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Keeping the Castle

3.59 of 5 stars 3.59 · rating details · 1,680 ratings · 553 reviews

Seventeen-year-old Althea is the sole support of her entire family, and she must marry well. But there are few wealthy suitors--or suitors of any kind--in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Then, the young and attractive (and very rich) Lord Boring arrives, and Althea sets her plans in motion. There's only one problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks...more

Hardcover, 261 pages

Published June 14th 2012 by Viking Childrens Books

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YA Historical Fiction 2012

25th out of 107 books — 457 voters

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

June 2012

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Jun 18, 2012 Emily May rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-na, historical-fiction, 2012, its-me-not-you

It's as if I've been on a constant downer lately, I even manage to find bad stuff to say about books I really enjoyed and I'm starting to wonder if the problem is my own. That's why I'm being unusually generous and giving a book that never really grabbed me and one I struggled to finish three stars. Not because I've just decided to change what I personally require for my ratings, but because I wonder if some of my inability to appreciate the humour and attempts at subtle irony in this book are because of my current mood and a few other reasons I'll go on to discuss.

For a start, this book is set in nineteenth century Yorkshire with some walks on the moors and comments on places that left me feeling somewhat nostalgic. I would appreciate it if someone could comment and tell me whether we are told anywhere near the beginning that this was nineteenth century? I spent three quarters of the book trying to work it out, it seemed like the most obvious choice of time period for such a novel but I didn't notice a mention of it until nearly the end of the book. But it is quite possible that I was being extremely dense once again. Anyway, the author won some immediate brownie points with me for setting the story in my home county.

I think if ratings were on intention, this novel would easily get five stars from me. It's a book that I should absolutely love in theory: the setting, the Austen-style mockery of gender relations, the humour (because parts are very funny, the first page is one such part)... but I don't think the author succeeded. It took me a while to realise her novel was anything more than a piece of fluff with Cinderella-style balls, descriptions of beautiful women and their dresses, and bitchiness. This is the first modern day book I've read that tries to do irony like Austen, and not only was I not expecting it, I don't think it quite worked. Well, not for me anyway.

I wonder if making fun of nineteenth century ways holds as much charm when a modern writer does it? Austen's excellent writing aside, she was a master of irony - in fact, it has been suggested that irony was the shield behind which she expressed her radical ideas. When I read Austen, I find myself constantly smiling at this lady's brilliance, that she saw her society for what it truly was: a bunch of actors trying to adhere to a ridiculous set of unwritten rules in order to be deemed proper and refined. But she saw it when not so many people did. Nowawdays, it is of common opinion that nineteenth century behaviour was quite silly, it's not really groundbreaking for the author to poke fun at it. This is one possibility why the novel failed for me.

Also, I think Kindl focuses too much on humour and loses her characters and plot to it. I didn't care for the MC - Althea, or her mother, or what happened with Lord Boring, or what happened with Mr Fredericks. I didn't care. There's some seemingly pointless dawdling in the middle which is there so the author can maneuver the characters into a particular situation that will allow her to ironically explore gender relations. And perhaps I am just not educated enough in the ways of nineteenth century women but I find it hard to believe any of them had the kind of pro-feminist outburst that Althea has at one point. She basically stomps her foot and screams about how women are people too and deserving of respect, and then she screams about how they are not property (even though they are). I was confused by this, as much as I love the idea of a Victorian woman giving her patriarchal society the middle finger, these claims were rare in the 1950s - never mind the nineteenth century, right? Unless, of course, this was irony on top of irony... damn, my head hurts.

When I realised what Kindl was trying to achieve with this novel, I suddenly liked it a whole lot more. But the exaggerated characters which are supposed to make us laugh at the stupidity of how people behaved two hundred years ago are easily mistaken for another fluffy cheesefest. Now I believe that the author's choice of having a beautiful protagonist with two ugly stepsisters was probably all part of her ironic package. I think she was showing how shallow society was. I think.

