House of Longing

by Tara Calaby

Charlotte has always known she is different. Where other young women see their destiny in marriage and motherhood, the reclusive Charlotte wants only to work with her father in his stationery business; perhaps even run it herself one day. Then Flora Dalton bursts through the shop door and into Charlotte’s life—and a new world of baffling desires and possibilities seems to open up to her.

But Melbourne society of the 1890s is not built to embrace unorthodoxy. When tragedy strikes and Charlotte is unmoored by grief, she finds herself admitted to Kew Lunatic Asylum ‘for her own safety’.

There she learns that women enter the big white house on the hill for many reasons, not all of them to do with lunacy. That her capacity for love, loyalty and friendship is greater than she had ever understood. And that it will take all of these things—along with an unexpected talent for guile—to extract herself from the care of men and make her way back to her heart’s desires.

A compulsively readable historical romance, House of Longing combines an effortless instinct for narrative with impeccable research, lightly worn. House of Longing is the debut of a major talent.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Lesbian, LGBT, Fiction, Adult, Queer, Historical

416 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2023

About the author

Tara Calaby is an English-Australian writer and editor, living in Gippsland, Australia with her incredible wife and far too many books and DVDs. Calaby is currently a PhD candidate at La Trobe University, researching the social worlds of women in Victorian lunatic asylums. Her speculative and historical short stories have appeared in a number of journals and anthologies and her debut novel House of Longing was published by Text Publishing in June 2023.

NB: I use Goodreads as a reader, not an author, and have a policy of not engaging with reviews of my work. Chat to me on socials instead! Many of the books listed here were read for research purposes and the views expressed within them do not necessarily reflect my own.

Reviews

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4 Stars⭐️
House of Longing is a debut novel for Aussie author Tara Calaby and a well written historical romance fiction tale. I found it unique, sensitively written and an amazing read. The characters are fabulous and the protagonist Charlotte is extremely likeable.

Charlotte has no desire in marrying a man as expected in society, she leads a quiet and calm life working with her beloved father in his stationery shop in Melbourne in the 1890’s.

When Flora Dalton bursts into the shop, Charlotte finds herself battling desires she didn’t know she had for the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

There is a family tragedy and Charlotte is overcome by grief which lands her in Kew Lunatic Asylum. I found the goings on inside the asylum absolutely intriguing, it was sad how class decided their work roles. In the asylum Charlotte learns loyalty and friendship and a lot more.

Flora was a character that did at times annoy me with her treatment of Charlotte’s emotions.

Just look at that cover, stunning!

Publication Date 30 May 2023
Publisher Text Publishing

A huge thank you to Text Publishing for a copy of the book.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Text Publishing for sending us a copy to read and review.
I’m calling it now….
This book is going to be an instant bestseller and it’s one of my favourite stories of the year.
I totally loved it and it’s beautifully written with a sensitive, engaging and fascinating storyline.
It’s 1890 and society has its own way that women should be.
Charlotte Ross works with her father in the family stationary business in busy Elizabeth street, Melbourne.
Hoping to one day run it herself, she knows she has diverse feelings about love.
Then Flora Dalton walks in the store and Charlotte’s heart begins to flutter.
When tragedy happens, her life begins to unravel.
Entering Kew Lunatic Asylum, her world changes.
But not everyone there has madness or is crazy and Charlotte befriends a group of women who form their own version of family.
Can Charlotte return to society and have everything her heart desires?
A forbidden love, a captivating romance, an unbreakable bond, the support of friendship, the era of society rules and the effects of loss, this magical yet tender tale is one that needs to be on everyone’s lips.
I read three quarters in one sitting, couldn’t put it down and the short time I wasn’t with it, was thinking about it and couldn’t wait to get back to devour the rest.
I love a rich, detailed and entertaining historical fiction and love it even more when we are gifted with a subject and issues that are not usually written about.
It’s so rewarding for a reader to go back in time and paid with a narrative that flows so handsomely and splendidly it leaves a lasting impression.
A tale that got me deep in my soul and a book I will never forget.
Remember this authors name, I predict big things.
Get your hands on this book and read it now, you will not be disappointed.

