of the outcomes, but I still feel unsatisfied with a certain building relationship... I won't name names, as it is quite obvious to those who've read it. But I suppose that Nell still has some growing up to do. And himself still has his fortune to make. So lets kill some time in other states. Ugh.
Anyway, this one was quite the page-turner once it got going. Excellent writing and story-telling. It was a somber theme pretty much throughout, but with little windows of hope sprinkled around here and there. A gothic mystery with a healthy dose of suspense. Nicely done Ms. Steen. On to book 2.
"Take comfort in your little indisposition," he said. "She has brought great joy to your mother. It is strange, isn't it? The greatest gift you could have given her stemmed from your disgrace."
Loved this first book in the series, and I'm anxious to move on. I am not at all happy with where we left off in this first book. I am happy with many of the outcomes, but I still feel unsatisfied with a certain building relationship... I won't name names, as it is quite obvious to those who've read it. But I suppose that Nell still has some growing up to do. And himself still has his fortune to make. So lets kill some time in other states. Ugh.
It is one thing to plan to make plans; it is another thing to execute one's intensions.
Anyway, this one was quite the page-turner once it got going. Excellent writing and story-telling. It was a somber theme pretty much throughout, but with little windows of hope sprinkled around here and there. A gothic mystery with a healthy dose of suspense. Nicely done Ms. Steen. On to book 2.
August 30, 2012
"Even a lie told for a good purpose has a way of perpetuating itself, doesn't it?"
A woman living in the 1870's doesn't have a lot of options for a career, but becoming pregnant and not being married is even worse. This is the situation that Eleanor "Nell" Lillington finds herself in. When she refuses to disclose the father (not wanting to be married), her father sends her to a Poor Farm where she is to give birth to the child and eventually give the child up for adoption. But the discovery of a double murder along with the people she interacts with daily has a great effect on Nell and forces her to do some serious growing up.
NOTE: I received a free version of this from the author, who happens to be a Goodreads friend of mine.
Some of the first books I remember my mother reading to me were the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories. I adored Laura Ingalls Wilder; I probably read each book several times by myself, once I "outgrew" my mom reading to me. And I also read many of the books based on the events after Laura's own books (such as the Rose Wilder series).
While I am probably more of a science fiction/fantasy girl, I still enjoy reading a nice historical. And this book, while a bit out of my historical fiction range (I typically like ancient historicals) sounded pretty interesting. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this novel.
First off, I was greatly impressed with the writing. I've heard horror stories of self-published authors' works, how they are barely or sloppily edited, with grammar and spelling mistakes galore. Not so here.I think I found only two formatting issues, and I saw absolutely no glaring grammar and spelling mistakes. Not to mention, the story has a great flow to it. Nell has a crisp, clean voice (thank God for the use of First Person Past! I am so sick of First Person Present!) that balances between sounding old-fashioned without the challenge that modern readers may have in reading it.
The characters were vivid and realistic. I wasn't necessarily a fan of Nell in the beginning, but I really did like how she grew throughout the novel. By the end, she has definitely been changed; she is becoming an independent woman like she wanted, but is also learning how to be responsible. I was impressed with Tess' character; she is one of the "feeble-minded" (that is, she has Down's Syndrome), but she is not one of those wise, squeaky-clean, perfect little "children" that I've seen in many other media. Tess makes mistakes; at one point, she procures alcohol via shady means to get information out of someone. I also appreciated how she didn't act superior or pious or made Nell realize how good Nell had it. Tess was a character, flawed and multi-dimensioned.
In the beginning, I kinda rolled my eyes at Martin. I was thinking, "A guy that isn't interested in women? How likely would that be?" But I told myself to shut up and ride it through; in the end, Martin becomes a lot more interesting as well. (Furthermore--and this is assuming that Martin is gay--homosexuality is not something that just popped out of the ground in the 20th century--we've only been (somewhat) more open of the practice and (sometimes) less judgmental now, so that people don't have to hide their sexuality anymore.)
Other characters were pretty well-done. Mama seemed like a sweet, flawed woman. Hiram felt a bit Evil Villain at times. Mrs. Lombardi was a great mentor to Nell (loved to see more women than just our female protagonist!). I wasn't so fond of Tilly and the "loose" women, as they seemed to be a little catty. Not saying that women aren't like that, just that it felt a bit much.
The story itself was really interesting. It has been awhile since I read a book set in this time period ("Gone with the Wind" was probably the last one), so I liked the setting. Nell strikes a good balance of being time appropriate and wanting her independence. I liked seeing Nell grow up, to feel the Victory surroundings (not enough books are set in the Mid-West!), and to experience the aftermath of the Chicago Fire (definitely will be doing some more research on that!!).
If I had one complaint, though, it would be that I wish this book were longer. There were several scenes that ended up being glossed over that I would have loved to see more of. A few that I really would have loved to see: more scenes of Nell living in the Poor Farm (especially more of her first few days living there and the adjustment to the new life) and more scenes with the "inmates" (Tess, Lizzie, even Tilly). I had almost expected a slower pace, like "Gone with the Wind", and I think showing more of what Nell is living through (like the "lazy pace" of GWTW) would have been awesome.
A few minor nitpicks: I was a little surprised at how quickly the murder plot was resolved; it was well-done (I definitely hadn't guessed who the villain is--kudos to Nell for figuring it out soon after I realized it and not running around being an idiot!), but I had expected it to last more of the novel. I also felt that the book could have ended several chapters before it did (somewhat like the multiple endings for "Return of the King"), though I understand why it took as long as it did (there was a lot to wrap up, and I would prefer "dragging it out" to skipping 6 months in the future to have a page wrap up). And lastly, I know I whine about how every book has to have a romance...but in this book, I will admit, I was looking forward to seeing Nell pair off with a nice gentleman. Hopefully in the next book...?
I really had a good time reading this novel, and definitely recommend this to those who grew up on Laura Ingalls Wilder and other historical fiction. Oh, and I hope this comes out in paperback soon, because I will definitely be buying a copy for my mom (who is going to LOVE this!!).
A woman living in the 1870's doesn't have a lot of options for a career, but becoming pregnant and not being married is even worse. This is the situation that Eleanor "Nell" Lillington finds herself in. When she refuses to disclose the father (not wanting to be married), her father sends her to a Poor Farm where she is to give birth to the child and eventually give the child up for adoption. But the discovery of a double murder along with the people she interacts with daily has a great effect on Nell and forces her to do some serious growing up.
NOTE: I received a free version of this from the author, who happens to be a Goodreads friend of mine.
Some of the first books I remember my mother reading to me were the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories. I adored Laura Ingalls Wilder; I probably read each book several times by myself, once I "outgrew" my mom reading to me. And I also read many of the books based on the events after Laura's own books (such as the Rose Wilder series).
While I am probably more of a science fiction/fantasy girl, I still enjoy reading a nice historical. And this book, while a bit out of my historical fiction range (I typically like ancient historicals) sounded pretty interesting. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this novel.
First off, I was greatly impressed with the writing. I've heard horror stories of self-published authors' works, how they are barely or sloppily edited, with grammar and spelling mistakes galore. Not so here.
The characters were vivid and realistic. I wasn't necessarily a fan of Nell in the beginning, but I really did like how she grew throughout the novel. By the end, she has definitely been changed; she is becoming an independent woman like she wanted, but is also learning how to be responsible. I was impressed with Tess' character; she is one of the "feeble-minded" (that is, she has Down's Syndrome), but she is not one of those wise, squeaky-clean, perfect little "children" that I've seen in many other media. Tess makes mistakes; at one point, she procures alcohol via shady means to get information out of someone. I also appreciated how she didn't act superior or pious or made Nell realize how good Nell had it. Tess was a character, flawed and multi-dimensioned.
