Elizabeth WilhideReviews

Mackintosh presents a peculiar case in the world of architecture and interior design. He is celebrated for the work he produced, but this was wide ranging and touched on many domains - he did not manage to bring to fruition many of the architectural plans he conceived, and yet is still to this day celebrated as a visionary. Elizabeth Wilhide makes a compelling case for why that is, in this wonderfully illustrated and highly informative review of the Mackintosh style.½

The setting is WWII. Before the war came to England, Julia Compton was secure in her love of her son, and her life with a handsome man who met all financial needs. The life style was good, friends were of the country club set, and Julia thought she was quite satisfied.

Then, a dashing film maker and his crew came to town, and her life is turned upside down. Operating from the heart instead of her head, she longs for Dougie with a passion she never previously felt.

When her husband discovers her indiscretion, she is tossed out. Moving with Dougie, who is also married, to live in London while his wife took their three daughters to live in Canada while the war raged one, all too soon Julia longs for her son and bit by bit sees the flawed man she is with.

Julia learns that she wasn't wise in her decision. This period novel focuses on the penniless condition of Julia, and the different lifestyles and values of she and Dougie. Dougie refuses to help with the financial cost of her divorce and, because she has no means of her own, she is straddled between two lives.

Extensive book of multi-cultural patterns....

Usually I do not read romance novels, but this one pulled me in. The setting is WWII. Before the war came to England, Julia Compton was secure in her love of her son, and her life with a handsome man who met all financial needs. The life style was good, friends were of the country club set, and Julia thought she was quite satisfied.

Then, a dashing film maker and his crew came to town, and her life is turned upside down. Operating from the heart instead of her head, she longs for Dougie with a passion she never previously felt.

When her husband discovers her indiscretion, she is tossed out. Moving with Dougie, who is also married, to live in London while his wife took their three daughters to live in Canada while the war raged one, all too soon Julia longs for her son and bit by bit sees the flawed man she is with.

Julia learns that she wasn't wise in her decision. This period novel focuses on the penniless condition of Julia, and the different lifestyles and values of she and Dougie. Dougie refuses to help with the financial cost of her divorce and, because she has no means of her own, she is straddled between two lives.

There are shades of Anna Karenina in this book wherein the women leaves a comfortable lifestyle only to suffer severe consequences for her choice. Shunned by society, she drifts alone without a safety net or ship to cling to.

Good writing amid the backdrop of war, excellent character development, and a story that keeps the reader drawn into the pages, make this a book I recommend.

I am so, so sadden by the outcome I had with this book. This book is right up my alley so I was thoroughly looking forward to reading it. However, it was quickly apparent that I shared no connections to the characters or the story. This is the type of story where it suffers if there is no human connection between the reader (me) and the characters. Yet, I will tell you that I held out hope that the story would get better as I progressed. I still think that there is hope for this book, I just could not stick with it to the end. I barely got a third of the way in.

Very agreeable novel about the history of an 18th century house, starting with the 21st century brother and sister who inherit it and then, in chapters that begin in the 1700s and work to the present, follow the house from it's origins as a pile of golden-brown stones and some architectural plans through it's heyday as a fully functioning estate and the many many people whose lives it impacts.

Muy bien construido el personaje de "la casa", mejor que la mayoria de los humanos, aunque hay dos o tres con los que te encariñas enseguida. Es una lectura ligera y entretenida que se hace corta.

This book is very good from a literary standpoint, and just from a "good stories" point of view. I guess it is Michener meets Downton Abbey. It almost sagged for me in the middle, but then pulled through. What I loved about it was that the house was a character in its own right, and I liked that the stories had a point through the ages.

More 4.5 than 4

The blurb describes very well the general plot but for me the telling phrase is she has "a handsome husband who pays the bills". This is not the way I'd hope most of us would describe a husband and is suggestive of a practical arrangement rather than a happy, fulfilling marriage. Little wonder then, that Julia has her head turned by the advances of a handsome, married, bohemian film-maker Dougie Birdsall.

