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At Home With the Templetons
Other people’s families aren’t always as perfect as they seem When the Templeton family from England takes up residence in a stately home in country Australia, they set the locals talking – and with good reason. From the outside, the seven Templetons seem so unusual . . . peculiar even. No one is more intrigued by the family than their neighbours, single mother Nina Donovan and her young son Tom. Before long, the two families’ lives become entwined in unexpected ways, to the delight of Gracie, the youngest of the Templeton daughters. In the years that follow, the relationships between the Templetons and the two Donovans twist and turn in unpredictable and life-changing directions, until a tragedy tears them all apart. What will it take to bring them together again? From Australia’s top-selling female novelist comes her best book yet – a wonderfully entertaining and touching story about the perils and pleasures of love, friendship and family. ‘A modern-day Jane Austen’ Sun Herald
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
67 people are currently reading
1235 people want to read
About the author
Monica McInerney
46 books1,134 followerswww.monicamcinerney.com
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Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of twelve novels including The Godmothers, The Trip of a Lifetime, Hello from the Gillespies, The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and Those Faraday Girls (named General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards) and a short story collection, All Together Now. Her first children's book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat, will be published in Australia/NZ in November 2021.
Monica, 56, grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia, where her father was the railway stationmaster and her mother worked in the local library. Before becoming a full-time writer she worked in children’s television, tourism festivals, book publishing, arts marketing, the music industry and as a waitress, a hotel cleaner, a Kindergym instructor and a temp. For nearly thirty years she and her Irish husband have been moving back and forth between Australia and Ireland. They are currently in Australia.
Visit her website at www.monicamcinerney.com
facebook.com/monicamcinerneyauthor
instagram.com/monicamcinerneyauthor
Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of twelve novels including The Godmothers, The Trip of a Lifetime, Hello from the Gillespies, The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and Those Faraday Girls (named General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards) and a short story collection, All Together Now. Her first children's book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat, will be published in Australia/NZ in November 2021.
Monica, 56, grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia, where her father was the railway stationmaster and her mother worked in the local library. Before becoming a full-time writer she worked in children’s television, tourism festivals, book publishing, arts marketing, the music industry and as a waitress, a hotel cleaner, a Kindergym instructor and a temp. For nearly thirty years she and her Irish husband have been moving back and forth between Australia and Ireland. They are currently in Australia.
Visit her website at www.monicamcinerney.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
October 19, 2010
At almost 600 pages, this book is 200-300 words too long. In part 1 I was rather enjoying the languid walk through the lives of the Templetons and Nina and her son Tom. By part 2 my interest was on the wane, but I forged on. Almost 400 pages in (alright, 390-something) I thought, good god, this is getting a bit much. From there I skimmed. Honestly, this would have been far better if it wasn't so long-winded. Then again, the actual plot, buried as it was in all those words, wasn't really anything to write home about. Won't be reading any more of McInerney's titles. She has an annoyi8ng habit, among others, of writing lengthy passages of exposition. Frankly, life's too short for books like this.
January 8, 2018
4.5★s
A really well written novel about families, friendship, truth and lies, with a lovely romantic theme as well.
I greatly enjoyed this novel, and have become quite the Monica McInerney fan. I have previously read Family Baggage and Hello From The Gillespies and consider this one the best yet.
Firstly, McInerney writes well. Her novels are well structured and the narratives flow well. Her writing style is easy to read but her prose is not dumbed down. She demonstrates great skill as an experienced writer in her genre.
Secondly, I think McInerney's greatest strength is her talent for characterisation. Her characters are well-drawn, cleverly nuanced personalities. None of her characters are absolutely perfect - they all have flaws or quirks, which make them seem real to this reader. In At Home we see how apparently confident and competent people have hidden insecurities which influence their behaviours and decision-making, often causing great harm to themselves or others.
McInerney's ability to explore the inner workings of family dynamics, and her gentle expose' of human frailties makes for convincing story-telling.
A really well written novel about families, friendship, truth and lies, with a lovely romantic theme as well.
I greatly enjoyed this novel, and have become quite the Monica McInerney fan. I have previously read Family Baggage and Hello From The Gillespies and consider this one the best yet.
Firstly, McInerney writes well. Her novels are well structured and the narratives flow well. Her writing style is easy to read but her prose is not dumbed down. She demonstrates great skill as an experienced writer in her genre.