In the beginning, I kinda rolled my eyes at Martin. I was thinking, "A guy that isn't interested in women? How likely would that be?" But I told myself to shut up and ride it through; in the end, Martin becomes a lot more interesting as well. (Furthermore--and this is assuming that Martin is gay--homosexuality is not something that just popped out of the ground in the 20th century--we've only been (somewhat) more open of the practice and (sometimes) less judgmental now, so that people don't have to hide their sexuality anymore.)
Other characters were pretty well-done. Mama seemed like a sweet, flawed woman. Hiram felt a bit Evil Villain at times. Mrs. Lombardi was a great mentor to Nell (loved to see more women than just our female protagonist!). I wasn't so fond of Tilly and the "loose" women, as they seemed to be a little catty. Not saying that women aren't like that, just that it felt a bit much.
The story itself was really interesting. It has been awhile since I read a book set in this time period ("Gone with the Wind" was probably the last one), so I liked the setting. Nell strikes a good balance of being time appropriate and wanting her independence. I liked seeing Nell grow up, to feel the Victory surroundings (not enough books are set in the Mid-West!), and to experience the aftermath of the Chicago Fire (definitely will be doing some more research on that!!).
If I had one complaint, though, it would be that I wish this book were longer. There were several scenes that ended up being glossed over that I would have loved to see more of. A few that I really would have loved to see: more scenes of Nell living in the Poor Farm (especially more of her first few days living there and the adjustment to the new life) and more scenes with the "inmates" (Tess, Lizzie, even Tilly). I had almost expected a slower pace, like "Gone with the Wind", and I think showing more of what Nell is living through (like the "lazy pace" of GWTW) would have been awesome.
A few minor nitpicks: I was a little surprised at how quickly the murder plot was resolved; it was well-done (I definitely hadn't guessed who the villain is--kudos to Nell for figuring it out soon after I realized it and not running around being an idiot!), but I had expected it to last more of the novel. I also felt that the book could have ended several chapters before it did (somewhat like the multiple endings for "Return of the King"), though I understand why it took as long as it did (there was a lot to wrap up, and I would prefer "dragging it out" to skipping 6 months in the future to have a page wrap up). And lastly, I know I whine about how every book has to have a romance...but in this book, I will admit, I was looking forward to seeing Nell pair off with a nice gentleman. Hopefully in the next book...?
I really had a good time reading this novel, and definitely recommend this to those who grew up on Laura Ingalls Wilder and other historical fiction. Oh, and I hope this comes out in paperback soon, because I will definitely be buying a copy for my mom (who is going to LOVE this!!).
August 23, 2018
Enjoyable historical fiction set in the mid 19th century. A naive young girl becomes pregnant out of wedlock and is sent to a Poor Farm to have her baby. There is a discovery of the remains of a woman and her baby. There is an evil step father; our main character has very modern sensibilities that would have been unlikely for the time but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the story. I look forward to following her story in the sequels.
January 27, 2016
Really 3.5 stars
I enjoyed this story for the most part. There was a little mystery and interesting characters but it didn't flow smoothly for me. I found 60 chapters for such a short book made it choppy. I did like Nell, the main character, as she showed wonderful growth in character as the story progressed. I loved Tess! This is set partly in a small town near Chicago and partly on a Poor Farm, also near Chicago. The daily life on the Poor Farm was very interesting. The time period is 1870-1872. I will definitely be reading the sequel.
I enjoyed this story for the most part. There was a little mystery and interesting characters but it didn't flow smoothly for me. I found 60 chapters for such a short book made it choppy. I did like Nell, the main character, as she showed wonderful growth in character as the story progressed. I loved Tess! This is set partly in a small town near Chicago and partly on a Poor Farm, also near Chicago. The daily life on the Poor Farm was very interesting. The time period is 1870-1872. I will definitely be reading the sequel.
November 7, 2012
Disclaimer: I am a Goodreads friend of the author. I brought the book after Jane Steen commented on a post in my writing section. I brought the book on the strength of friends' reviews and the fact that Steen said she loved A.S. Byatt.
When this book was offered for free on Amazon, I gave it best because the only bit of the blurb I saw was the bit about not revealing who the father of the child was. It sounded like a romance book, and I don't usually read romance books, unless people I know strongly recommend them. Just goes to show, you should be very careful what you pass on.
This book isn't a romance, and it isn't quite a mystery. It's close to being a traditional gothic story as well as a coming of age (or coming into self) story. So it's- gothic, mystery, coming of age - but doesn't suffer from the personality disorder you think it would. It's not a perfect novel, true. At times, especially in the beginning of the book, the conversation between characters seems a little forced. Not an info dump, but not as smooth as it could be. (Steen is hardly the only writer to have this problem). Towards the end of the novel, the pacing goes off a little bit.
The basic plot of the novel is deceptively simple. Nell finds herself pregnant, at a time when a young lady did not do such things, refuses to name the father of her child. She is sent away to a home to give birth to her child in secret. While there, she discovers two dead bodies and feels compelled to solve the mystery of the murders.
One of the novel's strongest selling points is the character of Nell who admits her faults, changes some of them, grows as a character, and is very human. Furthermore, while Martin, her childhood friend is mentioned in the blurb, it should be noted that Steen does show female friendships. This isn't the only perfect female is the narrator type of a book. (Personally, I like Tess. Go Tess!).
According to Steen's biography/author profile, she was named after Jane Eyre, and this book does seem to be descended from that famous novel. If anything, the book is a cross between Radcliffe and the Brontes. A fitting production from a woman named after one of the famous heroines in literature.
The book is compelling. It grabs you from the first sentence. In some ways, it is like a made for Lifetime movie, except Nell is far stronger than those heroines on the channel for "women in danger being saved by men".
When this book was offered for free on Amazon, I gave it best because the only bit of the blurb I saw was the bit about not revealing who the father of the child was. It sounded like a romance book, and I don't usually read romance books, unless people I know strongly recommend them. Just goes to show, you should be very careful what you pass on.
This book isn't a romance, and it isn't quite a mystery. It's close to being a traditional gothic story as well as a coming of age (or coming into self) story. So it's- gothic, mystery, coming of age - but doesn't suffer from the personality disorder you think it would. It's not a perfect novel, true. At times, especially in the beginning of the book, the conversation between characters seems a little forced. Not an info dump, but not as smooth as it could be. (Steen is hardly the only writer to have this problem). Towards the end of the novel, the pacing goes off a little bit.
The basic plot of the novel is deceptively simple. Nell finds herself pregnant, at a time when a young lady did not do such things, refuses to name the father of her child. She is sent away to a home to give birth to her child in secret. While there, she discovers two dead bodies and feels compelled to solve the mystery of the murders.
One of the novel's strongest selling points is the character of Nell who admits her faults, changes some of them, grows as a character, and is very human. Furthermore, while Martin, her childhood friend is mentioned in the blurb, it should be noted that Steen does show female friendships. This isn't the only perfect female is the narrator type of a book. (Personally, I like Tess. Go Tess!).
According to Steen's biography/author profile, she was named after Jane Eyre, and this book does seem to be descended from that famous novel. If anything, the book is a cross between Radcliffe and the Brontes. A fitting production from a woman named after one of the famous heroines in literature.
