The Lindens

This is a perfect book. The novel weaves together the stories of the people who have inhabited the same house in rural England over a span of about 150 years. (Imagine a slightly broader and less bleak version of Ann Patchett's The Dutch House.) The text is well written (and edited!), and the author has been kind both to his characters and to the reader. It touches expertly on themes of grief and hope, yearning and acceptance, and reshaping and living in harmony with the natural world. Characters recur, both literally and figuratively, over the years, and the house echos warmly with the lives they have lived and continue to live. (I was given a free e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, and I plan to purchase my own hard show more copy to read again.) show less

It might be an understatement to describe this as a magnificent work. I began thinking this was going to be a long read - would it hold my attention? The first short chapter had me hooked. From then on the story just keeps rolling. Each chapter - some of which are perhaps a little long by current expectations. Their brilliance though lies in the fact that they are almost stand-alone stories. As a historian, this book is also well-researched giving glimpses of rural and social life across three centuries - with some detail, like the implications of the 1925 Law of Property Act!

Simply, it is a well-written and engaging story.

I adored this book; it was easily the best book I read in 2024. It caught my attention as an offering in Early Reviewers because I recently saw the Tom Hanks/Robin Wright movie "Here," which tells the story of a specific place/home over the years. I enjoyed the movie very much, though critics did not, but that's another story.

The Lindens is a house built by an entrepneurial man who had a vision of what he wanted his life to be. He is only the first of many to live there, though, and the house and the land surrounding it changes over time depending on who lives there. We go from the late 19th century all the way into the near future, the house's inhabitants varying with the times. Every story is fascinating and every time I wanted to show more know just a little bit more about the people who left, only to become equally enthralled by the next people who moved in.

There were times I felt this book was somewhat sad, but there was hope as well, and a great deal to be said about the cycles of life, the rebirth of man, creature, and the fruits of the land. I would recommend this book to anyone, because I think there's something there for each person to find, of themselves and their experience. Eager to see what else this author has to offer. show less

The Lindens by Barney Jeffries is a wonderful book! I loved the idea of a book that followed the lives of the people who lived in a particular house over 150 years and was delighted to win a copy on LibraryThing to read and review. Barney Jeffries did a masterful job of bringing both the house and the various inhabitants to life. Each era felt true to its time and the people were so real that I felt that I knew them. The interweaving of their lives was a delight. It’s a book that demands to be reread because it would be even more enjoyable the second time through when you would already know how each person fits into the overall history. The large house in the English countryside was built by Arnold Cann in 1885 the last entry was in show more 2035 - an amazing tour de force! show less

The Lindens is the story of one house and all of the different people that occupy it over a period of more than 100 years. I loved the concept of the book and was not disappointed by the authors ability to weave a compelling story of many different inhabitants. The characters were engaging and the stories were all different, but the narrative never felt forced or contrived. This book is beautifully written and nice homage to the many lives of a house.

The Lindens by Barney Jeffries was a delightful and engaging story centered on an English country estate named for the row of Linden trees that lined its drive. We meet the inhabitants of the house and the nearby village over its history, as the stories of the families cross and recross in sometimes surprising ways. Jeffries crafted a series of vignettes to move us through the timeline. While the house itself provides a focus, the land also plays an essential role in many of the stories. The chapters on the impacts of the two World Wars on English civilians and soldiers were particularly poignant. As an avid birder, I appreciated the focus on birds, with characters throughout the novel learning about them and creating lists and show more calendars of them.

I received an early reviewer copy of The Lindens in return for an honest review. show less

The story spans 150 years in the life of a house in the English countryside weaving together the tales of its inhabitants over the decades. I particularly love reading long sagas so I knew I would enjoy this book. It did not disappoint. Each era told a new story with new characters and new plot. They were basically different books to read. It was obvious that the author did a lot of research into each era. I enjoyed reading about the details of life in each time period. What didn't I like? There wasn't much to dislike but at times the story was sad.

The first era was my favorite. Here we have a rich boy who falls in love with a beautiful but poor girl. His family is dead set against them getting married but they go ahead and marry show more anyway. To everyone's chagrin, it's a successful marriage. This story was super sweet.

All in all, The Lindens is a fantastic novel. Please note that I received a free copy of this book from the Librarything's Early Reviewer's Club. show less