Bitten by Books
Ben Tierney, author, believed that moving his family from the city to the tiny village of Swannhaven would be good for all of them, since his wife, Caroline, had recently been diagnosed as bipolar and his elder son, Charlie, was being bullied at school. While visiting the farm that his grandmother had left him, he learned from the police chief that a nearby estate known as The Crofts was up for sale, and Ben jumped at the opportunity. Caroline had the idea of turning The Crofts into an inn, and Ben wanted a quiet place to work on his next novel. Charlie loved the woods and the wide open spaces of The Crofts, and was determined to catch what he referred to as the Watcher, knowing that someone was there with him when he was out playing.
Ben and Caroline tried to integrate themselves into the fabric of the village, and Ben became fascinated with the historical society and the Swannhaven Trust, a group designed to keep the village and its residents safe during the difficult times. He decided his next book would be about Swannhaven, and when the townspeople began to accept him because his grandmother had been a Lowell, they opened up their archives and collections for him to research the village’s history. Ben learned that there had been several years in particular that had been very difficult, much like the current year, and he wondered how the village had managed to survive.
Ben is a likable character who truly wants the best for his family, yet he often overlooks clues that life at The Crofts is not what it seems. Caroline is driven and restless, and ashamed of her bipolar diagnosis, she overcompensates to make everything seem normal. Together they are loving parents, wanting the best for their sons, and Charlie turns out to be a strong and resourceful boy whose courage saves the day for the family. From the book’s title, I expected hauntings galore, an old house that brimmed with ghosts of eras long past, and instead I found House of Echoes a psychological thriller that surprised and delighted me.
Book Stats:
- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: Ballantine Books (April 14, 2015)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0804178119
- ISBN-13: 978-0804178112
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Summary : Ben is a likable character who truly wants the best for his family, yet he often overlooks clues that life at The Crofts is not what it seems. Caroline is driven and restless, and ashamed of her bipolar diagnosis, she overcompensates to make everything seem normal. Together they are loving parents, wanting the best for their sons, and Charlie turns out to be a strong and resourceful boy whose courage saves the day for the family. From the book’s title, I expected hauntings galore, an old house that brimmed with ghosts of eras long past, and instead I found House of Echoes a psychological thriller that surprised and delighted me.
