House of Trelawney

Author: Hannah Rothschild
Year of release: 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre: Modern & Contemporary Fiction, General Fiction
Release Date: February 18th, 2020
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Synopsis

For more than seven hundred years, the vast, rambling Trelawney Castle in Cornwall–turrets, follies, a room for every day of the year, four miles of corridors and 500,000 acres–was the magnificent and grand “three dimensional calling card” of the earls of Trelawney. By 2008, it is in a complete state of ruin due to the dulled ambition and the financial ineptitude of the twenty-four earls, two world wars, the Wall Street crash, and inheritance taxes. Still: the heir to all of it, Kitto, his wife, Jane, their three children, their dog, Kitto’s ancient parents, and his aunt Tuffy Scott, an entomologist who studies fleas, all manage to live there and keep it going. Four women dominate the story: Jane; Kitto’s sister, Blaze, who left Trelawney and made a killing in finance in London, the wildly beautiful, seductive, and long-ago banished Anastasia and her daughter, Ayesha. When Anastasia sends a letter announcing that her nineteen-year-old daughter, Ayesha, will be coming to stay, the long-estranged Blaze and Jane must band together to take charge of their new visitor–and save the house of Trelawney. But both Blaze and Jane are about to discover that the house itself is really only a very small part of what keeps the family together.

Review

A castle in Cornwell has been occupied by the Trelawney family for 700 years, Trelawney Castle previously seen by everyone within the family and the community at large as magnificent, able to hold the grandest of house parties with royalty as guests. Present day 2008 and Trelawney is now in need of major repair, one slight problem to repair it to it’s  former glory you need money and the money is nowhere to be found. Can the Trelawney Castle and its inhabitants all remain as powerful as they once had?

I was immediately drawn to the castle and it’s  eccentric inhabitants, I’m always a little curious when it comes to aristocracy  but what kept me engaged behind the castles walls was the secrets uncovered and the impact it had on the seemingly untouchable residents. It’s these woman their determination to keep going when things get hard that kept me engrossed.

House of Trelawney does start of slow but I do believe that this worked for this story as there was quite a few characters, personalities and sub plots to get your head around In the beginning, I can’t say I was able to see myself or society today being able to relate to the main  issues raised in the book of losing control of a castle due to previous generations greed but I believe this to be House of Trelawney charm an escape from reality is what the world needs right now.

I didn’t love all the characters I found Clarissa to be self-righteous  throughout the book, nor did I relate to many of the characters as most were obnoxious,  I found Blaze and Jane were the characters I grew to like the most, Blaze blossomed into a relatable character I didn’t love the relationship aspect here but I’m fussy but don’t worry it doesn’t tarnish this book, I understand why Kitto is in the story to begin with but he’s presence didn’t add anything  in the long run for this reader.

 When I began this book it was painfully clear that Jane does everything she can for her family and for Trelawney Castle itself, even if nobody notices or even appreciates all that she does with the limited resources she has. As the book progressed I enjoyed watching Jane realise that she didn’t need her husband to survive what she did find however was she was able to expand upon her passions. 

Thanks to Rothschild’s writing here I was able to see Trelawney for what it once was, one of the of reason’s I did enjoy this read so much is the book also had a wicked sense of humour sprinkled within its pages, also sadness. I also cheer Rothschild for putting a real family upon the pages to showcase a family with flaws and yet still have likeable moments isn’t an easy task. I struggle to find a similar story however I praise this book for its originality.

I struggle to recommend this book to a specific group of readers as I know multiple character based stories aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, I would say if you enjoyed Downtown Abby you should enjoy your time here. 

My continued thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for sending a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.