Without describing plot and giving away spoilers, I'd like to say why I loved this book. First of all I'll admit that Brief Encounter is one of my favourite films of all time and this had echoes of the prim and proper Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson) meeting the charismatic Dr Harvey (Trevor Howard). Only in this instance Julia is the bored suburban houswife who is more than tempted and Dougie is the stranger with it transpires little moral integrity. Unlike the film, Julia and Dougie, ignore the prevailing social mores and embark on an affair that has irreversible consequences, especially for Julia.

This is a wonderful period piece that presents a portrait of a relationship in turmoil and how society viewed adultery/divorce. Adultery was nothing new, but as a respectable wife and mother having an affair, Julia paid dearly for her choices. As a woman, she became essentially persona non grata, within her social circle/family and her actions are deemed morally reprehensible. Set against the backdrop of the Blitz, it also highlights the contradictions of a growing live-for-the-moment attitude and changing sexual attitudes among the young.

It offers an interesting insight into life on the Homefront during the war. This ranges from practical day to day living and rationing constraints to an insight into the Ministry of Information and how it worked to present positive images and morale boosting films to aid the war effort. The war is a pivotal feature in the story as it engineers Julia and Dougie's meeting and also, without spoilers, her salvation.

It is a book that creates a range of emotions and really draws you in, not all the characters are likeable but they are very well drawn, and realistic, making this a great read, that I'd happily recommend. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author based on this.

I received a review copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

When brother and sister Charlie and Ros learn that they have inherited their aunt's palatial English country house, they must decide whether to keep it or sell it. Ashenden has been in their family since the eighteenth century and is steeped in family history. As the siblings survey the effects of time on the estate's architectural treasures, a beguiling narrative spanning two and a half centuries unfolds.

We meet those who built the house, lived in it and loved it, worked in it, and those who would subvert it to their own ends. The walls of Ashenden echo with the lives of the architect who directs the building of the house in 1775; the wealthy and affluent Henderson family in their heyday; the maid who is tempted to solve her problems by stealing a trinket; the Jazz Age speculator who hosts a fabulous treasure hunt; the prisoners held there during World War II; and the young couple who lovingly restore it in the 1950's.

Each chapter is skillfully woven into the others so that the storylines of the upstairs and downstairs characters and their relatives and descendants intertwine to create a richly beautiful tapestry, full of humor, heart, and poignancy.

I absolutely loved this book. It was the type of story that I didn't want to end. I have always loved stories about houses and their histories; and this book was no exception. Elizabeth Wilhide is a new author for me and this is her debut novel, although she has written many, many books on interior design. I give this book an A+!

Ashenden is a charming historical read that concerns itself with the generations of owners and servants living in a manor house built in the English countryside in 1775. Beginning in the present when siblings Charlie and Ros inherit Ashenden upon the death of their great aunt, it meanders back to when its foundations were first carefully chosen and laid. Charlie and his sister must decide whether to sell it, or keep it for future generations of their family to enjoy. Charlie is happily married and settled in the United States, and sees the expense of the old mansion as prohibitive, but Ros is determined to save it, and has mapped out what she thinks is a plausible plan for its restoration.

Wilhide fills the story with history and atmosphere - the novel and its vignettes show the house in war time, poverty and at the height of its glory. Even as Ashenden, the novel explores how former owners have gained and lost the house and surrounding property, Ashenden itself is the star of the show, so much so that its almost pointless to bother getting attached to the people who live, work and die there. Their stories are picked up on a whim and dropped just as quickly, with some coming to more satisfying resolutions than others. Home restoration and architecture are prominently considered within the narrative, and readers who enjoy those details will find them in this pleasant, though rambling meditation on the history of a historic house.

What an absolutely brilliant idea for a book! Elizabeth Wilhide has taken the chequered history of Basildon Park (Netherfield in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice adaptation), building and owners, and turned the soul of a beautiful house into a series of nuanced vignettes, or short stories really. The modern day chapters which frame the story of Ashenden Park are perhaps the weakest, but I loved reading each and every segment, from the tragic tale behind the construction of the house in the late eighteenth century through to the war years, when Ashenden becomes a convalescent home during the First World War and a training ground in the Second.