The book is compelling. It grabs you from the first sentence. In some ways, it is like a made for Lifetime movie, except Nell is far stronger than those heroines on the channel for "women in danger being saved by men".
September 25, 2012
A thoroughly enjoyable romantic historical novel set in America in the late 1800s where choices for a young woman were limited by background and convention.
Our heroine Nell having lived a sheltered and privileged life, decides she wants to experience life before or even if she settles down and marries. Nevertheless she succumbs to the temptation to flirt with a personable young man who enters her life and almost without realising it can have happened finds herself unmarried and pregnant a scandalous state of affairs.
Deciding she must stick to her guns and remain single she resolutely refuses to name the child's father, (although how nobody manages to work it out seeing she meets so few men is a bit beyond me) Her own harsh stepfather happens to be a governor of a poor farm, an institution for the unfortunate members of society, mentally infirm, feeble minded, unwed mothers and sends Nell there to await the birth of her child decreeing that once it is born it can be adopted.
Although the circumstances and surroundings are far from Nells own background, living in the institution is not nearly as bad as she imagined as it is compassionately run by Mrs Lombardi. Nell who is an accomplished and keen needleworker and stitcher is encouraged to work as the farms seamstress, and working thus gives her satisfaction and the company of another inmate with whom she builds a strong friendship - Tess, abandoned by her family for being "feeble minded" It is clear from her description that Tess has Downs syndrome, she is feisty. bright and loving, I loved Tess.
Tess temporarily takes over the place in Nells affections of Nells best friend Martin who she misses lots as he has previoulsy always been there for her as a platonic family friend
However Nell uncovers a mystery in this establishment when two bodies are discovered and she suspects foul play and is determined to uncover the culprit.
Meanwhile her child is born and she discovers that parting with her is not going to be something she can consider, baby Sarah is the most endearingly written baby, usually authors gloss over the difficult task of character building for an infant too small to even speak but this author does it so well I could really picture the little mite and wanted to hug her.
The story was left open for a sequel and I'd love to read what happens next and possibly have my hopes throughout the book for a romance for Nell, which I felt we were being led towards which sadly didn't come to fruition.
Thank you to the friend who recommended it saying I'd enjoy it - I very much did. Lovely writing, great characters, really enjoyed it.
Our heroine Nell having lived a sheltered and privileged life, decides she wants to experience life before or even if she settles down and marries. Nevertheless she succumbs to the temptation to flirt with a personable young man who enters her life and almost without realising it can have happened finds herself unmarried and pregnant a scandalous state of affairs.
Deciding she must stick to her guns and remain single she resolutely refuses to name the child's father, (although how nobody manages to work it out seeing she meets so few men is a bit beyond me) Her own harsh stepfather happens to be a governor of a poor farm, an institution for the unfortunate members of society, mentally infirm, feeble minded, unwed mothers and sends Nell there to await the birth of her child decreeing that once it is born it can be adopted.
Although the circumstances and surroundings are far from Nells own background, living in the institution is not nearly as bad as she imagined as it is compassionately run by Mrs Lombardi. Nell who is an accomplished and keen needleworker and stitcher is encouraged to work as the farms seamstress, and working thus gives her satisfaction and the company of another inmate with whom she builds a strong friendship - Tess, abandoned by her family for being "feeble minded" It is clear from her description that Tess has Downs syndrome, she is feisty. bright and loving, I loved Tess.
Tess temporarily takes over the place in Nells affections of Nells best friend Martin who she misses lots as he has previoulsy always been there for her as a platonic family friend
However Nell uncovers a mystery in this establishment when two bodies are discovered and she suspects foul play and is determined to uncover the culprit.
Meanwhile her child is born and she discovers that parting with her is not going to be something she can consider, baby Sarah is the most endearingly written baby, usually authors gloss over the difficult task of character building for an infant too small to even speak but this author does it so well I could really picture the little mite and wanted to hug her.
The story was left open for a sequel and I'd love to read what happens next and possibly have my hopes throughout the book for a romance for Nell, which I felt we were being led towards which sadly didn't come to fruition.
Thank you to the friend who recommended it saying I'd enjoy it - I very much did. Lovely writing, great characters, really enjoyed it.
October 21, 2012
This was pretty well written but I’m not sure how realistic Nell’s character is. A woman in 1870 who doesn’t want to marry, believes she should have received more sexual education, and doesn’t seem all that distressed by something which will ruin her. She sounds like a feminist and although the movement for women’s rights did begin in the 19th century, it was in it’s infancy. It just seems unlikely to me that a young, naive, isolated small town girl in the midwest would have developed such strong convictions entirely on her own, especially from the start of the novel.
Similarly, I also I never got a strong sense of how strange and unfamiliar her new surroundings were at the Poor Farm, or the overwhelming fear an unwed pregnant young teenager should feel in her situation. Her level of emotionally maturity regarding her predicament did not match up with the recklessness required to land herself in the predicament to begin with. I would have liked to see her a bit more conflicted about what to do when it came to the pregnancy and getting married.
Be aware that the murder mystery element of the novel does not begin until about 1/3 of the way in and gets resolved earlier than I expected. The book is much more about Nell’s story than it is the murder mystery.
That said, there was obviously a lot of thought and work that went into this - Nell was more likable as it went on and the other characters had good, well thought out backgrounds and personalities. The descriptions were well written, the dialogue was realistic, and the plot intriguing. It highlights an interesting and often overlooked part of history (poor farms and workhouses). I also appreciate the professional nature of the book cover and formatting (too many self published authors don’t seem to understand how important presentation is). Overall, a good effort for a self published novel but there is room for improvement.
Similarly, I also I never got a strong sense of how strange and unfamiliar her new surroundings were at the Poor Farm, or the overwhelming fear an unwed pregnant young teenager should feel in her situation. Her level of emotionally maturity regarding her predicament did not match up with the recklessness required to land herself in the predicament to begin with. I would have liked to see her a bit more conflicted about what to do when it came to the pregnancy and getting married.
Be aware that the murder mystery element of the novel does not begin until about 1/3 of the way in and gets resolved earlier than I expected. The book is much more about Nell’s story than it is the murder mystery.
That said, there was obviously a lot of thought and work that went into this - Nell was more likable as it went on and the other characters had good, well thought out backgrounds and personalities. The descriptions were well written, the dialogue was realistic, and the plot intriguing. It highlights an interesting and often overlooked part of history (poor farms and workhouses). I also appreciate the professional nature of the book cover and formatting (too many self published authors don’t seem to understand how important presentation is). Overall, a good effort for a self published novel but there is room for improvement.
set-aside
June 4, 2017I listened to about half of this, after getting intrigued in one of those time-consuming processes (read reviews of one book, followed over to the author of this after liking what she said about that) which explain why I never get anything done. The setting of this, small mid-west town, and the third book, Chicago, in the 1870s sounded interesting and the mystery of the bodies in the poor house sounded good too. I had trouble with Nell's generalised bolshieness, which wasn't quite focused enough to become more than a whiney 'there must be more than this provincial town', though she grew more sympathetic after a while. It was nice that the poor house itself was quite humane, even if most of that could be put down to an exceptionally understanding woman running the place, who didn't seem likely to be hired by the less open-minded men on the board.