And another reason I gave this three stars instead of two is because part of me wonders if this author is not at fault, but rather many others before her are. Let me explain. Even though Kindl creates exaggerated and ridiculous characters, I took forever to work out that she was being ironic. Thankfully, I'm not just completely stupid because other reviews of this book describe it as a fluffy and mindless read. However, I wonder if myself and others didn't get the joke because there are actually novels with characters just like this that are not being ironic. That put importance on beauty and dresses and they actually mean it. Like Gossip Girl and (as I've heard) The Luxe.

Perhaps if you pick up this book after reading my review, you will enjoy it more because you know what's going on from the beginning. Or perhaps you're just smarter and more astute than I am. I hope so, I really do, I like what Kindl was trying to do here even if it didn't work so much for me.(less)

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Ariel On the other hand, I'm of the belief that if a reader is not willing to invest 30 seconds to look something up, but is willing to complain about same,...more
Aug 13, 2012 11:59am

Emily May Well, Ariel, I think your comments are rude and confrontational. I don't owe the author anything, and if the book is lacking without additional materi...more
Aug 13, 2012 12:35pm

Feb 18, 2012 K.A. Barson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, vikings

I dare you to read the first page and not laugh out loud. If you like Jane Austen and Downton Abbey, you'll love this book. The surface story is about a cheeky young English girl in the 19th century who wants to secure her position (and her castle home) by finding a proper husband. The problem is that she too often says what she thinks, and even though she is beautiful, she scares away the few prospects her little village in Yorkshire has. Sounds like other stories, doesn't it? Well, don't be fo...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 19, 2012 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Laurie, Susann, Darsa

Recommended to Wendy by: Sharyn November

It took me a very long time to warm to this book--fully half the book, I think. But once I got there, I warmed to it thoroughly and relished every delightful bit. I'm not a particular Jane Austen devotee, but this was enough Downton Abbey to satisfy (though a different era). The heroine was thoroughly unlikeable at first, but once she makes a female friend she becomes endearing--and I love that it's that making the difference. I could see where the plot was going immediately, but didn't quite kn...more

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May 26, 2012 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, arc, 2012-ya-hist-fic-challenge

Seventeen-year-old Althea Crawley, the heroine of Keeping the Castle, is in quite a bind. The family estate of Crawley Castle is quite literally falling apart. There is no money to repair it - Althea's father died, leaving the family nothing, and when her mother later married a rich man, he died just a few weeks later, before he could help repair the castle, and leaving two more mouths to feed - Prudence and Charity, Althea's wicked stepsisters. If there is to be anything left of the castle for...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Clare Cannon rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 14+ (females)

Shelves: 13-15yrs, young-adult

A brief but entertaining Austenian story about a quick-witted heroine, a not too sensible mother, two selfish step-sisters and the dilapidated castle in which they live. And, of course, the men they wish to marry.

While the backbone of the story is solid (along the theme of heart vs money) and the tone is witty and light, the novel is too short for any real development, making it a quick and satisfactory but not especially involved read. Most characters remain flat and stereotypical, perhaps wit...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Elaine marked it as unfinished

I did not finish this book because I found it inappropriate and not one I'd recommend to my daughters to read (which is why I read most of these books). The whole premise of the book is objectionable....a young girl (17) tries to find a rich man to marry to save the castle in which she and her family live. I was able to get past that though, but on page 3, there were the following sentences, referring to a man who had been about to propose to the heroine, "His gaze swept up and down my form, lin...more

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Jun 12, 2013 Denise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit

The blurb on the cover compares this book to I Capture the Castle. The blurb on the back compares the author to Jane Austen. With expectations like that, disappointment was almost inevitable.

Here's how it's like I Capture the Castle: the main character lives in a rundown castle. The end.

Here's how it's like any Jane Austen novel: it's set during the Regency period. The end.

That's not to say it isn't derivative, though, because it very much is. There are two obnoxious stepsisters that are strai...more

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May 23, 2013 Heath rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a very small novel, so it can't get too complex. It's reminiscent of Jane Austen, though trying to keep it more lighthearted and free-spirited. I would even venture to say a parody of an Austin novel. It will keep you interested for the hour or so it takes to read it. You'll know how the story ends, but you'll read it in hopes that it won't end the way you want it. Overall, a nice little read, but if you want something more serious and completely developed, go get an Austin novel. I read...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Jazz rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really liked Keeping the Castle. In particular, it had a sweet ending that is absolutely integrated into the plot.

