Released: November 19, 2013
Ashenden | Author: Elizabeth Wilhilde | Rating: 7/11 |
Chronicling the life of a century old manor house through a multitude of inhabitants and eras, Ashenden weaves a story – or actually several stories – that intertwines with historical incidences, reading like a mixture between “chick lit” and historical fiction.
Though the main characters – Charlie and Ros, who have unexpectedly inherited the house from their late Aunt – aren’t presented in a way that makes the reader immediately warm up to them or want to dive into the story; the short story format that follows each inhabitant of the house, from its initial commissioning back to present day, proves an effective tool to draw the reader in.
One complaint, however, was the way in which the novel jumped around, making it difficult to be certain which time period was being referred to in some instances, though overall, and given the way the story was unfolding, it was cohesive by the end. With that said, Ashenden is definitely worth a read, especially for those who are interested in historical fiction and English literature, but not likely to be one you’ll read over and over.