Margaret Lennox, recently widowed and left without resources, has taken a position as a governess at Hartwood Hall, a large, remote country house. Her charge, a ten-year-old boy is delightful, but the house and the other occupants seem full of secrets.
The townspeople gossip about the house, and Margaret can’t help but listen. They believe the house is haunted and the residents are strange. There are whispers that the owner is a witch. Although she discounts the gossip, Margaret feels uneasy. She thinks that she sees shadows, candles burning where they shouldn’t be and there are strange noises in the night.
Margaret fears her own past will catch up with her. She is also uneasy about her budding relationship with Paul, the groundskeeper.
The book is very atmospheric. The underlying tension and the strange occurrences make Margaret unable be comfortable in her new position. The story is told completely from her point of view, which works well. We see the eerie house through her eyes as an outsider. She is also a strong woman and doesn’t easily give in to her fears.
The time is 1852 and the author has done an excellent job using the historical background to keep the story realistic while providing details that help build the feeling of unease and suspense. If you enjoy historical fiction with a Gothic tone, you’ll like this book.
I received this book from Dutton for this review.
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