The two main problems for me were an excess of melodrama for my taste, and a clash between Nell's obvious sheltered lack of knowledge of life (she says her being kept in ignorance was the direct cause of her getting pregnant) and her much more worldly understanding of things displayed when it suited: like the prostitutes in the home, whose profession she understood without explanation. It didn't help that they were all nasty either. One got in Nell's face and said she despised her because she'd had a choice about getting pregnant, going on to say she'd been raped by her father when she was a child and put on the streets by him as soon as she 'grew tits'. Nell rather grudgingly admits to herself that maybe this woman hadn't had much choice, but I expected a lot more understanding. (I'd have much preferred it be shown by the author in not making the prostitutes all coarse bullies.)
I also wasn't sure that she'd have been so quick to pick up the fact that the men in her town all thought the handsome Martin was gay, or that he'd have said to her that it might do his reputation no harm to be thought her lover. Again, if you're going to make her more knowledgable about sexual matters than she says she is, and then a 'respectable' girl of her time and status would likely be, why not go ahead and treat those matters with a more modern sympathy?
The two main problems for me were an excess of melodrama for my taste, and a clash between Nell's obvious sheltered lack of knowledge of life (she says her being kept in ignorance was the direct cause of her getting pregnant) and her much more worldly understanding of things displayed when it suited: like the prostitutes in the home, whose profession she understood without explanation. It didn't help that they were all nasty either. One got in Nell's face and said she despised her because she'd had a choice about getting pregnant, going on to say she'd been raped by her father when she was a child and put on the streets by him as soon as she 'grew tits'. Nell rather grudgingly admits to herself that maybe this woman hadn't had much choice, but I expected a lot more understanding. (I'd have much preferred it be shown by the author in not making the prostitutes all coarse bullies.)
I also wasn't sure that she'd have been so quick to pick up the fact that the men in her town all thought the handsome Martin was gay, or that he'd have said to her that it might do his reputation no harm to be thought her lover. Again, if you're going to make her more knowledgable about sexual matters than she says she is, and then a 'respectable' girl of her time and status would likely be, why not go ahead and treat those matters with a more modern sympathy?
May 1, 2019
So let's all meet Nell. An 17-year-old young lady who lives in a small town in the 1870s. She lives with her mother and her stepfather. The stepfather respected person in society.
But everything changes for Nell when she finds she is pregnant. She doesn't want to say the father's name, she doesn't want to marry and she waits the day that she becomes 18 and independent ...
So after all these pressures from her family and the tensions it is decided to be sent to a farm-foundation for poor people until she gives birth. After this adventure the baby would go to a new family and Nell would continue her life back to the warmth of her family.
Yeah right?!
Nope!!!
After all that has been done I begin to believe that the author did not enter 100% of the musts of the time. Nell could ask for anything and dream everything but her family have such tolerance and ease?! And after all that was happent?!
Writing was good. The characters were moderate. Could have been the story better?! Maybe
Ratings: 2.5 Stars ...
But everything changes for Nell when she finds she is pregnant. She doesn't want to say the father's name, she doesn't want to marry and she waits the day that she becomes 18 and independent ...
So after all these pressures from her family and the tensions it is decided to be sent to a farm-foundation for poor people until she gives birth. After this adventure the baby would go to a new family and Nell would continue her life back to the warmth of her family.
Yeah right?!
Nope!!!
After all that has been done I begin to believe that the author did not enter 100% of the musts of the time. Nell could ask for anything and dream everything but her family have such tolerance and ease?! And after all that was happent?!
Writing was good. The characters were moderate. Could have been the story better?! Maybe
Ratings: 2.5 Stars ...
March 27, 2016
(Disclaimer: I am a friend of the author on GR, but that has no bearing on this review.)
I loved this story. It wasn't what I expected, but I was drawn into the story with in a couple of pages and when I read:
Wonderful. I was right there in the room with Nell as he grabbed her arm. The story unfolds gently and draws the reader in. The characters are absolutely 'real' and the mystery is handled deftly. I would have liked a more 'defined' ending - it seemed a little 'wishy-washy' to me, but that was all.
The research is fabulous and not intrusive. Little details added without fanfare, - the part about the seams being sewn flat (I didn't bookmark that page so I forget the exact word!), deft little touches about sewing and general life in that era. Nothing that screamed out (as it often does in some books) 'I have done all this research and I am not going to waste it!'
I will definitely be reading the second book in this series ;)
I loved this story. It wasn't what I expected, but I was drawn into the story with in a couple of pages and when I read:
Wonderful. I was right there in the room with Nell as he grabbed her arm. The story unfolds gently and draws the reader in. The characters are absolutely 'real' and the mystery is handled deftly. I would have liked a more 'defined' ending - it seemed a little 'wishy-washy' to me, but that was all.
The research is fabulous and not intrusive. Little details added without fanfare, - the part about the seams being sewn flat (I didn't bookmark that page so I forget the exact word!), deft little touches about sewing and general life in that era. Nothing that screamed out (as it often does in some books) 'I have done all this research and I am not going to waste it!'
I will definitely be reading the second book in this series ;)
December 19, 2013
Book starts out with a young girl who becomes pregnant, and gets sent away to a "home" by her step-father. Within the first few chapters the reader will be exposed to sex and foul language. No recommendation for this book.
to-read-own
December 20, 201712/20/17 Free for Kindle.
April 12, 2022
I liked this book very much.
It is believable? Maybe no, but the story presents us with a character that grows so much through it! Nell is little more than a spoiled brat at the beginning and a strong, determined woman at the end of it.
I really enjoyed her journey and the strength she shows once she finds her path.
A new author for me, and one I'll be checking for more good reading material.
It is believable? Maybe no, but the story presents us with a character that grows so much through it! Nell is little more than a spoiled brat at the beginning and a strong, determined woman at the end of it.
I really enjoyed her journey and the strength she shows once she finds her path.
A new author for me, and one I'll be checking for more good reading material.
October 30, 2024
This was a book club read for the month of October, so most of us were expecting a heavy dose of murder mystery. Turns out, homicide was just a bump on this long, winding road!
The book itself was decently well-written. The main characters grew on me. The dialogue was good. The plot was interesting enough to keep me turning pages, but not so complicated that I couldn’t multitask while listening. My biggest knock against the book was that it had A LOT going on! So many characters, plots, subplots, and traumatic happenings. When we retold the story during our meeting, it took probably 30 minutes! It was hard to remember all the twists, turns, and details.
If you need a light read with a touch of mystery and historical atmosphere, this is a fun one.
Although, I’m still wondering, who the heck is Patrick?!?!?
The book itself was decently well-written. The main characters grew on me. The dialogue was good. The plot was interesting enough to keep me turning pages, but not so complicated that I couldn’t multitask while listening. My biggest knock against the book was that it had A LOT going on! So many characters, plots, subplots, and traumatic happenings. When we retold the story during our meeting, it took probably 30 minutes! It was hard to remember all the twists, turns, and details.
If you need a light read with a touch of mystery and historical atmosphere, this is a fun one.
Although, I’m still wondering, who the heck is Patrick?!?!?
August 8, 2017
This follows Nell Lillington after she falls pregnant at the age of 17 and refuses to disclose the father to her mother and stepfather to avoid the dreaded idea of matrimony.
In the beginning, I felt for Nell and totally understood why she didn't want to marry the father. She did come across as very naive, even for a woman in 1870s America. 'I'm a moderately wealthy woman who can sew so I don't need anybody to protect my future.' Martin had the right idea telling her that she was naive thinking that she could just stroll into Chicago with an infant and a bag of change and instantly thrive.