[Freya Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tara Calaby is a great writer. This story was so gentle, subtle yet powerful. It felt true to the era and yet I felt like it could’ve been about today the way the women all came together.
I feel like the cover of the book let’s it down a bit as it looks like a cheesy romance novel however if you can look past that, it’s such a beautiful, intriguing and well-written story!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book quite slow going. I enjoyed reading about how Charlotte and Flora became friends in the first place. This book addresses the plight of women of the upper classes in the late 1900s, expected to marry, run a household and produce male heirs, but I didn’t feel the book brought much to the table in terms of originality or interest. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

[Text Publishing]

The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of House of Longing

‘Written through a female lens of empowerment, at its heart House of Longing is about accepting who you are and finding ways to live while working to support the changes you can make.’
ArtsHub

‘Tara Calaby’s debut novel, based on her doctoral studies, wears its clearly extensive research lightly as it weaves an engrossing story…Both realistic and hopeful.’
Australian Book Review

‘A moving historical feminist and sapphic narrative that illuminates the shadowy corners of 19th-century colonial culture…The novel is carefully researched, and the different sections of society appear in satisfying alternating waves. The shopgirl and the socialite perform a tortured dance that promises a fine happy-ever-after waltz.’
Age

‘[Tara Calaby’s] imagination fleshes out experiences that are hard for historians to access; she enters the interior lives of people from the past…Her characters are well-drawn portraits of women inmates, but also of the nuances in their care…A hopeful story about love and courage—which suggests alternative futures for women seeking independence from marriage and social norms.’
Conversation

‘A thoroughly enjoyable debut set in 1890s Melbourne, skilfully delivering a tender Sapphic romance and building a world with complex characters and nuanced relationships. Calaby builds an utterly endearing heroine.’
Big Issue

‘There’s a hypnotic rhythm to Tara Calaby’s writing, full of compassion and comprehensive depth, making this a compelling debut. Charlotte is equal parts fascinating and sympathetic, and Flora lights up the page with her vim. House of Longing is a beautiful romance that will break your heart, and set it soaring again, this time with hope.
Weekend Australian

‘A good, cracking read.’
RNZ Nine to Noon

[Jessica Maree · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://jessjustreads.com

Set in 1890s Melbourne, Tara Calaby’s debut novel House of Longing is set within the walls of the Kew Asylum, which opened in 1872 and housed people with mental illness. Tara’s novel pivots around a same-sex romantic love story but is also a tale of bravery amidst the terrible treatment that women were experiencing in the asylum.

We meet Charlotte shortly before she experiences two life-changing moments –she meets and falls in love with the beautiful doctor’s daughter Flora, and Charlotte’s father dies unexpectedly. The grief triggers a breakdown that ends with Charlotte inside Kew Asylum. There, she meets a large group of incredible other women, all battling their own demons and trying their best to survive.

“The fourth evening was the coolest yet. The two of them drew in close to the fire for warmth, and Flora burrowed into Charlotte’s side in such a way that Charlotte couldn’t help but wrap an arm around her.”

The story feels like it has two phases – the first, following Charlotte and Flora’s love story, and Charlotte’s devastation at the passing of her father; the second, Charlotte’s journey in the asylum, and teaming up with the other patients when they start to experience abuse and neglect at the hands of the staff. The second half is the strongest part of the story, and the pacing increases from here.

Tara is incredibly skilled at characterisation – there was a real threat of the women in the asylum merging together and feeling a bit same-same, but Tara crafted characters who all felt individual and unique. I could picture them all as I read them, and they each had their own distinct personalities.

“But Charlotte wasn’t listening. Her dreams had been swelling within her for months and she could no longer hold them inside her heart.”

House of Longing explores a woman’s expectation from society in the late 1800s. A same-sex relationship, which wouldn’t be accepted by those around them, and Charlotte wants to defy society’s pressure that she marry a man purely because that’s what other women do. She can survive, and run her father’s shop, on her own.

Admittedly, the pacing is a little slow to start. Once Charlotte was in the asylum, I was left wondering where the story was headed. The storyline slowed a little as we were introduced to the setting, but once Eliza is pushed down the steps the story starts to ramp up and the pacing maintains for the rest of the story.

“She was too exhausted to cry with any real passion, but tears seeped from her eyes as she brought her knees up towards her chest, and wrapped her arms around the scratchy skirt of the borrowed dress.”

An engaging romance and heartfelt tale of courage among disadvantaged women, Tara’s debut House of Longing is suitable for fans of historical fiction. Readership skews female, 25+

Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

One Liner: Nice but could have been shorter

1980s, Melbourne

Charlotte knew she was different. She was happy in her father’s stationery store and had no dreams of marriage or motherhood. When Flora Dalton walked into the shop one day, Charlotte couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her.

However, women had many restrictions and social norms defining their lives. When a devastating event led to Charlotte’s grief, she was shifted to the Kew Lunatic Asylum for her own safety. Soon, Charlotte realized that the many women in this place were not lunatics but were declared to be for whatever reasons.