Strangely enough, I kept on seeing elements of Jane Austen in it. For example, the ending when Althea Crawley is proposed to by Mr Fredericks, it reminded me a bit of how Emma is proposed to by Mr Knightley, with the misunderstandings and also integrating a bit of Sense and Sensibility where Lord Boring could be Willoughby in that despite his attraction to Althea, he chooses fortu...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Jennifer Bell rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is not going to keep you up at night, nor is it going to change your life. It won't make you think deep thoughts, or make you laugh out loud on every page. It probably won't make you cry either. If it does, well, I find chocolate always helps that.

There are a lot of things this book is not. Kindl isn't trying to be the next Jane Austen, and to say that this is a blatant ripoff (as I have seen in other reviews) is quite unfair. Keeping the Castle should be, in my opinion, viewed as a li...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 09, 2013 Kiera Beddes rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, ya-lit

Genre: teenage, Regency, Jane Austen-esque, etc
Summary: Althea is a strikingly beautiful 17 year old who has to marry for money to provide for her mother and younger brother. She comes with two awful stepsisters. She has her eye on Lord Boring (I'm not making these names up!) who has just moved into the neighborhood. However, there is the annoying Mr. Fredericks that keeps hanging around.
Response: I think I wanted to like this book more than I did. One of the book blurbs on the cover compared it...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Whatchyareading added it

Shelves: christine, historical, young-adult

This book is toted as being for fans of I Capture the Castle and Pride & Prejudice. Since I like both of those books, I decided to pick up Keeping the Castle. It sounded cute. And it was quite cute. Even silly at times. So definitely not a book that takes itself seriously, which is fun to read every once in a while.

Honestly, I guess I could see the Pride & Prejudice similarities, but as for Althea herself, I saw her more as Emma. She definitely wasn’t an Elizabeth Bennett. Like Emma, the...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Cleo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Seventeen year old Althea lives with her widowed mother, young brother, and two ungrateful stepsisters in the crumbling Crawley Castle, a wreck of a building built by her great-grandfather. Althea has to support them; in short, she has to marry a wealthy man. But there are few of those around in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Althea sets her sights on Lord Boring (yes, that's actually his name). There's one problem: Mr. Fredericks, his cousin and business manager, keeps getting in the...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Ed added it

Kindl, P. (2012). Keeping the castle. New York: Penguin/Viking. 262 pp. ISBN 978-0-670-01438-5. (Hardcover); $16.99.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a poor single teen girl in possession of a run-down castle must be in want of a husband. Readers familiar with Pride and Prejudice will find much that is familiar in this delightful Austen-like story of a pragmatic beautiful seventeen-year-old woman who is determined to marry money to save her castle home. Set in 19th century England, Alth...more Kindl, P. (2012). Keeping the castle. New York: Penguin/Viking. 262 pp. ISBN 978-0-670-01438-5. (Hardcover); $16.99.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a poor single teen girl in possession of a run-down castle must be in want of a husband. Readers familiar with Pride and Prejudice will find much that is familiar in this delightful Austen-like story of a pragmatic beautiful seventeen-year-old woman who is determined to marry money to save her castle home. Set in 19th century England, Althea explores appropriate options (for the times) to trade her good looks for the ability to provide for her mother and save her castle home. The banter between Althea and the various men she meets is delicious, with her too sharp tongue often getting her into trouble with the social conventions of the time. She digs into Mr. Godalming about why his appreciation of her beauty is acceptable, while her interest in his money is loathsome, but at no time do readers feel like we have a modern teen pretending to be from the past. Kindl keeps the characters in the times, and this is part of what makes the book work so well. That said, we do have a character, Miss Vincy, who eschews thoughts of marriage and has a son that is almost illegitimate. She is an artists and has Althea contemplating, however briefly, what life without men might be like. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy arrive in the form of Lord Boring and Mr. Fredericks. While Althea weaves webs to trap Lord Boring into marrying her, readers (and many of the other minor characters) are well aware that Mr. Fredericks is the better catch. Much of the social, economic, and political humor of Pride and Prejudice is echoed in Kindl’s version, but readers need not read Pride and Prejudice to enjoy this romp through 19th century England. The language play, delivered by characters who stay true to the time period, carries the day in this excellent novel. The fact that English teachers can show students the inter-textual features in the novel, as well as compare and contrast Austen and Kindl is frosting! Give this one to students who love romance. Purchase this book for all high school libraries and buy a copy for English teachers too. I am betting middle school students knowing nothing of Austen will read and love this book. With any luck at all, students will go grab Owl in Love, Goose Chase, or Woman in the Wall, also by Kindl. It has been a long time since Kindl’s last book—good to have her back!
(less)