I loved the part of the novel where Nell is at the Poor Farm. I particularly liked Tess. I loved her personality and her fieriness and it wasn't until reading the postscript authors note that I realised she had Down's Syndrome. It didn't even occur to me. I did like the author's postscript note explaining references through history to Down's Syndrome though. I also liked Mrs Lombardi and the way she cared for the people at the Poor Farm. I thought Blackie showed well as an embodiment of human nature; 'I'll help you, but only if it benefits me' is a common occurrence through history and human nature.
I didn't like how how the other unwed mothers were stereotyped as aggressive prostitutes. Their anger towards Nell is understandable; purely by the circumstance of money are their differences and Nell kind of flaunts that in their faces during her time at the Poor Farm. Also, Lizzie's (the leader of the unwed mothers) storyline is resolved in one line not long after her arguments with Nell. Why would you build up this character just to remove her from the novel with barely any mention?
The murder plot at the Poor Farm was rather stilted. The entire thing was short and choppy and from the first clue it was easy to figure out who had done it. You were just sat waiting for Nell to catch up with you. It was also resolved halfway through the book and actually only received a short amount of attention from the book, despite being one of the major selling points on the book blurb. The entire second half of the book, Nell is back at home with her mother, stepfather and child as she and Martin attempt to bring justice for Jo and Benjamin. Maybe I was being oblivious or something, but why did Nell feel compelled to figure out Jo's murder? The baby hormones that instantly made her want to keep her baby also made her want to solve this other mother's murder? I just don't think that life works that way.
Martin. We have to talk about Martin. It is made pretty obvious that Martin is gay (without ever saying it, considering that it's 1870s America) and Nell has yet to realise this (I'm weighing up whether the rest of the series would answer this question). That being said, I am completely jealous of Martin's ability to colour coordinate because I am absolutely terrible at it and he's the best in the book. Possibly also my most favourite character in the book. He sacrificed his chance to fight in the Army in order to help his ailing mother and sort out his alcoholic father and helps Nell no matter what throughout the novel. Martin is awesome, and is literally the man you want as your best friend (if you're Nell). Though I totally believe that it would have suited both of them had they married at the end. Martin's reputation would have improved and Nell would no longer be seen as a harlot. But they didn't and the conclusion is left very open-ended.
Characterisation was slightly flawed in this novel. As I said previously, Tess was amazing and so was Martin, but conversations didn't tend to flow. They felt very stilted and very robotic. There wasn't much feeling behind the words. Martin and Nell are childhood friends but they didn't have natural sounding conversations. You could have transplanted their conversation onto two unconnected people and it would have read the same.
That being said, I did enjoy this novel. I haven't read many historical fiction (mainly because historical inaccuracies seriously annoy me) but I liked it. It was worth a read, despite all the complaints.
In the beginning, I felt for Nell and totally understood why she didn't want to marry the father. She did come across as very naive, even for a woman in 1870s America. 'I'm a moderately wealthy woman who can sew so I don't need anybody to protect my future.' Martin had the right idea telling her that she was naive thinking that she could just stroll into Chicago with an infant and a bag of change and instantly thrive.
I loved the part of the novel where Nell is at the Poor Farm. I particularly liked Tess. I loved her personality and her fieriness and it wasn't until reading the postscript authors note that I realised she had Down's Syndrome. It didn't even occur to me. I did like the author's postscript note explaining references through history to Down's Syndrome though. I also liked Mrs Lombardi and the way she cared for the people at the Poor Farm. I thought Blackie showed well as an embodiment of human nature; 'I'll help you, but only if it benefits me' is a common occurrence through history and human nature.
I didn't like how how the other unwed mothers were stereotyped as aggressive prostitutes. Their anger towards Nell is understandable; purely by the circumstance of money are their differences and Nell kind of flaunts that in their faces during her time at the Poor Farm. Also, Lizzie's (the leader of the unwed mothers) storyline is resolved in one line not long after her arguments with Nell. Why would you build up this character just to remove her from the novel with barely any mention?
The murder plot at the Poor Farm was rather stilted. The entire thing was short and choppy and from the first clue it was easy to figure out who had done it. You were just sat waiting for Nell to catch up with you. It was also resolved halfway through the book and actually only received a short amount of attention from the book, despite being one of the major selling points on the book blurb. The entire second half of the book, Nell is back at home with her mother, stepfather and child as she and Martin attempt to bring justice for Jo and Benjamin. Maybe I was being oblivious or something, but why did Nell feel compelled to figure out Jo's murder? The baby hormones that instantly made her want to keep her baby also made her want to solve this other mother's murder? I just don't think that life works that way.
Martin. We have to talk about Martin. It is made pretty obvious that Martin is gay (without ever saying it, considering that it's 1870s America) and Nell has yet to realise this (I'm weighing up whether the rest of the series would answer this question). That being said, I am completely jealous of Martin's ability to colour coordinate because I am absolutely terrible at it and he's the best in the book. Possibly also my most favourite character in the book. He sacrificed his chance to fight in the Army in order to help his ailing mother and sort out his alcoholic father and helps Nell no matter what throughout the novel. Martin is awesome, and is literally the man you want as your best friend (if you're Nell). Though I totally believe that it would have suited both of them had they married at the end. Martin's reputation would have improved and Nell would no longer be seen as a harlot. But they didn't and the conclusion is left very open-ended.
Characterisation was slightly flawed in this novel. As I said previously, Tess was amazing and so was Martin, but conversations didn't tend to flow. They felt very stilted and very robotic. There wasn't much feeling behind the words. Martin and Nell are childhood friends but they didn't have natural sounding conversations. You could have transplanted their conversation onto two unconnected people and it would have read the same.
That being said, I did enjoy this novel. I haven't read many historical fiction (mainly because historical inaccuracies seriously annoy me) but I liked it. It was worth a read, despite all the complaints.
October 1, 2013
Full disclosure: The author was an online friend of mine on GoodReads before this book was written. She did not ask me to read her novel – I purchased it and read it off my own initiative.
I readily admit that 1870s United States of America is not a time period I’ve ever read about before, and I might not have chosen it as reading material, simply because I’m much more interested in ancient and medieval history. But I’m glad I read The House of Closed Doors. A good author is marked by a skill to make even topics that we might find not to our tastes interesting and exciting. As far as excitement goes, The House of Closed Doors is not exactly a high-octane thriller, and more of a slow-burning mystery unraveller. The mystery unspools on a carefully measured timescale which I found to be judged just right – I was given just enough to feel satisfied but enough remained unresolved to prompt me into Just Another Chapter syndrome.
I really wouldn’t have thought I’d be interested in the story, based on the blurb – young and pregnant Nell Lillington stumbles across a mystery at the Poor Farm – but the author made me invested in Nell, and combined with the pacing of the plot I really wanted to find out where the mystery would go and what would happen to Nell. I must admit, I guessed the big secret behind the mystery strand fairly quickly after that plotline comes into play, but it’s not glaringly obvious – I just had a gut instinct about it.
What did surprise me was that the uncovering of the mystery part ended when it did. My usual expectations for the pacing of a mystery plot is that the big reveal plus confrontation forms the climax near the end, with a little left over for the aftermath and wrapping up of loose ends. In The House of Closed Doors the big reveal occurs sooner, and then there is another build up towards the confrontation. I wasn’t too sure about the post-confrontation part of the novel. I almost felt like there was too much aftermath, like in The Return of the King film adaptation when there are several points where an ending felt appropriate but it goes on to another aftermath scene.
