Thank you so much Del Rey for having me on the tour!
—Synopsis—
How do you heal a broken house? First you unlock its secrets.
Alone on an island, surrounded by flowers that shine as dusk begins to fall, sits an old, faded house. Rooms cannot be rented here and visits are only for those haunted by the memory of loss.
When Liddy receives an invitation, she thinks there must be some mistake – she’s never experienced loss. But with her curiosity stirred, and no other way to escape a life in which she feels trapped, she decides to accept.
Once there, she meets Vivienne, a beautiful, austere woman whose glare leaves Liddy unsettled; Ben, the reserved gardener; and Raphael, the enigmatic Keymaker. If Liddy is to discover her true purpose in the house, she must find the root of their sorrow – but the house won’t give up its secrets so easily…
—Review—
Thank you ever so much to Marie-Louise and to Del Rey for having me on this tour!
What a triumph! This will definitely be one of my favorite books of 2022. Absolutely stunning!
“The petals of the sorrowing stars were stirring”
16 years ago, a little girl lost her doll. Little did she know that this was Fate’s doing, or what would come of it.
Madeleine Harwood (also known as Liddy), relishes in making marchpane with her father. Her family is set on marrying her to a man she has no interest in, so when she receives this mysterious package from a Vivienne Castellini, she knows she’s found a way to escape it all.
But who is this elusive Vivienne, and why would she send her a strange bulb to plant? What is this House of Sorrowing Stars that she is invited to?
As soon as she arrives, she knows that there is more to this than meets the eyes.
The reader gets to discover this mystical and eerie place alongside Liddy, embarking into an enchanting, yet dangerous journey.
No day is the same, and each carry its load of discoveries. As Liddy meets her hosts and the guests, she slowly understands what this place is about: “a place for grief to go, and the chance to be free from whatever it is you carry – be it guilt, regret, fear or shame.”
Through magical and clever writing, you get to feel all the emotions, all the memories through the page.
But most importantly you get to experience the most special place of all: the enigmatic Library of Lost Souls, and its guardian Eloura.
“Grief is like an anchor for the soul; it keeps you safe but unmoving”
By reading the stories within, one can free the writers from their sorrows. Having nothing to let go off, will Liddy succeed in freeing the house and its inhabitants of theirs? Can she coax the secrets out of Vivienne, Ben, or The Keymaker?
Beautiful, atmospheric and haunting, this book is an absolute gem that will take your breath away. It will suck you in from the first page, delight you with all of its unexpected turns, and I can guarantee that as you read that last line, it will not let go of your soul that easily. Magnificent.
With Love
AGJ
Out on 10 February 2022 in hardback, audio and e-format.
—About Beth Cartwright—
Beth Cartwright has taught English in Greece and travelled around South East Asia and South America, where she worked at an animal sanctuary. A love of language and the imaginary led her to study English Literature and Linguistics at Lancaster University, and she now lives on the edge of the Peak District with her family and two cats.
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