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Nov 22, 2012 BAYA Librarian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Althea a beautiful and intelligent 17 year old has to figure out how to take care of her widowed mother, baby brother, spoiled stepsisters, and their crumbling castle. Given the Austen-like nature of the book it seems as if her only option is to marry, and to marry rich. Of course there is a scheme, some misunderstandings, a surprise or two, and tidbit of romance.

There are so many things about this book that make me want to hate it, like Polly Shulman’s quote on the cover referring to it as a, “...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: family-story, historical, romance

Seventeen-year-old Althea Crawley lives in a crumbling Yorkshire castle with her mother, brother, and two nasty stepsisters whose fortune could save the castle if they were willing to part with one groat of it (they're not). Althea knows the fate of the castle and her family rests on her incandescent beauty, which must get her a rich husband. The best prospect looks like the newcomer Lord Boring of Gudgeon Hall, who is handsome and entertaining as well as rich. The only drawback is that one of h...more Seventeen-year-old Althea Crawley lives in a crumbling Yorkshire castle with her mother, brother, and two nasty stepsisters whose fortune could save the castle if they were willing to part with one groat of it (they're not). Althea knows the fate of the castle and her family rests on her incandescent beauty, which must get her a rich husband. The best prospect looks like the newcomer Lord Boring of Gudgeon Hall, who is handsome and entertaining as well as rich. The only drawback is that one of his aunts married very much beneath her, and now Lord Boring's boorish businessman cousin, Mr. Fredericks, is also ensconced at Gudgeon Hall. His sole purpose in life appears to be to annoy Althea and destroy her castle. She determines to marry him off to the smallpox-scarred artist, Miss Vincy, but will her matchmaking efforts succeed? And what exactly are those evil stepsisters doing behind her back?

This sounded like the perfect book for a Heyer-lover like me, and I did enjoy it, though not so much as I had hoped. There was nothing wrong with the plot or the characters, so I find it hard to pinpoint what didn't work for me. It may be the simplicity of the telling, aimed at young adults; it lacks the glorious profusion of detail found in Heyer, the complicated romps and misunderstandings, the slow build-up of the relationships between characters. It also may be that Kindl doesn't seem to have decided whether or not she was writing satire. Some names--Lord Boring--are funny, but others are conventional. Some aspects--Cinderella's evil stepsisters--seem satirical, but other are genuine.

**************Spoiler alert!**************** (Not really--you know how it has to end, anyway)

And Kindl seems to give homage to a line from C.S. Lewis' 'The Horse and His Boy' in talking about two of the characters. Lewis wrote: "...[Y]ears later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarreling and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently.” Kindl wrote: "Let us agree that we are marrying so we can go on quarreling in the greatest possible comfort and convenience." Coincidence?(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another delightful confection by Kindl, a sort of cross (as the blurb says) between "I Capture the Castle" and Jane Austen. In the early 19th century, 17-year-old Althea is well aware of her need to marry well. She is bright and beautiful, and Lord Boring, who has come to live nearby, seems interested. But her two stepsisters are interested in the young nobleman - and Althea cannot help but wonder why Lord Boring is always in the company of the apparently boorish Mr. Fredericks. Is Lord Boring r...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Charty rated it 4 of 5 stars

A sharply written homage to Jane Austen and others. Kindl's language is to the point with never a word wasted, yet she manages to convey nuances of character and conversation where other authors would have needed twice the pages. Althea Crawley is beautiful, smart enough and unfortunately of no fortune. All her family's hopes and dreams rest on her ability to snare a wealthy suitor to help bolster their sagging fortunes (as well as their drawbridge). Unfortunately for Miss Crawley, she also has...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Miss rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's like if Julia Quinn wrote YA! :D Light semi-Austenesque tone, charms you all the way through to the ending. Basically if you like Althea's voice you'll like the book. Have a taste.

