Secrets of Nanreath Hall audiobook

Another one I didn't capture my thoughts down on right after reading it, but it was fabulous. A keeper!

Find my full review (and giveaway information) on my blog http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com.I'm a sucker for dual timeline novels! This format has become one of my favorites and, when done right, can immerse me even deeper into the lives and situations presented and, in doing so, make me care for the characters more than I might have expected. Some of my favorite novels are told in this style and I can't get enough of how the separate timelines twist together and reveal secrets about the other. So probably needless to say I was really excited to start reading Secrets of Nanreath Hall. It promised to include so many of the things I love in historical fiction: the dual timelines, both set during the World Wars (which I love reading about), secrets hidden that promise to be revealed, the grit and grime of battle against the fading yet still real glamour and aloofness of a stately English home. So much to love! I'm happy to say that Nanreath Hall lived up to its promises and completely drew me in from the very first page. Now, whenever I read a dual timeline novel I always seem to enjoy one of the timelines more than the other. The same is true in this case, with me enjoying Anna's story more than Katherine's. This is for a number of reasons, mainly because I absolutely just loved Anna's character and I felt the author spent more time developing her against the backdrop of WWII then Katherine and her timeline. Anna is an amazing character, being determined and strong yet vulnerable and damaged all at the same time, presenting as a multifaceted person I could easily envision and appreciate for the struggles she endured. Anna's timeline also spent more time showing the effects of war - from her cousin, Hugh, losing his leg and trying to come to terms with his disfigurement to Anna's PTSD and struggle to shut off the horrors she's seen so she can just cope day to day to everyone's continued worry and fear that bombs could (and did!) drop down on their heads at any moment - and I for one couldn't get enough of all of these aspects as well as the detail spent on Nanreath Hall as both a hospital and a stately home. The descriptions drew me in and I was easily transported to see, hear, smell, and feel all that these characters did. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy Katherine's story, I did. I liked Katharine as a character, she having many of the same attributes I appreciated in Anna, except when it came to one thing: Simon Halliday. The fact that she gave up everything - and I mean everything! - for him without even much of a backward glance just felt strange to me. I could appreciate her wanting to become a painter and have freedom beyond what she would have as the daughter of an Earl, but giving it all up for that combined with this young man who I found to be a total cad just didn't sit well with me. Those who enjoy romance-and-passion-above-all-else sorts of stories with probably love her storyline, but I've never really enjoyed that sort of thing so couldn't love her as much as I loved Anna or what she went through. There wasn't as much attention placed on what was happening during the war Katherine lived through either (WWI), which is part of what I enjoyed so much in the other timeline. All this being said, I think what I enjoyed the very most is the over-arching theme that family isn't necessarily who you share blood with but who you keep in your heart, and those that keep you in there's. This presents itself at a few different points in the book, and these points really stuck out for me. I also enjoyed the fact that, while many of the "secrets of Nanreath Hall" were somewhat easy to see coming given the hints dropped throughout the story, one secret in particular (namely what ultimately came between Katherine and Simon) actually surprised me and I always enjoy being taken by surprise. I recommend Secrets of Nanreath Hall to anyone who loves historical fiction, especially that which takes place during the World Wars. There's much to enjoy here, and I'll be thinking about a number of these characters and how their stories might have proceeded after the last page was turned for awhile.

Kitty Trenowyth, the pampered daughter of a wealthy earl, yearns to choose her own future, to explore her artistic talents, to experience more than her sheltered life has so far allowed. When her father commissions an artist to paint her portrait, he brings with him Simon Halliday, a handsome assistant who awakens both physical desire and a desire to prove to herself and her family that she can make it on her own. But life in the real world turns out to be far harder than Kitty ever expected. She valiantly attempts to make the most of it, but with the outbreak of World War One, she suddenly finds herself alone and with child, with nowhere to go.Twenty-five years later, Kitty's daughter, Anna, is searching for answers. A nurse posted to the Trenowyth family estate at Nanreath Hall, which has been turned into a hospital for soldiers too ill or badly wounded to return to the front, Anna hopes to learn more about the mother she barely remembers and the father she never met. But her arrival is not welcomed by her cold and bitter aunt and her crippled, drunken cousin, who are suspicious of her motivations. And though Anna diligently tends to the wounded, she is nursing wounds of her own, both physical and mental. As the war slogs on, Anna and her newfound family form tenuous bonds under the strain of hardship and suffering, but their descriptions of her parents don't match up with the ideal of them she's carried in her heart. With the help of a dashing airman who refuses to let Anna push him away, she unravels the mystery surrounding her birth, but the truth may be more than she's prepared to handle.I really enjoyed this book as a whole, but it was Anna and her tale that I was more attached to. Kitty does not seem to be quite as well developed, and I had a harder time connecting to her or feeling that the love between her and Simon was grand enough or deep enough to give up everything for. But I did feel sorry for her when everything (rather predictably) came crashing down around her. I was also expecting the first war to play more of a role in her story, as the second war does in Anna's, but aside from Simon going off to fight, Kitty does not feel the daily effects of the war. Hers is more the story of coming of age and coming to terms with the consequences of choices.But Anna's story had me hooked from beginning to end, riveted by the depiction of the sacrifices on the British home front, the terror of the blitz, the tending of the convalescent, the developing dynamics of her new family, and her blossoming romance. She is everything I love in a heroine--smart, brave, selfless, compassionate, and achingly vulnerable underneath it all. Through the loss of family and friends and the unspeakable horrors of war, she is determined to keep moving forward and to keep searching for answers. My only complaint is that I would really have liked an epilogue. In war, there is no happily ever after, only fleeting moments of happiness, and I'm the kind of reader that needs a little more closure.Secrets of Nanreath Hall was a pleasant surprise for me. I've been in a bit of a historical fiction slump lately. Though I was drawn to the description, I had not read Alix Rickloff before, and dual timelines can be tricky to pull off. But I found myself instantly absorbed in the story, and I couldn't put it down. I devoured it in two days. It's beautifully written, transporting, and emotional, and its combination of wartime fiction with mystery, family saga, and romance hits all the right notes. Highly recommended.

