Bitten by Books
Art restoration expert Heather Toulson had a successful career in Portland, one that kept her busy and satisfied. Her daughter, Ella, had recently married and moved to Arizona, and Heather was planning a trip back home to England in order to sort out the family home, vacant for the past few months since the death of her father, Walter. Ella had agreed to go along to help, so the two ladies met up at Heathrow, rented a car, and drove to Bibury, the small village where Heather had been raised.
As Heather and Ella unearthed years of family records and photos, many questions were raised about Heather’s older sister Libby, who had died before Heather was born. There was also the question of the drowning of the young Croft heir who lived next door at Ladenbrooke Manor. Heather decided she would not leave England until she learned the truth about Libby, and about how young Oliver Croft had really died.
Libby was a free spirit, a law unto herself, though her parents tried to force her to conform to the mindset of the village and socialize with the other children. In the 1950’s, however, conformity was considered to be important, and Libby preferred to dance in the gardens at Ladenbrooke with the flowers and butterflies. The other girls teased and taunted Libby, but Oliver Croft could be counted on to defend her. He envied Libby her freedom, knowing that his life was fully and completely planned out as his father’s heir.
Told from the varying points of view of Heather, Maggie (her mother), and Libby, this book shows the changing times of the past sixty years, and also allows Heather to get to know her family for the people they were, in a fuller, more meaningful way. There are many surprises tucked here and there, and many loyal and decent people who did the very best they had with what they were given to work with. Maggie and Walter are honorable people who protect their daughters with everything they have, and I found it refreshing to see a strong family unit when, given the circumstances, it could have been a disaster.
Mixed in with Heather’s journey into the past is the reappearance of the love of her life, Christopher. There is a great deal of drama in the day-to-day concerns of Heather’s stay in the village, and Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor remains entertaining throughout.
Book Stats:
- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Howard Books (June 16, 2015)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1476746141
- ISBN-13: 978-1476746142
Buy a print copy Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor from Amazon by clicking here.
Buy a Kinde copy Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor from Amazon by clicking here.
Review Overview
Overall Rating
Total
Summary : Mixed in with Heather’s journey into the past is the reappearance of the love of her life, Christopher. There is a great deal of drama in the day-to-day concerns of Heather’s stay in the village, and Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor remains entertaining throughout.