The House of Closed Doors felt like it had quite a small cast of characters, and usually I’m a fan of larger character casts since they give a story more realistic epic scope – if done well, though if done poorly large casts can end up in a mass of indistinguishable interchangeable names. The small character cast felt right for the story that was being told here however. It isn’t a grand story of historic events enacted by history’s movers and shakers. It’s a story of key events in one individual’s life, and the small circle of people close to her. We didn’t need to know about the rest of Victory’s residents, or anything beyond the minimum necessary about the Poor Farm’s other inhabitants.
Overall, what I like most about the novel is that all of these choices regarding pacing, characters, the reveal of the mystery and the insular ambience of the story, feel like they are carefully and deliberately made, and that’s how the novel reads – fluid, tempered, and very readable. It reminds me a little of Jane Austen; a small town insular story, yes, but executed with such neat precision and thoughtful writing that it has a charm all its own.
7.5 out of 10
February 21, 2016
Seventeen year old Nell Lillington finds herself pregnant after an innocent flirtation is allowed, by her naivete, to go too far. In the 1870s, the only respectable choice she has is to name the father and be promptly wed... but marriage is the last thing Nell wants for her life. She manages to disguise her condition for a while, but her secret is inevitably discovered and she is brought before her mother and stepfather (a man with political aspirations in their small town) and told she must name the man responsible and marry him at once. When Nell refuses, they must come up with a plan to keep her shameful fall from grace hidden, and quickly. Nell is hidden away from visitors under the guise of a lingering illness, unable to see her dear friend, Martin, or anyone else. Her stepfather, Hiram, eventually presents Nell with a choice: she will either be sent to the distant and isolated Prairie Haven Poor Farm, where she will give birth to her illegitimate child secretly and give it up for adoption, or, she can name the father and marry him.
Still unwilling to marry, and wanting to be able to return to her ailing mother after the child has been born, Nell agrees to go to the Poor Farm. Once there, Nell earns her keep by working as a seamstress. She becomes friends with Mrs. Lombardi, the matron, and Tess, one of the "inmates", as they called, living on the farm. A few months later, in the midst of a blizzard, Nell gives birth to her daughter, Sarah. Her days are spent sewing and caring for Sarah, whom she quickly learns to love, and wants to keep.
The sameness of her days is shattered with the discovery of the corpse of a former inmate, still holding her dead baby in her arms. Everyone insists the troubled young woman must have shut herself up in a padded room of the long-unused wing of the house, staying until both she and her child froze to death, but Nell isn't at all convinced that's what happened. She believes someone forced the poor woman into that room, and left them there to die. But why would someone have cause to murder a young woman and her baby? Was it the unknown father, perhaps? Nell wanted answers, but more than that, she needed to find a way to escape the farm with her precious daughter, before her stepfather forced her to give baby Sarah away. But the cost of those answers is far more than Nell ever imagined it could be.
I enjoyed reading this book very much, but the one disappointment I had was that the ending felt a bit... unfinished. I'm hoping it's because a sequel is in the works, because I would dearly love to know what happens next. As a stand-alone, it's still a good story, and worth reading if you enjoy historical fiction/mysteries. After all, it certainly isn't the first book I've read that ended too soon for my liking. (But I'm still going to hold out hope that there will be more of Nell's story to be read in the future!)
Still unwilling to marry, and wanting to be able to return to her ailing mother after the child has been born, Nell agrees to go to the Poor Farm. Once there, Nell earns her keep by working as a seamstress. She becomes friends with Mrs. Lombardi, the matron, and Tess, one of the "inmates", as they called, living on the farm. A few months later, in the midst of a blizzard, Nell gives birth to her daughter, Sarah. Her days are spent sewing and caring for Sarah, whom she quickly learns to love, and wants to keep.
The sameness of her days is shattered with the discovery of the corpse of a former inmate, still holding her dead baby in her arms. Everyone insists the troubled young woman must have shut herself up in a padded room of the long-unused wing of the house, staying until both she and her child froze to death, but Nell isn't at all convinced that's what happened. She believes someone forced the poor woman into that room, and left them there to die. But why would someone have cause to murder a young woman and her baby? Was it the unknown father, perhaps? Nell wanted answers, but more than that, she needed to find a way to escape the farm with her precious daughter, before her stepfather forced her to give baby Sarah away. But the cost of those answers is far more than Nell ever imagined it could be.
I enjoyed reading this book very much, but the one disappointment I had was that the ending felt a bit... unfinished. I'm hoping it's because a sequel is in the works, because I would dearly love to know what happens next. As a stand-alone, it's still a good story, and worth reading if you enjoy historical fiction/mysteries. After all, it certainly isn't the first book I've read that ended too soon for my liking. (But I'm still going to hold out hope that there will be more of Nell's story to be read in the future!)
January 28, 2021
Second read August 25, 2020 - 5 stars
Just as compulsively readable as it was the first time. Nell’s first-person voice is so real and the imagery transported me to life on the prairie. Every chapter ends on a cliffhanger and I just couldn’t stop turning the pages. And I love, love, love the characters. Mrs. Lombardi, sweet and strong matron of the poor farm's women’s ward. Tess, abandoned by her family because of her mental disability, who finds a big sister in Nell. Martin, Nell’s best friend since forever.
Recommended for fans of character-driven historical fiction with a bit of mystery.
“I don’t know what congenial is, but I think you’re nice too. Can’t you marry Nell?”
“Tess, it is not done to ask gentlemen to propose marriage to one’s friends. Not in public, anyway.”
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First read July 27, 2018 - 5 stars
While I wait impatiently for the sequel to “Lady Helena Investigates” by Jane Steen, I’m reading her trilogy called “The House of Closed Doors”.
The synopsis of this book made me a bit apprehensive about reading it. I thought that a pregnant seventeen-year-old girl living in 1870 would have viewed marriage to the father of her baby as mandatory, and that she wouldn’t have known that she had other options. It turns out that the story is plausible, as her pregnancy was the result of the worst kind of misunderstanding that a man and woman can possibly have. She was completely ignorant of “the facts of life” and had no idea what the kissing was leading up to, and he assumed that she knew where this was going and that she was in complete agreement. From her perspective, it was almost rape, and so her refusal to name the father and her initial willingness to give up the baby for adoption made complete sense.
To hide her pregnancy from the neighbors and save her family from disgrace, she goes to a poor farm to work as a seamstress. Here, she befriends some lovely people and solves a murder mystery.
The writing is gorgeous, the characters are real and compelling, and this book is unputdownable.
“Come out to the garden, Mr. Rutherford,” I said with my most dignified air and then spoiled the effect by adding, “Oh, that’s no use. We’ll either be in the blazing sun or eaten up by mosquitoes. Come up to the parlor, and I’ll tell you Mrs. Lombardi’s news.” I peered at Sarah, who yawned, showing a tongue smeared with mashed cake.
“Oh, don’t worry about the little darlin’, Miss.” Bet stifled a belch behind a freckled hand. “I’ll make a little nest of cushions on the blanket, and Marie will watch over us both as I take my nap.” She looked longingly at her large armchair. Marie breathed the faintest of sighs and stuck out her underlip just a little, but not so that Bet could see her.
Just as compulsively readable as it was the first time. Nell’s first-person voice is so real and the imagery transported me to life on the prairie. Every chapter ends on a cliffhanger and I just couldn’t stop turning the pages. And I love, love, love the characters. Mrs. Lombardi, sweet and strong matron of the poor farm's women’s ward. Tess, abandoned by her family because of her mental disability, who finds a big sister in Nell. Martin, Nell’s best friend since forever.