Authors who 'borrow' from history tread a fine line - some can bring a famous biography or a notable building back to life, while others simply cannot weave a fictional narrative that stands up to the obviously inspirational source material. Wilhide hits the nail on the head - far from feeling that the real star of the story is Basildon Park, I feel that I now know more about the history of the original building from her creative reimaging of house and the people who lived there. All her characters are finely drawn, like housemaid Dulcie and her family, and she manages to fit a lifetime into a short chapter.

For those expecting a potboiler in the style of Downton Abbey, this might miss the mark, but for anyone into the true heritage of England's country houses, Elizabeth Wilhide has captured the 'beating heart' of a monument to past glory.

More a exploration of the curtains and window treatments than anything else, quite fussy for my taste but interesting for ideas and things that say no to you. Most of the more modern styles are in Laura Ashley fabrics, which isn't surprising, but there's very little about how-to, for example, measure your windows for different styles and what's the important measurments to consider. I found it interesting and some of the ideas were inspirational, I may use some of them some time. The fashion is quite 80s/early 90s and probably too fussy for modern tastes but there are some good ideas within and tweaks that could be used to make a room more interesting.

I only give a 5 star once or twice a year and this book has all the stars… A book about the history of an english manor or they refer to a park, from the first stones set to make the foundation to the current owners and how it grew and lived through their varied history. Written by an architect, she writes in detail that keeps you captivated the whole book, please write more.

Ashenden has been marketed "for fans of Downton Abbey," and I have to agree. The house itself is not particularly fascinating, but as a setting for stories linked through time, it is perfect. From its beginnings in 1775 up through 2010, the house evolves: there are phases of building, stalling, decay, repair, and rebuilding; times of good fortune for its occupants and times of strain; the house is an albatross or a treasure, depending on the point of view of its inhabitants.

The inhabitants, of course, are not just Ashenden's various owners, but also servants, guests, convalescing soldiers during WWI, and German POWs during WWII. In each successive section, the reader will recognize one or more characters from previous sections: sons and daughters, nieces and nephews and cousins, a governess turned schoolteacher, a POW turned husband, father, business owner. Though the reader doesn't spend enough time with any of the characters to create powerful, lasting memories (this is my impression, having just finished), Wilhide successfully convinces the reader to care about each character, as well as the fate of Ashenden.

Overall, an enjoyable and pleasurable read.

Quotes:

Some houses you lived in; others lived in you. (Georgiana, p. 80, The Portrait: 1837)

America was full of new money and new money loved old things. (George Ferrars, p. 218, The Treasure Hunt: 1929)

The reaction was immediate and, as it was an English reaction, almost invisible to the untrained eye. (Izzie Beckmann, p. 321, The Fete: 1976)

If these are ghosts, they are friendly ones, who slip past in the thin cold air and leave no disturbance or sadness behind. It's the gentlest form of haunting, really, a smile fading from a face, or a forgotten tune playing in the next room. Ghosts are only to be expected when the house contains so much time. (Reggie, p. 325, The Winter Season: 2010)

When someone died, you missed their physical presence first, the warmth in the bed, all the tones and shadings of their speech, the footsteps or sighs or rustlings in the next room, even the irritations and annoyances. You missed these things as if your skin had been peeled off in long, bleeding strips. When all that became less painful, you still missed their mind, the consciousness that partnered with yours, that gave you bifocal vision. (Reggie, p. 332, The Winter Season: 2010)

Basildon Park is an actual Georgian mansion with acres of lawn and gardens, which was rescued from ruin in the mid 1950s. If you read this book about a house called Ashenden, you are essentially reading about Basildon Park. If you saw the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice, this house hosted the Netherfield Ball. The author formerly has written decorating books; this is her first novel.

The whole story about the building of the house, finding and transporting the immense Bath stones needed to create it, and then narratives of all the families who have owned and worked at the manor since its completion I found simply fascinating. Some stories were better than others, but all held my attention and contained unique and well-developed characters, Ashenden being the main one. We’ve all heard how England’s castles fell into ruin due to the expensive upkeep; well, so did the large manor homes. We have the builder lovingly taking on the huge, difficult project that was Ashenden, and then the home through the years 1775 - 2010 going from owner to owner, falling into disrepair, serving as a hospital during WWI, then a POW camp during WWII, finally being restored again years later, and now in present day with Charles and his sister having inherited the money pit, grappling with what to do with it.