We were walking in the castle garden. The silvery light of early spring streaked across the grass, transforming the overgrown shrubbery into a place of magic and romance. He had begged me for a few moments of privacy, to “discuss a matter of great importance.” By this I assumed he meant to make an offer of marriag

...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is an enjoyable, frothy read for anyone looking for a light romance set in 19th century England. Althea Crawley is the 17 year old beauty who must save her family and tenants from poverty by marrying well. Althea knows she is beautiful, but she is also clever and kind. Along with her mother, brother and two step-sisters, Althea lives in Castle Crawley perched at the edge of the North Sea. Her grandfather used all the family funds to build the Castle and Althea must be very resourceful to ke...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Elizabeth by: Anna (Gatsby's Girl)

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance, ya-fiction, thumbs-up-award-winner, parody

An adorable, fun spoof on the Austen classics. Althea lives in the village of Lesser Hoo in the tumbledown remains of Crooked Castle, a vast monstrosity unwisely built on a cliff overlooking the North Sea. Since Althea and her family can't afford to keep the castle in good repair, they live in constant danger of the castle literally falling down around their ears--or worse, into the ocean. Althea's life is plagued by leaky roofs, marauding mice, odious stepsisters, and the knowledge that she abs...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Adrienne rated it 3 of 5 stars

With her family's castle literally on the verge of collapse and no income, Althea knows she needs to marry for money, but somehow she can't reign in her tongue enough to keep her suitors from finding out exactly what she's after. Although they don't seem to think it's bad that they love her for her beauty, they object to her loving them for their money. So, when Lord Boring buys a nearby estate, Althea is determined to catch his eye--and hold her tongue. While Lord Boring does indeed seem intere...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Miz Lizzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: britain, families, moneymaking, history, romance, young-adult

Althea, her mother, little brother, and two step-sisters live in a folly of a castle built on the edge of a cliff. Though her family is gentry they have next to no funds and Althea has always known that she must marry a wealthy man if she is to secure her family's future and repair the castle. Luckily she is a reputed beauty and if she can just keep her penchant for speaking with brutal honesty under control she just might manage it. This frothy little Regency romance doesn't have a lot of heft...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance, teen-fiction

Keeping the Castle is your typical historical romance. It has your spunky heroine who is in dire straights, your hero who must win the girl but who keeps his circumstances hidden, strange family members who get in the way, friends who must be taken care of and all kinds of other obligations.

Althea Crawley must marry rich. She has to take care of her family and secure a rich husband in order to ensure that her mother and brother do not lose crumbling Crawley Castle. Her two stepsisters, who are...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction, teen

At the age of seventeen, beautiful Althea Crawley must marry well in order to support her mother and her little brother. Her home, a crumbling castle, is in complete disarray, and her stepsisters refuse to help with the repairs or upkeep. When Lord Boring arrives in their town, Althea devises a way to ensnare him in marriage. The only hiccup in the plan is Mr. Fredericks, Lord Boring's clumsy cousin, who manages to get in Althea's way at every turn. Althea herself never fails to remind us about...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Lydia Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 52-in-2012

Book 23 of 52

I finished this book with a big goofy grin on my face and immediatly put it on hold at the library for my sister and two Austen-loving friends (I try to use my librarian powers for good :P). When I was explaining to my sister why I hacked her library account I didn't really have a particualrly good reason, the book isn't ground-breaking, it's not hilarious, and it very corny and extremely predictable... and that's excatly why I felt the nessesity in making all my Janeite friends rea...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Madeline rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is fun, smart, witty, funny and absolutely true to life. Althea, who is 17, has the responsibility of marrying into money in order to save her great-grandfathers castle that is built on a cliff and built upon romantic ideas and not practical uses, and therefore may well just fall into the sea. Scraping for dimes to save the castle for her 4 year old brother who will inherit it, Althea is clever enough to do such things as serve crispy minnows for entertaining and fashion a previous rel...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, humor, strong-female-character, romance, england, historical, castles

Their castle's in ruins and it is up to young 17-year-old Althea Crawley to marry rich and save the castle for her 4 year-old brother, Alexander. Althea's beauty is known far and wide and it should be easy for her to capture a wealthy man's heart...right? Well, she is also spunky, strong-willed, and speaks her mind. What man is up to that task?

