Nathaniel Hawthorne and his wife lived a very interesting life. I was enthralled with how they stayed connected to each other through so many trials. They were rich, poor, separated, living in foreign lands, sick, and so much more yet they managed to keep their love alive and live fulfilling lives together. I have heard stories of true love before, yet this is a real story of true love. It is not a live wrapped up in a pretty bow where all is easy and happy. The House of Hawthorne is a story of real true love. Nathaniel and Sophia are in physical pain when they are separated, they need each other, live off being with each other.

I loved Sophia. From the first time she met Nathaniel and knew of her sisters care for him, she tried to do the right thing but the heart knew better. The pulled between them was undeniable. As her life moves forward with her family, Sophia puts her own art on hold and raises her family. This is a typical mother, she has to. She does it without complaint and understands that her time for art is not over, she is just making a different form of art. She had a contentment about her that made her a great example for mothers, even in today’s world, of how unselfish you have to be to raise your children and keep your family safe.

The timeframe of The House of Hawthorne was of great interest to me. Not only did I see how life in America was in the 19th century, but I was taken across the ocean to places that I dream of visiting. Each place that was visited was brought to life with the descriptions of the towns, the buildings, the surroundings, and also the people and their lifestyles. The details were evident that Erika Robuck did her research.

This is my first novel by Erika Robuck and I cannot wait to read more. I will recommend this book.

The book tells the story of Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family from the 1830s to the 1860s but in the words of his wife Sophia. Erika drew heavily on Sophia's journals and letters to create this portrait and in doing so she became "enamored by her enthusiasm, her stubborn optimism, and her almost childlike view of the world. It was a challenge to write in her voice, and I hope I rose to the occasion.” I think Erika did.
Preview of an interview with the author.

Ms. Robuck really grabbed me with her writing style in Hemingway's Girl and she repeats her glimpse into a historical character in The House of Hawthorne. Told in first person, which normally irritates me, it worked for this book. I truly felt I was looking at the life of Sophia as she was telling it to me. Engrossing and inviting, this book flew for me and I found myself forcing myself to put it down to attend to other book reviews and life in general.

Reviewed for Publisher via Netgalley.

The rich story of life of Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, a woman behind Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Sophia, a gifted artist herself (a painter), finds her life fulfilling in creating the home for her husband, gifted and oversensitive beloved author of "A Scarlet Letter", and their children. And it is not an easy task, as Nathaniel, as a sensitive soul, is prone to enter the moody and dark states of mind and soul, and also because their life is not immune to poverty, pain and deaths of many beloved. But Sophia strives to find the light in the darkness (also not an easy task) and also the husband-wife bond is extraordinarily strong.

This book is noth the vivid image of the union of Nathaniel and Sophia and of their times. I must confess that the latter might be even more interesting as the former, as skilled authoress Ms Robuck intertwines some very interesting trivia and life facts about the famous persons of the American pre-civil war times. Henry Thoreau, Ralph Emerson and the Browning couple are amongst them.
And also romanticism, the moving idea behind then thinking, feeling and behaviour - how enriching and yet tiring period! I grew restless from the many, many emotions presented in the book - the gentle ladies fainting because of the small disturbances, the age of innocence - and yet, how strong and healthy were (and are) the ties with nature and how good is to acknowledge the emotions! Every side has two coins, indeed.

The characters are multi-dimensional and also with both sides - Sophia is mature and very caring, very devoted to her husband (and vice versa). Reading the book, I believe that he would had never achieved what he did behind the love of his wife behind him - to be honest, he feels like a very self-absorbed man, and also a weak one, relying too much on the receiving love and support. But two can play that game and they play it here, too - as much as I believe that Sophia has made this writer, she also could be a voice of reason more often, to confront him about his over-sensitive and broody behaviour. But these are musings of a modern woman, I know.
But I must confess that their constant love (and attraction to each other) is very enviable!
Sophia also had a very beautiful soul and her seeing the silver linings in the darkness is also following-worth.

Being an European, I have never read "The Scarlet Letter", but now it is on my TBR pile.

I will follow Ms Robuck's works from now, already eyeing these about Hemingways and Fitzgeralds!

Excellent book! Really fascinating look into what Nathaniel Hawthorne's life could have looked like, and very informative about his wife--who I really knew nothing about. If this is even close to reality, it's very uplifting for a fledgling author such as myself, to remember that even the greats struggled.

Although I was provided an advance reader's copy of this book, I actually never read it and therefore cannot provide feedback. Thank you.