Recommended for fans of character-driven historical fiction with a bit of mystery.
“I don’t know what congenial is, but I think you’re nice too. Can’t you marry Nell?”
“Tess, it is not done to ask gentlemen to propose marriage to one’s friends. Not in public, anyway.”
------------------------------------------------
First read July 27, 2018 - 5 stars
While I wait impatiently for the sequel to “Lady Helena Investigates” by Jane Steen, I’m reading her trilogy called “The House of Closed Doors”.
The synopsis of this book made me a bit apprehensive about reading it. I thought that a pregnant seventeen-year-old girl living in 1870 would have viewed marriage to the father of her baby as mandatory, and that she wouldn’t have known that she had other options. It turns out that the story is plausible, as her pregnancy was the result of the worst kind of misunderstanding that a man and woman can possibly have. She was completely ignorant of “the facts of life” and had no idea what the kissing was leading up to, and he assumed that she knew where this was going and that she was in complete agreement. From her perspective, it was almost rape, and so her refusal to name the father and her initial willingness to give up the baby for adoption made complete sense.
To hide her pregnancy from the neighbors and save her family from disgrace, she goes to a poor farm to work as a seamstress. Here, she befriends some lovely people and solves a murder mystery.
The writing is gorgeous, the characters are real and compelling, and this book is unputdownable.
“Come out to the garden, Mr. Rutherford,” I said with my most dignified air and then spoiled the effect by adding, “Oh, that’s no use. We’ll either be in the blazing sun or eaten up by mosquitoes. Come up to the parlor, and I’ll tell you Mrs. Lombardi’s news.” I peered at Sarah, who yawned, showing a tongue smeared with mashed cake.
“Oh, don’t worry about the little darlin’, Miss.” Bet stifled a belch behind a freckled hand. “I’ll make a little nest of cushions on the blanket, and Marie will watch over us both as I take my nap.” She looked longingly at her large armchair. Marie breathed the faintest of sighs and stuck out her underlip just a little, but not so that Bet could see her.
September 21, 2016
DISCLAIMER: The following review was originally posted on my book blog The Book Challengers.
This book managed to surprise me as I didn't think that I would find a book like this among Kindle freebie deals. It kind of reminds me of The Tea Planter's Wifeand also of Gone with the WindGone with the Wind but in reality it's not like either of them. But I guess it also is in the sense how the book made me feel... it made me feel a bit like a Catherine Cookson without it actually being one.
I admired Nell for her resolve to keep her child's father identity a secret. Sure, it got her a future she hadn't foreseen before, but it also kept the story interesting in the way that no-one but Nell knows who the father is and she simply doesn't care for a marriage with that man. Her ideas of working herself and not wanting to be her husband's pretty handhold seem outrageous to her peers. Her stepfather is a major a-hole, her friend Martin is a sweet man, her friend Tess may be simple, but I really liked the fact that the author brought in a character that most people of that time would deem simply an imbecile. Nell truly seems to care for Tess and although it doesn't seem that believable to Nell's peers, they really are the best of friends.
Although I'm not happy with the way Steen ended this story, I also don't think I want to read the sequel either. In a way this story had the perfect ending to a story that was interesting and had some slightly different characters from your usual heroes and heroines. Although, as usual, communication is key in everything and our heroine may not be the best in that regard. Maybe she simply needs a bit time and growing up.
I definitely recommend this book to historical fiction fans who would like a change from all the Harlequin novels. :)
This book managed to surprise me as I didn't think that I would find a book like this among Kindle freebie deals. It kind of reminds me of The Tea Planter's Wifeand also of Gone with the WindGone with the Wind but in reality it's not like either of them. But I guess it also is in the sense how the book made me feel... it made me feel a bit like a Catherine Cookson without it actually being one.
I admired Nell for her resolve to keep her child's father identity a secret. Sure, it got her a future she hadn't foreseen before, but it also kept the story interesting in the way that no-one but Nell knows who the father is and she simply doesn't care for a marriage with that man. Her ideas of working herself and not wanting to be her husband's pretty handhold seem outrageous to her peers. Her stepfather is a major a-hole, her friend Martin is a sweet man, her friend Tess may be simple, but I really liked the fact that the author brought in a character that most people of that time would deem simply an imbecile. Nell truly seems to care for Tess and although it doesn't seem that believable to Nell's peers, they really are the best of friends.
Although I'm not happy with the way Steen ended this story, I also don't think I want to read the sequel either. In a way this story had the perfect ending to a story that was interesting and had some slightly different characters from your usual heroes and heroines. Although, as usual, communication is key in everything and our heroine may not be the best in that regard. Maybe she simply needs a bit time and growing up.
I definitely recommend this book to historical fiction fans who would like a change from all the Harlequin novels. :)
November 17, 2019
Nell Lillington can no longer hide her pregnancy ... and she refuses to name the father, whom she has no desire to marry. This is not how things are done in 1870s Illinois. So, her politically-minded stepfather Hiram, over the objections of her ailing mother, has Nell sent to the Prairie Haven Poor Farm until the child is born and can be adopted.
For those who may be too young to remember, a poor farm was a sort of agricultural workhouse. The indigent and their families could go there to live and work until they got back on their feet. I had elementary school friends who lived on one in Oregon. So, I was familiar with the arrangement when I read about it.
Nell lives in the Women's House, along with a young woman who obviously lives with Down syndrome, Tess, and several others. Tess attaches herself to Nell right away, determined to be a friend.
There is a locked wing where violent, mentally ill patients were kept, but it hasn't been needed for some years. When it is needed for some new patients, a horrific discovery that touches far too close to home for Nell's liking is made. I will not deliver spoilers about this matter.
Then there's the matter of the family friend, Martin, who is Nell's lifelong friend and has been made to believe that she's with family on the East Coast. She misses him very much, but dares not write to him. Besides, she thinks of him as horribly old (we learn that he is, in fact, only 29).
There are all kinds of complications in the story, of course, and real historical incidents and practices are seen through Nell's eyes.
I thoroughly enjoyed the tale, and plan to read the next two books in the series.
For those who may be too young to remember, a poor farm was a sort of agricultural workhouse. The indigent and their families could go there to live and work until they got back on their feet. I had elementary school friends who lived on one in Oregon. So, I was familiar with the arrangement when I read about it.
Nell lives in the Women's House, along with a young woman who obviously lives with Down syndrome, Tess, and several others. Tess attaches herself to Nell right away, determined to be a friend.
There is a locked wing where violent, mentally ill patients were kept, but it hasn't been needed for some years. When it is needed for some new patients, a horrific discovery that touches far too close to home for Nell's liking is made. I will not deliver spoilers about this matter.
Then there's the matter of the family friend, Martin, who is Nell's lifelong friend and has been made to believe that she's with family on the East Coast. She misses him very much, but dares not write to him. Besides, she thinks of him as horribly old (we learn that he is, in fact, only 29).
There are all kinds of complications in the story, of course, and real historical incidents and practices are seen through Nell's eyes.
I thoroughly enjoyed the tale, and plan to read the next two books in the series.
June 6, 2017
This was a really incredible novel that kept me up way past my bedtime, two nights in a row. The mystery is engrossing, the characterization well done, the pacing carefully managed.