Secondly, I think McInerney's greatest strength is her talent for characterisation. Her characters are well-drawn, cleverly nuanced personalities. None of her characters are absolutely perfect - they all have flaws or quirks, which make them seem real to this reader. In At Home we see how apparently confident and competent people have hidden insecurities which influence their behaviours and decision-making, often causing great harm to themselves or others.
McInerney's ability to explore the inner workings of family dynamics, and her gentle expose' of human frailties makes for convincing story-telling.
May 31, 2011
This was more of a 1.5 star book. I wanted to hurl this book across the room at several points while yelling "Just get ON with it, people!"
If it had been about 150 pages shorter, I would have liked it, I think. It certainly makes me want to move to Australia.
If it had been about 150 pages shorter, I would have liked it, I think. It certainly makes me want to move to Australia.
November 4, 2011
Interesting writing style. The authors real gift is connecting you to characters and connecting characters to each other. These characters really don't fall flat in any way, they are multidimensional, you get to see them from not only their own vantage point but also that of friends and family,they are relatable, they are humorous, some are introspective, some are not but they are all so viably human that it really draws you into the story and gives you a deep connection with their lives and the storyline. That being said, I think the letters were perhaps not my favorite approach to reconnecting these lives after they displaced from each other. I felt some of that brilliance in writing was lost in the letters, it became extremely long winded and in the final portion of the book it just became almost as a sighing heave. It was too predictable, for such an obvious set of circumstances towards the end we really didn't need so many words to get us to this point. We didn't have to see it from EVERY angle possible, we didn't have to draw that out so much. I think it tired me as an audience member. It made me feel bored with it all. I would have loved it if she would have ended a bit more poignantly and left it to the reader? Perhaps at the bit where Gracie blows the whistle near the water when she goes back, Have Tom come up at her from behind, get to see that real spark and chemistry between those two and then leave it to our juicy imaginations where it went from there? I'm not saying she had to leave loose ends I am just saying that she needed less words and more emotional charge to really bring it all to a close. By the end the emotional charge had run out for me, it got lost somewhere in all of that writing, which was too bad because there were so many connecting moments and I just adored all of these characters, even Henry and Charlotte in their own ways. It was a completely human piece and all that being said, a really great one just to pick up and go with.
June 3, 2012
The Templeton family live in a stately home near the Victorian city of Castlemaine. While the other kids get to have fun on the weekends, the Templetons have to dress up in period costume and run tours of their home (Templeton Hall) - which prove to be a surprise hit with tourists. Having only recently arrived from England, they keep very much to themselves. At first their neighbour Nina is happy to maintain a distance. But then, their lives become interlinked and she finds herself drawn into their family and all its dramas, not entirely willingly.
The story is told in Monica McInerney's usual warm and engaging prose and you find yourself immediately involved with the characters and their individual struggles. You can't help but like Grace, the youngest daughter and the only child who is really committed to the whole business of running Templeton Hall. I also really liked the character of Spencer (as a child), as there was a real devil-may-care attitude about him that was quite amusing.
The first part of the story is quite detailed and covers a relativly short space of time, while the later chapters are spread over a bigger span of years. While the earlier part was slower moving, I enjoyed it more as I felt the later part skipped over details a bit, in the interests of moving the story to its conclusion.
As usual Monica McInerney really gets the settings right, you can feel yourself in the Victorian countryside and later in London and Paris, when the story moves there. She also covers the theme of family relationships and all their complexities that begin in childhood and carry through until adulthood - sometimes never being resolved fully.
An enjoyable, engaging read that kept me involved right until the end.
The story is told in Monica McInerney's usual warm and engaging prose and you find yourself immediately involved with the characters and their individual struggles. You can't help but like Grace, the youngest daughter and the only child who is really committed to the whole business of running Templeton Hall. I also really liked the character of Spencer (as a child), as there was a real devil-may-care attitude about him that was quite amusing.
The first part of the story is quite detailed and covers a relativly short space of time, while the later chapters are spread over a bigger span of years. While the earlier part was slower moving, I enjoyed it more as I felt the later part skipped over details a bit, in the interests of moving the story to its conclusion.
As usual Monica McInerney really gets the settings right, you can feel yourself in the Victorian countryside and later in London and Paris, when the story moves there. She also covers the theme of family relationships and all their complexities that begin in childhood and carry through until adulthood - sometimes never being resolved fully.