Charlotte is determined to get away from the place and create a future she wants. Can she do it? Will they let her?

The story comes in Charlotte’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:

The book is 416 pages long and has a super slow start. The lengthy chapters and the writing style further weigh down the pace. The overall pacing is uneven, making it seem like a much longer read.

The scenes at the asylum are definitely better handled. There’s detail, but not so much that it feels like misery porn. There are many characters, but the women manage to retain their individuality. The blend of hope, fear, trauma, healing, etc., works well. Even when nothing seems to happen, we know there’s some change in the characters.

While I liked a few (later) scenes between Flora and Charlotte, some of them were way too dramatic. Combined with the historical setting and the writing style, I couldn’t help but compare it with the black-and-white periodic dramas with OTT dialogues and actions. It doesn’t help that Flora feels surreal in many instances.

There’s also quite a lot of repetition about Charlotte being plain and different and Flora being beautiful. I get it. I don’t need so many reminders!

The last section is pretty solid and has the most action. Charlotte and Flora also grow up a little, which makes their interactions more relatable. And oh, the romance is slow burn and fade-to-black.

The ending is positive and hopeful. Not a perfect HEA (which would have been odd), but the kind of conclusion to call it a bittersweet and heartwarming read.

To summarize, House of Longing has some worthy themes and touches upon important topics. However, it could have been around 30 pages shorter and crisper to be more impactful.

Thank you, NetGalley and Text Publishing, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley #HouseOfLonging

***

TW: Suicide attempt (non-graphic), non-sexual abuse in an asylum (semi-graphic), death of parents

[Griflet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to assume this is another Australian Creative Writing PhD novel which I've stated often I believe need to be declared (beyond the acknowledgements) as such, rather than shoe-horned into a commercial genre. They're particular beasts and are about university-recognised research outputs for a particular academic theory (thesis question) gap/lack. That's a completely different aim than what a non-PhD writer produces a work for, especially without university supervisors who have their own interests and agendas to serve...and why I believe a big fat "Phd Novel" stamp needs to be on the cover of these works. I feel duped as a reader if it's not really clear what you're selling me.

And as a novel emerging out of a PhD it suffers the usual lacks and contrivances, particularly in the ending.

It's also making me wonder whether part of my dissatisfaction with my previous read, Carmody's 'Comes the Night', is because perhaps it has also emerged in part from a Creative Writing Phd - it has that flavour.

I'd love to know how many of these Phd novels are being industry published in Australia each year, and what those stats look like historically and the commercial success or otherwise and reader reception.

"If experimentation within the creative doctorate is to continue in congruence with the
aim of publication, then it seems reasonable to suggest that popular genres could be
reframed within the academy as possible new sites of radical engagement. This does
not mean the end of more traditional exegesis-plus-creative-work models; quite the
opposite. There is an opportunity to expand the horizons of the creative writing thesis
to bring the literary to the popular, the popular to the academic, and stylistic equality
to the award.
With the continuing decline of independent publishing and the literary novel in
Australia, the discipline needs to find new ways to support and encourage writers to
be published. If popular genres are considered to have a less than academic flavour,
then there is now the chance for creative writing doctorates to experiment with
injecting a literary flavour into those genres. And vice versa: if literature is being less
read, academic experimentation may discover the reason and the cure. The exegesis
will continue to be a place where boundaries are pushed or ignored and literary genres
enjoy a burgeoning experimental drive. Personally, I see the new point on the horizon
as the popular genre."

Boyd, Nicola 2009

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

House of Longing is an Australian novel only available in the US in ebook form. It’s a lesbian romance that takes place in Melbourne in the 1890s. Charlotte is the only daughter of George Ross, a shopkeeper. He wants her to marry and have kids, but she keeps dodging these expectations. Instead she tries to prove to her father that she is a worthy successor for the store. She loves her dad and their work and is perfectly content until she meets Flora. This girl blows into the shop to pick up an order for her doctor father and steals Charlotte’s heart in the process. They become close, and of course Charlotte finds out something about herself that she hadn’t known before. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) Unfortunately, Flora fucks it all up by lying to herself and to Charlotte, and when she finally comes clean it causes a huge rift between the two women. Meanwhile, Charlotte loses her father and tries to jump off a bridge to end her own life in her grief. The second half of the book takes up Charlotte’s story after she’s pulled out of the river and sent to the Kew “lunatic asylum.” The author is a PhD student in women’s history and she knows a lot about the asylum. She writes that detail into the novel in just the right amount. The women in the asylum have interesting back stories and distinct personalities. And the book as a whole has a lot of feminist undertones but it never smacks you in the face with the message. The one quibble I have is that very often in lesbian romance novels one of the women is always described as “manly” in some way. Either they’re tall and flat chested or they are plain, or they are really strong or something. This is contrasted with a woman who is very girly, I guess to give the femme/butch dichotomy, but that is so basic. Why can’t they both be hot femme ladies. That doesn’t mean they automatically won’t be attracted to each other. I’d prefer that both women thought well of themselves and both were sought after. Anyway, this author’s style is very fluid and melodious. I enjoyed reading it and will look out for her next book, if she had another one in her. I hope she gets a better cover for that one though!! 😏