3.5 to 4 stars. Great historical details. A pleasant, easy-paced listening/reading experience. All the characters from the 1914 timeline seemed shallow & caddish---which I guess is what helped the more modern characters learn from their poor life choices. Anna, from 1940, seemed brave, though anst-filled. Not enough of Tony, a favorite character. Glad that Hugh redeemed himself. Satisfying ending.

Two women and two wars separated by a generation filled with secrets that kept me turning pages to get to the mysterious truth. At the heart, this is a novel about searching for one’s identity. The vivid writing combined with such an intriguing story make Alix Rickloff an exciting voice in historical fiction.Add this to your shelf. You can thank me later! :)

Excellent story, rather disconcerting at first with changing from Kitty's story in the early 1900s to Anna's story in the 1940s. Good characters, good plot lines, good period details. Very enjoyable read.

En fantastisk historie om kærlighed, familie (både den familie man deler DNA med og den som man ikke er forbundet med via slægtskab), sorg, hemmeligheder og løgne. Historien bliver fortalt af henholdsvis moren Kitty under 1. Verdenskrig og datteren Anna under 2. Verdenskrig.Det er på ingen måde svært at regne hemmelighederne ud, men alligevel fangede bogen mig. Personbeskrivelserne er meget detaljerede, så jeg føler nærmest, at jeg kender disse mennesker. Jeg havde fra starten stor sympati for Anna, fantastisk kvinde med ben i næsen. Hun er meget stærkere end hun selv tror. Jeg kan virkelig følge hende på det punkt, hvor hun beskytter sit hjerte og holder folk på afstand, fordi hun allerede har fået sit hjerte knust så mange gange. Hun lukker totalt af for sine følelser - det har jeg selv gjort, men man kan ikke blive ved for evigt. Hugh var jeg ikke begejstret for i starten, men han er faktisk slet ikke så slem. Han ændrer sig meget i bogen, og det kan han delvist takke Anna for. Desuden siger han nogle virkelige kloge ting indimellem. Men hold nu op, hvor er hans mor dog en strigle - en rigtig overklassebitch af værste skuffe.Og Tony - han er bare så god en mand.Kitty er en meget modig og stærk kvinde, men samtidigt synes jeg også, at hun er ufattelig naiv i sit forhold til Simon. Men kærlighed gør jo blind.Simon er en røv! Så er det sagt.

"Secrets of Nanreath Hall" is a historical fiction tale told in two times. The first time is WWI where Kitty is the spoiled daughter of a titled family who falls in love with the proverbial "guy from the wrong side of the tracks." Her life is upended when she gets pregnant and is practically disowned from her family. The second time is WWII takes up Anna, Kitty's daughter, story. Anna's mother died when she was very young and she was left with a lot of questions. When chance sends her to her mother's family home to work as a nurse, Anna is hopeful that she will begin to unravel the mystery of her family and her origins. I love a good story about family secrets and this book definitely fits the bill.I loved both Kitty and Anna. Their plights are very different. Although they are mother and daughter, their upbringings were very different. Kitty grew up extremely comfortable and Anna's life was much different. The contrast was really fantastic. Even though they grew up in such different environments, they still have the same ambitious, independent spirit. In books that take place in more than one time, I usually have a favorite. Because these characters are so strong, I enjoyed both parts of the book equally. I especially liked seeing how the author joined these characters together throughout the book.WWI and WWII are two of my very favorite times to visit through books. I really liked that this book took place in both time periods. It was so interesting to see how Nanreath Hall changes throughout the book. During Kitty's time, it is a glorious house filled with riches that many can only dream of. During Anna's time, it has been turned into a hospital and has lost some of its luster during the war. I thought the author did a great job of showing the differences. Overall, this book had some good twists and turns that kept me guessing. According to Goodreads, this looks to be Rickloff's first plain ol' historical fiction and I will be on the look out for more. This book will appeal to those who like family secrets and vivid characters.

I found this novel to be extremely well written and the story(ies) held my interest from beginning to end. I love historical novels with two timelines and this author did this one terrifically.

