It’s amazing how we classify people in levels with mannerisms and relationships. It was an interesting book but left the reader hanging and felt it was incomplete. I hope there is a sequel that brings it all together.

Immersive and engaging. A recommended purchase in all formats for collections where gothic litfic is popular.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review. The narration by Ell Potter was fantastic and really added to this story but this book had some good moments and other moments that were just bland. She puts emotion into it and is what really kept me going during some areas where the story slowed down a bit.

The House in the Orchard was one of my MOST ANTICIPATED reads for 2022. But, it honestly took my a long time to get through this book. I have came to realize, I LOVE the Gothic take on books these days, However, I think I disconnected with the book because of the war aspect. Typically I try to stay clear of books with diary entries within the story because I find them to be daunting. However, I quite enjoyed them in this book. One of the disconnects with The House in the Orchard, could be that I lost interest in it and found it boring. I found myself falling asleep. I did finish this book but ultimately sped up the audio version just to get through it. I would like to see what else Elizabeth Brooks has to offer in the future.

The House in the Orchard is sort of a story within a story. Some of the characters were likable, others not so much. Hints at haunting, but doesn't quite hit that target.

The House in the Orchard by Elizabeth Brooks had me hooked right from the start. It was engaging and a bit shocking and I wanted to reach into the book and grab some of the characters! Then, it ended. And, sadly, the ending ruined it for me. I know that the author is allowed to end the book the way they like, and I am a fan of the beginning enough that I am still giving three stars. However, the ending felt vague and unsatisfying. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. The audio narrator did an excellent job.

This audiobook of the House in the Orchard was wonderful! I loved the concept of a story within a story, and really appreciated Maude's perspective of growing up. I liked that she was an unreliable narrator. I appreciated reading this gothic story during the fall!

So in the beginning of this story, I felt terrible for the main character because she had a lot of trauma and it seemed like she was babied and was a little naive for the circumstances she was dealt. Further into this story, you learn that she is a lot smarter and more cunning than I originally gave her credit for. Honestly, in the end I felt like this story had a lot of trauma and horrible circumstances for it not to be that memorable. It was a nice story to listen to about this girl growing up and becoming a mature woman, but at the end of the day it didn’t change my life listening to it. I’m excited to see when the Aardvark Book Club reviews come in from readers. I will admit this is not my typical genre so I did reach outside of my comfort zone and maybe that’s why I may not have enjoyed it as others did!

This review has been added to Goodreads, Literal and Storygraph, as well as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. This will be posted to my instagram (@busywithmybooks_) within the week.

Thank you for allowing me to listen to this story!!

Wow. I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. It starts out mysteriously with a WWII widow moving into an old dilapidated house in the English countryside which she inherits with her young son only to be warned by her father-in-law not to inhabit the house, that it could be dangerous for reasons he won't confess. After finding a diary written by a 13-year-old girl who lived in the house in 1876 the widow learns about young Maude Gower. Maude is taken in by a relative stranger after being orphaned and turned away by the rest of her aunts and uncles. Her brother, whom she adores, promises to take her back in three years time when he graduates medical school. Maude's prior upbringing in an upper class high society London family clashes with the rather simpler lifestyle of her new patroness in the country, but over time she questions her own upbringing and reluctantly starts to admire her new guardian who opens her eyes to the possibilities of love, education and independence. Great characters and a fascinating turn of events. Haunting and intriguing. 3.75 stars.

Thank you to Tin House, HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy.

The House in the Orchard is a story within a story. Right after WWII a widow inherits a house, where she finds a diary written by a girl in the late 19th century. This is a gothic story about a mysterious past, hidden secrets, complex characters, and a major twist at the end, which unfortunately I was able to guess before it happened. The story takes place in two time periods with two different narrators. Maude the girl from the diary is probably one of the best examples of an unreliable narrator that I have seen a while. Is she telling the truth? Did the story really happened the way she tells it? After all she was a writer as an adult. There is no closure to the story in the end, thus the four stars instead of five.

This was such a good audiobook. I seem to gravitate to books set in London lately. This reads like a historical fiction in a time when young ladies did not study the classics or go to college. Young Maude is only a young teenager and only has a desire to grow up and keep house for her older brother who is studying to become a doctor. After both of her parents' death, she is sent away to live with Kitty Greenway. I don't want to give any spoilers but young Maude learns a lot about herself and others over the course of the next year. All of Maude's life events are being read from the pages of a diary years later by her late nephew's wife who has inherited Orchard House and finds the diary.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this audiobook. It was well written and the dual timelines lined up and were not confusing. I thought the narrator did a great job as well.

What a pleasant surprise! Going into this one I was worried it was going to be slow and drawn out for my liking. I ended up really enjoying it! I did NOT see the ending coming and I physically gasped when it figured out what was coming.

