A review by okiecozyreader
Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
I loved the beginning of this story - Hannah with her son Nicky (who is undefined but probably on the spectrum), arrive at an English manor house for the summer. He discovers a secret tunnel and rooms, as well as a skeleton. Hannah asks around to try to figure out what may have happened to the skeleton.
Much of the rest of the book is the relationship between mother and son, and coping with difficult child behaviors, and the effects they cause on relationships. In addition, Hannah’s marriage isn’t what she thought, and she opens her mind to other ideas of marriage.
I feel like it really could be edited down quite a bit… also not a fan of multiple adultery situations.
Hearing her talk about the book, she mentioned her son inspired the character in the book, and that she wanted to talk about mothering an autistic child. She also mentioned living in England and different manor homes she visited; how she took pieces of each of them and created the manor for this book. She loves describing places so she can see them like a movie.
“Who gets to decide what’s normal, anyway?” Ch 33
I felt like this was a central question to the book… in a family, a marriage, for children… who decides what is normal?
“That’s the point of books, isn’t it? To be passed from hand to hand, until they fall apart. Part of the great river of life.” Ch 12
“Everyone I met seemed to be performing in a play. Each had a well-defined part. Even the way the two women addressed each other as Dr. Tinsley and Mrs. Gardner seemed to be an aspect of their performance. What was my part? Ward of Mr. Eckersley. Harmless American. I bristled at having my role determined for me, rather than creating it for myself—an example of how American I truly was.” Ch 3
Much of the rest of the book is the relationship between mother and son, and coping with difficult child behaviors, and the effects they cause on relationships. In addition, Hannah’s marriage isn’t what she thought, and she opens her mind to other ideas of marriage.
I feel like it really could be edited down quite a bit… also not a fan of multiple adultery situations.
Hearing her talk about the book, she mentioned her son inspired the character in the book, and that she wanted to talk about mothering an autistic child. She also mentioned living in England and different manor homes she visited; how she took pieces of each of them and created the manor for this book. She loves describing places so she can see them like a movie.
“Who gets to decide what’s normal, anyway?” Ch 33
I felt like this was a central question to the book… in a family, a marriage, for children… who decides what is normal?
“That’s the point of books, isn’t it? To be passed from hand to hand, until they fall apart. Part of the great river of life.” Ch 12
“Everyone I met seemed to be performing in a play. Each had a well-defined part. Even the way the two women addressed each other as Dr. Tinsley and Mrs. Gardner seemed to be an aspect of their performance. What was my part? Ward of Mr. Eckersley. Harmless American. I bristled at having my role determined for me, rather than creating it for myself—an example of how American I truly was.” Ch 3