[Jülie ☼♄  · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte is not like other women her age who are meant to be out and about at social functions dressed up in the latest Victorian fashions trying to attract the eye of a potential husband…nothing irks her more.
Charlotte has dreams…something that is not encouraged in women of that time, and possibly bordering on rebellion.
She loves her solitary life among the books and paraphernalia of her fathers’ beautifully appointed stationary shop and has no desire to fit in to the expected norms, where her destiny is predetermined by the socially accepted standards of others.

It is just her and her father now and they enjoy a quietly comfortable companionship living above their shop where her father minds the business end of things.
Charlotte looks after the housekeeping side of things, occasionally serving customers in the shop.
It is her hope that her father will one day trust her to carry on his legacy with the business, though she is content to continue with the way things are right now.
She adores her father, and she adores the shop, but she longs for the time when she might prove that women can run a successful business without the need of a mans’ support. Where a woman might make her own life choices without judgment.

Set in the 1890s in Melbourne, in a time where high society dictates how women must dress and behave in order to be accepted amongst the elite…so they may find a suitable husband…Charlotte’s preferred choice of an independent lifestyle is threatening to have her left on the shelf without a husband to keep her, or the chance of raising a family, a socially unacceptable and undesirable position as a spinster.

Sensitivity written, this is a very touching and engaging story about an unexpected encounter where two souls meet in a moment in time when least expected.
Where, in a split second, each recognised something in the other and a deep and abiding connection was made.
This is a moving story of a love and life unrequited…or perhaps?…. No spoilers here.
It is an easy and engaging read with elements of surprise and apprehension, it is so much more than its blurb suggests and I can recommend it as such for lovers of good historical romantic fiction.

4⭐️s

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for my digital copy to read and review.

[Misha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melbourne in the 1890s, and a young woman running a stationery shop with her father and intending to never marry as society requires. Fast forward and we have the young woman bereft of hope and the will to live and admitted into an asylum "for her own safety". This is a story about finding hope again and learning to use the limited tools available to you in society as a single woman without a male protector to achieve your less-than-orthodox dreams of an independent life.

This is slow going (i.e. well-paced, IMO) for the period and subject matter. Charlotte is in a hopeless situation, both with her personal fortunes and in terms of control over her own life, or people she can depend on. How she gains back control slowly with the help of some incredible female friendships developed in the asylum is a lovely and hopeful tale. Also gay as heck and quite a reasonable end for the period.

Would recommend, this was a really enjoyable and interesting read into the time and the life of a young woman seeking to control her own destiny without marriage or a male relative to protect her in society's eyes.

[Barbara Rohde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Melbourne in the late 1800s, this story involves Charlotte who works in German father’s stationery shop, and Flora, an exquisite beauty that Charlotte immediately falls in love with. But Flora’s destiny has already been decided - she is to marry a doctor despite her own reciprocal feelings toward Charlotte. This, plus the death of Charlotte’s father, sees her incarcerated in a lunatic asylum after she tries to drown herself in her grief.

Much of the story then continues in the asylum where class divisions reign supreme. In the 21st century we are horrified at the treatment of these poor women, but those deemed mentally ill in our society are still treated very poorly with drugs, ECT and mandatory detention when we still know very little about the brain and the chemical interactions of hormones which can really affect women’s behaviour.

A fascinating read by this debut author and I hope she continues to write on this theme.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a combination of interesting threads of history. Beautifully set in both Melbourne and what was in those days Kew Lunatic Asylum. Charlotte is an engaging lead character, content to work side by side with her father in their wonderful stationary shop. Into her life comes Flora, a society girl and the attraction is immediate. Fuelled by a camping trip to Gippsland their love progresses but Melbourne in the 1800s isn’t about to welcome two women together. When tragedy strikes Charlotte finds herself most believably in Kew. The research of this is excellent and the story races forward. Worthwhile reading . Thanks to @textpublishing and to @netgalley for the copy to review. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an important read.