Aika kevyttä lukemista mutta historia twist ja kaksi aikatasoa tuovat sen verran mielenkiintoista sisältöä että oli mukava kuunnella.

I received Secrets of Nanreath Hall via Once Upon a Book Club subscription box. Secrets of Nanreath Hall is yet another family drama set in Cornwall, England across both world wars. Lady Katherine's story is quite unbelievable: She seems too smart to have fallen for someone like Simon and live in abject poverty when he's unwilling to introduce her to his family. I wanted to like Katherine and Simon since both are artists so I was a little disappointed that I didn't really care. One draw for Katherine's choice in lifestyle is the promise of pursuing an art education, but that doesn't seem to come to fruition. Simon is not worthy of Katherine, and the only reason I won't say that he is a total waste of oxygen on this earth is because of Anna. Anna's storyline, however, is equally tragic, but she's a heroine. I love her character, bravery, and spirit. The family intrigue at her family estate is fantastic and makes the book worthwhile. We get a hint that Anna might have a happy ending, but the book ends even before America becomes involved in the war. Maybe there is a sequel in the works. If you enjoy novels chock full of family secrets with a World War II setting, you will enjoy this book.I enjoyed the goodies I received with the book. The Once Upon a Book Club selections have post it notes in the book that tell the reader to open a present with the corresponding page number on it. This one was very well done. One thing I loved is that we were given an apron similar to the one Anna wore while nursing the injured soldiers. Later in the book, she reaches in her apron pocket and takes out a photo she filched from her aunt's photo album, and the envelope with the photo in it was in the apron! Too cute!I am enjoying this book club subscription very, very much. I have been more than pleased with the books, and one of the three best books I read last year came from Once Upon a Book Club. You can see photos from this selections prizes and read more on my blog. Here is the link:http://www.ricki-treleaven.com/2017/0...

I got Secrets of Nanreath Hall through the "Once Upon a Book Club" subscription. It was also my last box of the subscription because I liked the books I got through the book subscription, and the premise of the book club is good. The execution of the box was lacking because the gifts were stuff I wouldn't use.You are here for the book's review, not the review of a subscription box. So, Secrets of Nanreath Hall is a double point of view of a mother-daughter relationship between the World Wars.Anna Trenowyth is our main character, an orphan from a young age, but she doesn't know her parents and their history. While Anna is stationed as a nurse in Nanreath Hall, her mother's family estate, she can find out about her past. Through working with the injured soldiers, recuperating from her nightmares of the war, and poking around to find where she is coming from, she discovers her family hides many secrets. Anna discovers the truth, but sometimes secrets should remain hidden for the best of all the characters. I liked how Anna managed to build back the bridges between her family. Alix Rickloff intertwines the periods in a way that makes you want to continue to find out what will happen or what happened to the characters.Books set in Cornwell are usually books close to my heart, and I enjoyed Alix Rickloff writing and how the plot line revealed while reading the novel.

I just finished this book, and now I'm sitting on my couch, wondering how on earth I am supposed to review a book that has left me feeling so raw and conflicted! So I'm going to start off simply...First of all, Rickloff's writing style is excellent! This book alternates between Kitty's story (written in first person) and her daughter, Anna's story (written in third person). Not many people could have pulled this off without making the storyline seem jumbled and confusing, but Rickloff pulls it off seemingly effortlessly. "Secrets of Nanreath Hall" is both engaging and emotional, and is perfect for lovers of historical fiction!If there's anything this book has showed me, it's that life isn't simple or easy to sort out; it is a tangled, crazy, impossible ball of yarn that can be frustrating, mind-numbing, and exhilarating. "Secrets of Nanreath Hall" encompasses those emotions and so much more! So be prepared before you take the plunge. I guess I expected this to be an easy read, but it definitely was NOT. Perhaps I should have guessed this, seeing as this book covers not only WWI, but also WWII. Wow. Talk about emotional! As if that topic isn't difficult enough, there's plenty of domestic drama within the covers of this book. After finishing reading "Secrets of Nanreath Hall" mere minutes ago (and within the span of about 12 hours), I feel rather as though I've just run up 15 flights of stairs in sandpaper shoes. (Tired, raw, but rather impressed with myself.) Sorry, bad analogy? Did I mention I was tired?But really, throughout this entire book, I was gripped with the terribly persistent desire to cast judgments. On Kitty's decisions, on Anna's, on Cynthia's, on Williams--the list goes on and on! I mean, this book has some really messed up people in it!! But at the end of it all, how could I judge them? They are human. (Please commence with the good ol' "willing suspension of disbelief" so that this makes sense.) They made mistakes, tried to fix them, and made even bigger mistakes in the process. If you act out of love, how wrong is the action? Where does one draw that line? And when all is said and done and those actions are in the past, how do those who are left cope with the consequences? Did I mention...life is complicated.If nothing else, this book will make you think long and hard about your life, decisions, and much more than that. If you're ready for an emotional read, this is for you! I personally consider it to have been worth it.Content (10= extremely high focus; 0=non existent):Adventure content: 6Creepiness content: 3Grief content: 5Language content: 4Religion content: 2Romance content: 4Sexual content: 5Violence content: 6