3.5 Cambridgeshire, 1945. Peggy, a recent widow, and her young son come to Orchard house, a house left by her husband's ain't, which has now become hers. She looks forward to raising her young son here, but there are things she finds eerie. Plus, her father in law Frank wants her to sell, telling her the house is haunted. Indeed, there are questions, the cellar has been bricked over and that night she hears things, has feelings that she may not be alone. Then, she finds the journal and begins to read.

What follows is Maudes story. A young girl of 13, who has lost both her parents, her only brother Frank is older and in college. A woman, unknown, but responding to her father's wishes, had agreed to raise Maude. There are many questions, things Maude is to young to understand. Who is this woman? What did she mean to her father? What follows is a young girl , confused, who is manipulated in any ways, insecure, wanting love but aware people may have ulterior motives. A tragedy ensues and everything changes, until the end when again questions abound. What is true and what is not?

I have a soft spot both for gothic novels and books written in journal or diary form. I felt the ending was rushed but kind of liked the uncertainty it produced. A slow unraveling of a young girls innocence but I was captivated by her thoughts.

The narration by Ell Potter was fantastic and really added to this story.

The House in the Orchard by Elizabeth Brooks is told in a dual timeline. It’s 1945 and widow Peggy has recently inherited Orchard House, bequeathed to her deceased husband from his aunt. Peggy is keen to move but her father-in-law tries to dissuade her without explaining why. When Peggy finds an old diary she learns some of the history of the house and its occupants.

The diary belonged to Maude, Frank’s teenaged sister. Maude presented as a spoiled and completely naïve child. When Frank and Maude’s father and then mother die, relatives are unwilling to take responsibility for Maude while Frank is at university. They find instructions designating an old “friend” of the children’s father to take guardianship of Maude.

Through no fault of her own, Maude came across as selfish and unlikeable. An unreliable narrator, or is she? This is of my favorite type of character. She brought the crazy and I was there for all of it. The narration by Ell Potter set the gothic mood of this book perfectly. Perfect audiobook to listen to over a fall weekend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House. #TheHouseintheOrchard #NetGalley

The House in the Orchard is a story within a story that begins with Peggy, a World War II widow that inherited Orchard House from her husband's Aunt Maude. She looked forward to making a fresh start with her young son, but as soon as she arrived, hew concerns grew. Most of the book focused on the diaries of thirteen-year-old Maude that Peggy discovered.

Newly orphaned in 1876, Maude was sent to live with Miss Kitty Greenaway. Her entire family (her older brother, Frank, included) warned her that this unfamiliar woman shouldn't be trusted. Despite the warnings, Maude grew to like the outspoken, unconventional stranger. However, when Frank paid a visit, things went awry and spiraled into a series of events that couldn't be stopped.

I really enjoyed this book, and the narration was very well done. I didn't have a clear idea of how the story would unfold, and I looked forward to learning how Maude would eventually take hold of Orchard House. Some portions of the story's conclusion felt a little overdramatic, but I liked that the relatively simple plot built into something larger and unexpected.

Peggy, a war widow, inherits Orchard House from her late husband's Aunt Maude. Upon visiting the property she feels unsettled and comes across Maude's teenage diary.
Maude, orphaned, was forced to move to the Orchard House to live with a stranger, Miss Greenaway. Everyone, especially her brother (Frank), told Maude not to trust her new guardian but Maude can't help but feel charmed by her. She tries to make sense of the adult world she get glimpses of and tries to figure out her future and her decisions lead to a tragedy.
This was quite a cozy read/listen. While there were some gothic elements to it, I thought the comparison to classics such as The Secret Garden and A Little Princess was apt. Things moved slowly in 1876 and this book nailed the vibe of that era perfectly. Maude is a naive and properly brought up girl, so her confusion, despite her age, made sense. The story builds up such that you aren't necessarily shocked by the outcome, but I loved the way it made me question what the truth actually was. I can't say I found Maude nor Frank likable, but that seemed intentional. In lots of stories the teenager girls are rebellious against the world order and patriarchy but in this one it was interesting to read about a character that wasn't like that. I have no excuses for Frank though. I did like the kitten side characters as well as Miss Greenway. The audio was great, and captured the tone really well.

This was a fantastic read -- the narrator was . . . well, I don't want to say too much, but . . . this one is worth reading.


Review copy provided by publisher.

When I was a kid, my dad used to watch a lot of Masterpiece Theatre and I found it so slow and dry. I still have a difficult time getting into some of their stuff because everyday life in long-ago England is dull. The House in the Orchard is set in the same time period and has some of the same qualities of the Masterpiece Theatre shows; as much as I try to appreciate it, I just can't. There's not much action in their everyday lives. Add in that this is told from the point of view of a 14-year-old with very limited life experiences and you've completely lost me. I really tried to like this but couldn't get into it at all. DNF at 50%.

Thank you for the ARC!
This a delightful story about how children can make horrible mistakes because they don't yet know the consequences of their actions.
And about how they behave in certain ways based on the expectations set in place by the adults in their lives. Thsi was so sad and so good.
I absolutely loved the narrator too.

I will be thinking about this one for a long time.