This was such an enjoyable yet harsh book. Dealing with dark themes such as homophobia and misogyny against lesbian relationships, with beautiful yet easy to digest writing it was everything I would of hoped for and more.

The characters are excellently written each with their own deep issues that made me feel for them. I cried, I laughed I went through an emotional rollercoaster all because of this. Such a gorgeous and dare I say flawless book I can't recommend it enough!!

[Sara Longino · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started pretty interesting, but then as soon as Flora crashes Charlotte's hope for the future and she is committed to the asylum the tone change. What little lgbt romance might had been there is forgotten. Life at the asylum is readable, but not what I signed up for. Flora's character doesn't really evolve or take risks, Charlotte gets her shop back and is able to help her friends from the asylum which is good and feels good to read, but... still not a hint of romance, more than 'we hold hands'.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content warnings: mental illness, depression, suicide attempt

It's very slow but I think the pace is perfect for this period piece. I think some readers may find a few repetition in the story but I think it speaks up the grief and depression that Charlotte felt. There's enough balance between the romance and the grief and the life at asylum that Charlotte endured at. The characters, especially the patients from the asylum, were written respectfully.

All in all, a solid and enjoyable read.

[Chanel Chapters · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

Read for bookclub

Set in Melbourne, two women have instalove until one has a temporary stay in an asylum.

I live in Melbourne, but the amount of street name dropping made this feel like a tourism advert.
The insta love was too saccharine and surface level and the whole selective mutism and drawn out asylum stay made no sense.

There wasn’t any real plot so the book mostly rests on the romance, which did nothing for me.

Also, the brokeback mountain scene felt so contrived.

[Cat Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted this to be gayer, but it was a great read. Spoiler: the lesbians 1 don’t die and 2 have a happy ending!!!! Which is HUGE.

If you’re looking for some late 1800s Aussie, coy, relatively innocent lady lovin’ with a good dose of historical fiction, I recommend this book. Great little protagonist.

[Zoozoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a book set in Australia in a while and I must say that this was a very enjoyable trip back to down under.

The story follows Charlotte, a daughter of a shopkeeper in Melbourne, who meets the beautiful Flora. Charlotte and Flora strike up an immediate friendship, and even something more, as it is obvious they have romantic feelings for each other. Nevertheless, everything changes when Flora is set to marry a man and Charlotte is institutionalised.

Although it was a bit of a slow read in the beginning, and the really interesting part came almost near the middle, I really enjoyed watching the development of Charlotte's and Flora's relationship. I am a sucker for sapphic romance, so this was right up my alley; however, that wasn't the theme that drew me in initially.

As someone who is planning to study psychology in the very near future, I was really interested to see how the author would portray the Victorian treatment of mentally ill (or perceived as such, anyway) women - and I was not disappointed. It was obvious from the descriptions of the Kew Asylum's workings that the author spent a lot of time researching this subject and the attitudes of contemporary doctors towards mental illness, which she also addresses in her note at the end. Some of the scenes made me feel so squeamish I had to take a few breaths to calm myself down. It all just left me feeling grateful for being born at the time I was, as I would have definitely ended up in one of these institutions, and I can't even imagine what the real thing would even look or feel like.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and an excellent debut for the author. I hope to read more from her soon!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free review copy.

[Hayley]

I read approximately 120 pages. It is ok but a bit slow and I have decided not to continue.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me both laugh and sob uncontrollably.
The intricate rituals are REAL

[Bruce Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8. Very well-written but a couple of events too hard to accept. A very twee ending. This is very much lesbian literature but with lots of longing and very little consummation.

[Cristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

Queer romance ✅
Stationery-loving main character ✅
Historical asylum setting ✅
Australian author ✅

[Charlotte McConnell-Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

An must read extremely well written and well researched sapphic historical fiction novel.
From the first page this book intraptes you with its descriptive setting and brilliant main character and takes you on a heartbreaking but in the end hopeful journey. This book has so many important things to say, things that will stay with me forever. About, mental health, hope, love, friendship and so much more. A review could never do this book justice though so go read it:)


Other notes about things I liked about this book

.There were a lot of things in Charlotte's character that really resonate with me as a lesbian autistic women and I really appreciate that.
. I learned a lot from this book about a topic (mental asylums for women in australia in the late 1800s)that is not mentioned much at all and should be talked about more.