Along comes handsome, young, rich Lord Boring. He is smitten, and Althea is sure he will propose...and just in time since the castle is literally falling...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, bullies, community, families, ncbla2013, romance

Younger--and maybe older ones too--fans of Jane Austen will certainly love this delicious little story of family love and self-sacrifice. Seventeen-year-old Althea Crawley, is saddled with the responsibility of taking care of the family home, a ramshackle castle whimsically built on unstable ground and in much need of repair. Her father died when she was young, and her mother's second husband also died earlier, leaving the family in poor financial straits. Althea is beautiful and outspoken, and...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-main-characters, historical-fiction, funny

Oh, this one was SOOO much fun!

Keeping the Castle was like reading Jane Austen with the most wonderful Medieval-era twist. I loved Althea (she was very practical, but in a good way- her down-to-earthness really balanced out the story, and she was also very funny. She had great interactions with her family and friends, and I loved her rebelliance against her stepsisters. I absolutely ADORED Mr. Fredericks. He had a very Mr. Darcy-ish personality, and I loved both his snarky, dry side and his lovi...more

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About Patrice Kindl

Childhood:
I was born in Alplaus New York in 1951, the youngest of four daughters. My father is a mechanical engineer, my mother a housewife. My family is very nice – I like them all a lot. As a child I loved animals and read obsessively.
We had (still have) a family cottage on Lake George. The people who live next door are life-long friends. On summer weekdays during my childhood there were ten fem...more Childhood:
I was born in Alplaus New York in 1951, the youngest of four daughters. My father is a mechanical engineer, my mother a housewife. My family is very nice – I like them all a lot. As a child I loved animals and read obsessively.
We had (still have) a family cottage on Lake George. The people who live next door are life-long friends. On summer weekdays during my childhood there were ten females in the two houses, no males. As a result of this background I feel that I understand girls better than boys, which is why I write primarily for girls.
Education and other jobs:
After high school I went to Webster College in St. Louis, Missouri. Oddly enough, given the location, it was a well-thought-of theater school. I attended for a year and a half and then (this was the 60’s, early 70’s) dropped out and decamped for New York City and a real drama school (not a liberal arts college like Webster). I appeared in a few television commercials, waitressed, auditioned and did a little modeling.
After three or four years of this sort of thing I realized I was going nowhere fast. I came back upstate and worked, at first full-time and then, after I married and my son was born, part-time, as a secretary at a consulting engineering firm called Encotech. As a result, I am an excellent touch typist today, which is handy for a writer.
I only began writing seriously when I was in my late thirties and was first published in my early forties. While I worked on OWL IN LOVE (my first book) I became involved in a program called Helping Hands, in which I raised two monkeys to be aides to quadriplegics. You can check it out at www.helpinghandsmonkeys.org. You can see a photograph of Kandy on this page and Susi on the FAQ page.
Family:
My husband Paul is president of Encotech (that’s where I met him). My son Alex is 25. He and his art rock band Bible Study (no religious connotation) live with us part-time. They rehearse directly over my office, so it is lucky that I think they are great musicians (Click here to listen to one of their songs). The vocalist is one of America’s few female Master Falconers. When the band is in residence we also have several hawks or falcons. (less)

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Quotes from Keeping the Castle

“Let us agree that we are marrying so we can go on quarreling in the greatest comfort and convenience.

Oh, please, Althea, look at me. Do say yes.” — 4 people liked it

“As often is the case after a powerful, destructive storm, it was an achingly beautiful day. Even so late in the summer, I could still hear the occasional skylark singing, and the fields were speckled with red poppies.” — 3 people liked it

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title link	preview: Keeping the Castle
avg rating	preview: Keeping the Castle Goodreads rating: 3.59 (1680 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12871232-keeping-the-castle?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327951042l/12871232.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12871232-keeping-the-castle?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl[/url]

Keeping the Castle

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