The House of Hawthorne: A Novel
By: Erika Robuck
Rating: 5 of 5
“The House of Hawthorne” is the first book I have read by Erika Robuck though it will certainly not be the last. While I am not generally a read of historical fiction, this one simply grabbed my heart.
The story is told is such beautiful and lyrical fashion, it reads as prose which is completely appropriate for a book written about the love story of two artists – Nathaniel Hawthorne(a renowned writer) and Sophia Peabody Hawthorne(painter and illustrator.)
The story begins close to the end of their time together and looks back over the adult lifetime of Sophia. We see in depth the forces, events, people, and the illness which shaped her. Through her eyes, we see the troubled spirit of Nathaniel – a gifted writer who struggled with his ability (and sometimes inability) to put words on paper.) We see the turbulent time leading up to the Civil War in the United States and the intense internal battle that individuals had in making their stand on issues.
Most of all, we see the immense love these two individuals had for one another and for their family. We get to cheer for their successes and mourn with their losses. The successes were sparse but the losses piled up dramatically. It is not so easy to image how quickly life could be snuffed out in days before modern medicine, transportation, and knowledge about risk were at hand. High infant mortality rates, death by diseases which are treatable today, drowning, and death by fire were commonplace.
Ms. Robuck’s ability to paint a scene with her words let me walk through the various locals these individuals called home over their life together. From Cuba (where Sophia lived a short while by herself and whose journey became a compelling force for Nathaniel in later years) to New England to Europe and back again, we are brought along the journey. The coldness of the New England winters, the damp of England’s climate, and the warmth of the Italian countryside were brought vividly to life.
By the end of the novel, I felt as if I had shared part of the couple’s life together. It told a story of a deep and abiding love which, while it had a late start, stood the test of time and life’s hardships.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, NAL, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
“The House of Hawthorne” is the first book I have read by Erika Robuck though it will certainly not be the last. While I am not generally a read of historical fiction, this one simply grabbed my heart.