The author's writing flowed well and I appreciated her sly wit.

Ashenden is an old, yet still grand, English country house. Falling into disrepair over the years, it can still impress, even if it’s just by the enormous cash reserves needed to heat the place. When Charlie and his sister inherit the crumbling estate, the stress of how to care for the place takes a toll on their already distant relationship. The two begin consulting engineers and surveyors to determine what needs to be done and whether or not selling or renovating is in their best interests, or the house’s.

While a decision is made about the house’s future, its past begins to unfold giving the reader a glimpse of the people it has sheltered, the sorrows and joys felt in its rooms, and the memories that have seeped into its walls. We are introduced to the people that have walked the halls of the house from the architect who envisioned the grand space, to the staff who kept the fires burning, and the families that owned the property.

What I enjoyed about this book was the way all of the stories were tied together, each flowing smoothly into the next. It wasn’t about the people but how the house was transformed by the years from a money pit that was wanted more for the prestige it bought, but was ultimately unaffordable, to the original builder, the individuals that toured the house, and the sick it protected. The people come and go but the house itself is the one constant that brings everything together.

Ashenden is a mixture of short stories about the people that admired the grand house, found love and heartbreak inside its walls, and those that recovered in the green expanse that was part of the property. Its residents, owners, builders, all make and break the house and while the reader sees the past, it’s the current owners that are struggling with the future. I liked the way Wilhide smoothly moves the story along while it remains in place at the same time. It’s a very effective way to tell the story of the house and make it more than simply a structure of bricks, glass, and wood. It becomes a living part of the story, in fact, the story itself. With each new chapter, I wanted to know how it was holding up and what it had become in its new reincarnation as it does change with each new generation that walks through the doors. From the start, you know it’s not a simple home but something built and imagined to be more than that.

Many of the stories told here are very sad but overall I wouldn’t say that about the book. It made me smile many times, and even though the individual stories being told were not on the whole always happy, it was an honest look at the people who passed through the halls and that I could appreciate --- nothing too sad but not all that happy either, a nice equilibrium of stories.

Wilhide is a writer who cares very much about the details and it is those details that make this story. Without the finer points and the clear image she creates of the house, this story wouldn’t work. The particulars create an invisible web that lets the story meander, but always bringing it back home. It’s such a lovely story and a satisfying read for a winter evening.

I knew when I read the blurb of this novel that it would be right up my street and I was right. In essence it is the story of a house, Ashenden Park, from the time it was first conceived to the present day. Each chapter features different characters through the last two and a half centuries from James Woods, who masterminded it all in the 1700s on behalf of his client, up to Charlie and Ros who have just inherited the house from their aunt Reggie in 2010.

The characterisations are wonderful and this is such a well-executed book. It did start a little slow and I felt slightly concerned that I wouldn't be able to engage with each new set of characters, but it soon got into its stride and I became sad to leave the last chapter behind, but eager to start the next one, and indeed that is how I felt about the whole book in that I looked forward to reading it but didn't want to finish it.

I particularly liked how some of the characters were carried through into the next one or even into a much later chapter, and yet others were just basically self-contained stories.

This is a really lovely book. If you like slice of life stories then this is the ultimate one with just a small slice of many characters' lives. And if you like to read about the history of country houses then again this is ideal. I almost want to go back to the beginning and start again, knowing more about the, albeit fictional, history of the house and its occupants. Great read!

Some interesting ideas, not just for the rich.

I am forever reading decorating bks but rarely implementing ideas (perhaps because i like so few of them...) I consider myself quite the bohemian with quite the bohemian style so i thought this would be the decorating book for me. I guess my style is just completely my own...
This book like so many others has great pictures and some ideas but is a little thin on content... (tho it is always nice to look at pictures...)

also 2 (6 or 8 episodes each) series of BBC shows