An enjoyable, engaging read that kept me involved right until the end.
May 8, 2011
This book gets off to a slow start because the set up is under the constraint of depicting the life, circumstances and background for the characters. At times it gets a little tedious being stuck in everyday life but if the reader sticks with it they'll eventually see the necessity of the journey. This becomes evident around chapter seventeen (roughly 250 pages in). It is here, that emotional attachment grows especially for the characters Gracie and Tom, which magnetically become the driving force of the story's continuation. The shift in focus is essential to the understanding and growth of the couple because ultimately the story becomes about them, their sorrows, future and ends with a difficult decision. Each character has contributed to the complexity and demonstrates how bad decisions, impulses and choices tangle with other fate even when we don't mean for it to occur. Everything touches everyone. The drawback is the length and build up. Some readers might not have the patience and lose interest before the seventeenth chapter. Also, near the ending a repetition of perspective of events is shown/told from multiple characters. I felt this was redundant and wasn't absolutely certain why it was necessary. I typically do not like this approach in any book because personally I do not want to read the same scene over and over. It is done well, but contributes to the overall extended length of the book.
*This review is based on the advanced reader copy provided by the Amazon Vine program.
*This review is based on the advanced reader copy provided by the Amazon Vine program.
April 27, 2011
What a book! Monica knocked my socks off! This was my first book but it won't be my last by a long shot! The Templetons are a big imposing bunch, each with a big personality! We start out with Gracie arriving at what we know at the end to be "Templeton Hall", with some dark, curly, handsome stranger greeting her. Who was he? Then we go back to what happened to get to that moment.
Eleanor, the mother of the crew, she was an iffy character, didn't hate her but didn't care for her either. Too wishy-washy for me. Stand up for yourself love! The dad, good ole liar himself, Henry -- he is a liar, but a smooth character, a ladies man I suppose eh. Then we have the children. The oldest is Charlotte, who went to boarding school and eventually threatens to not come home until they make Aunt Hope go away --- which I think she just used as an excuse. Then we have Audrey, who is a theatrical girl. She gets a part in a play, then comes the big day. She gets up there, oh darn, stage fright! From that day on she doesn't speak to anyone. Falls in love with a therapist. Find out what happens to her...
We have one of the best characters in my opinion, Gracie next. Gracie is the most lovable, easiest to get along with character. Even Tom thinks so! Speaking of Tom, you will meet Tom and his mom Nina along the way too. Nina is another one that you will either come to understand or hate. I think there is no middle road.
One character I think we can all hate is Hope. At one teeny tiny point I thought there might be hope for Hope, but alas she ruined that one. Hope is detestable. But she makes the book enjoyable and keeps you guessing the whole entire book, highly entertaining!
And last but not least we have the youngest, the spoiled brat Spencer, who a lot of things wouldn't have happened without him. You either love him or hate him too. He didn't have many goals in life, maybe that is what being the youngest and hanging around Hope did for him.
Monica knows what readers want, and she gave it. I can't wait to get my hands on her other books. I will recommend this book to everyone! Perfect book to take to the beach, makes you forget all your own drama for a day!
Eleanor, the mother of the crew, she was an iffy character, didn't hate her but didn't care for her either. Too wishy-washy for me. Stand up for yourself love! The dad, good ole liar himself, Henry -- he is a liar, but a smooth character, a ladies man I suppose eh. Then we have the children. The oldest is Charlotte, who went to boarding school and eventually threatens to not come home until they make Aunt Hope go away --- which I think she just used as an excuse. Then we have Audrey, who is a theatrical girl. She gets a part in a play, then comes the big day. She gets up there, oh darn, stage fright! From that day on she doesn't speak to anyone. Falls in love with a therapist. Find out what happens to her...
We have one of the best characters in my opinion, Gracie next. Gracie is the most lovable, easiest to get along with character. Even Tom thinks so! Speaking of Tom, you will meet Tom and his mom Nina along the way too. Nina is another one that you will either come to understand or hate. I think there is no middle road.
One character I think we can all hate is Hope. At one teeny tiny point I thought there might be hope for Hope, but alas she ruined that one. Hope is detestable. But she makes the book enjoyable and keeps you guessing the whole entire book, highly entertaining!
