I adored this book and Joanne Froggatt's narration! It's a little challenging to follow the characters and the chronology but I think that's part of the point...it's kind of about timelessness and connections--of people, places, and things. It's going on my list of all-time favorites. :-) ( )

4.5 stars
Well, this isn’t my typical genre preference, it caught my attention and I’m so glad I read it! It’s been a few days since I finished it and still I can’t find the words to describe it, but I’ll try.

• I would have given this book 5 stars, if certain things have been explained/made more sense. Given the length of this book (482 pages) nothing should’ve been left out/overlooked. I do feel like not all the loose ends were tied up, and that left me a bit disappointed.
• The beginning is slow and it takes a bit to get to the meat and potatoes of the story but when you do, it’s delicious!
• The telling of the story through different perspectives and eras gives it much more depth, yet sometimes it’s too much. Some characters aren’t given enough page space and others, such as Leonard, who story I don’t believe, added anything as a whole, or given too much.
• I would definitely recommend this book. I would also recommend making a timetable as you go. Mine is in the back of my book with unanswered questions in the front. I realized afterwards that I probably should’ve done that the other way around.
• There are so many good quotes in this book that I keep a log on the title page. ( )

4.5 stars ( )

Historical Fiction

This multi-layered story’s main character is a house on an estate, Birchwood Manor, and its primary narrator is a ghost, although one would be hard pressed to call it a ghost story, per se. TO BE CONTINUED. ( )