Nell was a genuine delight to watch as she matured. In the beginning of the novel even she would admit that she was spoiled and self-absorbed, headstrong and stubborn. Watching her grow into an independent, compassionate woman who thought of others before herself was a fantastic journey that I would have been happy to follow along even without the mystery surrounding her growth. And I think the mystery would have been still intense even without being built around strong characters. A couple of the "big reveals" I thought were a little obvious, but I have to remember that I know that I'm reading a novel and can be aware of likely plot structure.
I also greatly appreciated that the author didn't sugar coat history in order to make it more palatable for modern readers. Her main protagonists had enlightened ideas for their time, but that did not make them interchangeable with the characters in the latest teen romance. Ms. Steen does not shy away from the institutionalized sexism and racism of the time, because I'm sorry, that's the way that things were. Sometimes her characters use phrases or words that we wouldn't use today, but they did then, and that's just a fact. I respected her decision to be accurate, even if offends modern sensibilities or costs her readers who don't understand that 1870 is not the same as 2017.
Nell was a genuine delight to watch as she matured. In the beginning of the novel even she would admit that she was spoiled and self-absorbed, headstrong and stubborn. Watching her grow into an independent, compassionate woman who thought of others before herself was a fantastic journey that I would have been happy to follow along even without the mystery surrounding her growth. And I think the mystery would have been still intense even without being built around strong characters. A couple of the "big reveals" I thought were a little obvious, but I have to remember that I know that I'm reading a novel and can be aware of likely plot structure.
I also greatly appreciated that the author didn't sugar coat history in order to make it more palatable for modern readers. Her main protagonists had enlightened ideas for their time, but that did not make them interchangeable with the characters in the latest teen romance. Ms. Steen does not shy away from the institutionalized sexism and racism of the time, because I'm sorry, that's the way that things were. Sometimes her characters use phrases or words that we wouldn't use today, but they did then, and that's just a fact. I respected her decision to be accurate, even if offends modern sensibilities or costs her readers who don't understand that 1870 is not the same as 2017.
April 3, 2021
Ok I’m clearly missing something here because this book is so well reviewed but I thought it was completely awful?!?! Like I had to force myself through it because it was so painful.
The plot was just all over the place, like things were so random & i’m confused on what the overall purpose of the story & climax are. Also I can’t get over the whole cousin sex thing... & I don’t buy that refusing to tell your baby daddy about his kid is some type of woman stand of independence. It’s just immature & detrimental.
Also the very convenient death of her stepfather - WHAT?!? He’s just this angry, murderous, evil genius one second then all of a sudden he’s throwing a baby into a river (THAT SOMEHOW SURVIVES?????) & then conveniently dies cause he falls on a rock chasing people down a river. Just a whole lot of wtf.
The entire thing was just so unbelievable everything worked out too conveniently, no characters had true backstories, convenient people died, random ghosts appeared (I still don’t get it), & everything just magically worked out at the end.
I just really hated this book & would recommend it to absolutely no one. Also, nothing seemed intellectual or introspective about the writing. It was just very basic & blah. I’m so happy to be done with this book.
The plot was just all over the place, like things were so random & i’m confused on what the overall purpose of the story & climax are. Also I can’t get over the whole cousin sex thing... & I don’t buy that refusing to tell your baby daddy about his kid is some type of woman stand of independence. It’s just immature & detrimental.
Also the very convenient death of her stepfather - WHAT?!? He’s just this angry, murderous, evil genius one second then all of a sudden he’s throwing a baby into a river (THAT SOMEHOW SURVIVES?????) & then conveniently dies cause he falls on a rock chasing people down a river. Just a whole lot of wtf.
The entire thing was just so unbelievable everything worked out too conveniently, no characters had true backstories, convenient people died, random ghosts appeared (I still don’t get it), & everything just magically worked out at the end.
I just really hated this book & would recommend it to absolutely no one. Also, nothing seemed intellectual or introspective about the writing. It was just very basic & blah. I’m so happy to be done with this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2018
I liked both the book and the author. Main character, Nell, has just enough spit and fire about her to keep this book from being 'oh so sweet and heartwarming.' I do not like 'oh so sweet and heartwarming' books. The book is a tale of things that happened to sixteen year old Nell. Ready? Here we go. A visiting boy from the East visits Nell and her family living near Chicago. Nell, somehow, is impregnated by the boy in a first and only time standup quickie. She goes to 'one of those homes' where she will deliver and give up her baby. In the course of the affairs of mankind, there is often a twist that changes fate or the expected outcome of any situation. Nell suffers such a twist of fate. The things that happen to her after the twist make this book what it is. Read the book to learn about those things. You will be entertained.
The author's writing mechanics are excellent. She makes the book flow through her excellent pick up timing.
Thank you, Ms. Steen, for a good read.
The author's writing mechanics are excellent. She makes the book flow through her excellent pick up timing.
Thank you, Ms. Steen, for a good read.
June 6, 2017
1.5 stars.
I've been trying to finish this one for a while, but unfortunately, I got about halfway through before I gave up. This one just isn't for me. It's not holding my attention and nor is it particularly exciting or entertaining me, so I think it's best if we just call it quits now.
I've been trying to finish this one for a while, but unfortunately, I got about halfway through before I gave up. This one just isn't for me. It's not holding my attention and nor is it particularly exciting or entertaining me, so I think it's best if we just call it quits now.
October 6, 2012
An OK though somewhat bland story. Nell was too dry a character, especially with all the tumultuous events happening in her life. She read like a robot. The ending seemed rather abrupt as well.
June 3, 2017
This is a very odd book for me to review. I remember reading and enjoying it. But it's been a week; there's been two books and a Broadway show since then, and for the life of me I can't remember how it ended! But, I do know it was quite satisfying and that I was very happy to have read it.
In the latter part of the 19th century in middle America, a well-to-do young woman finds herself pregnant. Refusing to name the father, she is bundled off to a poor house as all her friends are told she's going on an extended holiday visiting relatives. The plan is to have to have the child, give it up for adoption, and return home with her reputation and (marriage-ability!) intact.
While there, a discovery is made of another young woman with an in infant frozen to death in a locked room with no heat, and the protagonist makes it her business to find out the identity of the dead couple and what happened to them.
The author did a wonderful job of creating the world the story takes place in. The sights and sounds and smells all become very real as you're reading and it makes for a very engaging story.
It is definitely a mystery and not a thriller - there is no jump to action every 25 pages. But, the story keeps you turning the pages to find out, not only what happened to the dead mother and child, but what will happened to the heroine and her child.
Most welcome relief spoiler: it does not turn into a romance novel!
I recommend it to all who enjoy a long afternoon read with a good cup of coffee or snifter of brandy and a lit fire. It's that kind of book.
In the latter part of the 19th century in middle America, a well-to-do young woman finds herself pregnant. Refusing to name the father, she is bundled off to a poor house as all her friends are told she's going on an extended holiday visiting relatives. The plan is to have to have the child, give it up for adoption, and return home with her reputation and (marriage-ability!) intact.
While there, a discovery is made of another young woman with an in infant frozen to death in a locked room with no heat, and the protagonist makes it her business to find out the identity of the dead couple and what happened to them.
The author did a wonderful job of creating the world the story takes place in. The sights and sounds and smells all become very real as you're reading and it makes for a very engaging story.
It is definitely a mystery and not a thriller - there is no jump to action every 25 pages. But, the story keeps you turning the pages to find out, not only what happened to the dead mother and child, but what will happened to the heroine and her child.
Most welcome relief spoiler: it does not turn into a romance novel!
I recommend it to all who enjoy a long afternoon read with a good cup of coffee or snifter of brandy and a lit fire. It's that kind of book.
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