And last but not least we have the youngest, the spoiled brat Spencer, who a lot of things wouldn't have happened without him. You either love him or hate him too. He didn't have many goals in life, maybe that is what being the youngest and hanging around Hope did for him.
Monica knows what readers want, and she gave it. I can't wait to get my hands on her other books. I will recommend this book to everyone! Perfect book to take to the beach, makes you forget all your own drama for a day!
May 23, 2011
Part One (the first sixteen chapters) of At Home with The Templetons is absolutely delightful. Can you imagine any family trying to maintain a normal life in a home where they have to dress in period costumes and tourist parade through your living space? Now imagine a family with issues...major issues. It is funny, charming, and a little sad.
The pace in Part Two slows down a great deal as it is mostly done through letters that cover eight years. It is a clever way to keep the reader apprised of the important details that occur over almost a decade, but I really missed the character interactions that made Part One so very interesting.
The narrative picks back up in Part Three and at this point the book becomes less quirky and a lot more predictable. Tragedy strikes this tragic family and it is the fate of two of the more empathetic characters the compelled me to finish this novel.
The first part of this book reminded me of Cheaper by the Dozen, by Frank E. Gilbrith, but the rest of the book is more like The Promise: A Novel, by Danielle Steel
Monica McIneney's interesting cast of characters make this a novel worth reading.
The pace in Part Two slows down a great deal as it is mostly done through letters that cover eight years. It is a clever way to keep the reader apprised of the important details that occur over almost a decade, but I really missed the character interactions that made Part One so very interesting.
The narrative picks back up in Part Three and at this point the book becomes less quirky and a lot more predictable. Tragedy strikes this tragic family and it is the fate of two of the more empathetic characters the compelled me to finish this novel.
The first part of this book reminded me of Cheaper by the Dozen, by Frank E. Gilbrith, but the rest of the book is more like The Promise: A Novel, by Danielle Steel
Monica McIneney's interesting cast of characters make this a novel worth reading.
August 5, 2017
Delusional, lying, self-centered, egotists causing endless problems for others. I still enjoyed it.
June 28, 2024
Lengthy but an interesting, enthralling and enjoyable read.
November 5, 2025
Enjoyed the first half, second half was wrapping up everything as they grew older, that was a bit too long, It ended up being just ok.
December 19, 2010
Monica McInerney writes good, solid books usually combining families in various locations with a bit of romance and drama. In this, At Home With the Templetons doesn’t fail to disappoint. It’s a good book recommendation for your grandmother, mother or sister.
The Templetons arrive from England to country Victoria, Australia and take up residence at the family ‘colonial mansion’. Each weekend, the family dresses up in period costume and opens the house to strangers to relive the gold rush era. There are just a few problems with this:
- Most of the Templeton children don’t want to do the tours
- Their aunt is an alcoholic and often insults the visitors
- The kids do some wacky things (such as underage driving)
- The fellow townspeople think they are attention seekers
The book follows the four children (Charlotte, Audrey, Spencer and in particular, Gracie) as they grow up in this environment. Spencer befriends Tom Donovan and Gracie her mother Nina. Nina is wary of getting involved with the Templetons but their paths meet consistently. So when the Templetons must return to England, Nina takes over as caretaker of Templeton Hall.
Many years are then covered in a series of letters, faxes and emails. Gracie grows up and the Templetons and Donovans are entwined again, with dramatic results, arguments and dramas. Will it have a happy ending? I’ll let you work that one out.
I found the character of Hope (the alcoholic aunt) quite annoying due to her drunken stupidity, but fortunately she is less involved in the later sections of the book. I also thought it was a bit strange for Gracie to lose her drive completely after the Event and be so directionless for years after, but I suppose that’s what gave the book its last 200 pages.
The book is well written and an easy read, good for summer holidays.
August 5, 2013
An English family settles in a stately home in Castlemaine, Australia and conducts tours all dressed in appropriate period costume for the public. Nearby lives widowed, Nina Donovan and her young son, Tom. Nina's initial reaction towards the Templetons is negative. I thought it should have stayed that way.
Recently Bette and I were talking about the skill need by an author when writing about unlikable character. I have to say I felt that with this Monica McInerney book. With the exception of Gracie, all of the Templetons were selfish and manipulative and they didn’t care who they hurt along the way to achieving their own ends. I failed to understand why Nina had such a fascination with them and was drawn into their lives. From when the reader first meets Gracie as a child, Gracie is a breath of fresh air. She was probably the main reason I kept reading this long novel, which seemed like it could have been much shorter.
I sympathised with Nina Donovan, mother of young Tom for a time but even lost sympathy for her along the way. It is Gracie and Tom who carry this story and hold the reader’s attention and I found the parts relating their stories most interesting. I usually like Monica Mc Inerney’s books but this is not my favourite, largely due to the characters. Other people may react differently than I did though.
I probably wouldn't have kept reading except it was Monica McInerney, so I knew I would get something out of it.
Recently Bette and I were talking about the skill need by an author when writing about unlikable character. I have to say I felt that with this Monica McInerney book. With the exception of Gracie, all of the Templetons were selfish and manipulative and they didn’t care who they hurt along the way to achieving their own ends. I failed to understand why Nina had such a fascination with them and was drawn into their lives. From when the reader first meets Gracie as a child, Gracie is a breath of fresh air. She was probably the main reason I kept reading this long novel, which seemed like it could have been much shorter.
I sympathised with Nina Donovan, mother of young Tom for a time but even lost sympathy for her along the way. It is Gracie and Tom who carry this story and hold the reader’s attention and I found the parts relating their stories most interesting. I usually like Monica Mc Inerney’s books but this is not my favourite, largely due to the characters. Other people may react differently than I did though.
I probably wouldn't have kept reading except it was Monica McInerney, so I knew I would get something out of it.
February 25, 2013
A slow start as we are introduced to the characters and their world but it pulled me in enough to read on. In a way, though, the prologue snatched some of the tension away - we knew the lost lovers would meet again.
When the Gracie/Tom story took the centre of the narration, I enjoyed it. At last we had some deep emotion, some 'zing' and I found myself holding my breath at some tense moments in their relationship. The remaining characters were unsympathetic. I rated Eleanor next most engaging after Gracie - her story is not uncommon. Henry was intriguing, but a typical charming chancer although he redeemed himself to some extent by working to pay off the family debt. The strength of the book is that everything and everybody's actions and decisions interweave - something that help keep the reader's attention. But the plot lines were a little boring.
The book is a pleasant read, but it is far too long, something that isn't helped by pages of recap towards the end. I itched to have my writer's red pen in my hand!
When the Gracie/Tom story took the centre of the narration, I enjoyed it. At last we had some deep emotion, some 'zing' and I found myself holding my breath at some tense moments in their relationship. The remaining characters were unsympathetic. I rated Eleanor next most engaging after Gracie - her story is not uncommon. Henry was intriguing, but a typical charming chancer although he redeemed himself to some extent by working to pay off the family debt. The strength of the book is that everything and everybody's actions and decisions interweave - something that help keep the reader's attention. But the plot lines were a little boring.
The book is a pleasant read, but it is far too long, something that isn't helped by pages of recap towards the end. I itched to have my writer's red pen in my hand!
February 11, 2013
The first Monica McInerney book I read, Greetings from Somewhere Else, I adored. As such, I keep reading her books, but none of them have been quite up to par.
**Slight, vague references to spoilers**
At Home with the Templetons was probably my least favorite. The themes and "morals" seemed cliche, and the book seemed to drag on quite a bit. I kept thinking, isn't it over yet? I guessed the climax's resolution long before it happened and was disappointed in the characters' reactions to that. Why couldn't they figure it out when that character had done that before?
**Slight, vague references to spoilers**
At Home with the Templetons was probably my least favorite. The themes and "morals" seemed cliche, and the book seemed to drag on quite a bit. I kept thinking, isn't it over yet? I guessed the climax's resolution long before it happened and was disappointed in the characters' reactions to that. Why couldn't they figure it out when that character had done that before?
May 21, 2011
This is the second book, I have read by this Author, I was slightly
disappointed as it is very slow to begin with but after the first part,
it was really good, I couldn’t put it down, it was funny in some parts
and sad at times in other parts, and there is a very happy ending, be
patient with this book and you will love it as much as I did. I would
definitely recommend. The book is told in 3 parts.
disappointed as it is very slow to begin with but after the first part,
it was really good, I couldn’t put it down, it was funny in some parts
and sad at times in other parts, and there is a very happy ending, be
patient with this book and you will love it as much as I did. I would
definitely recommend. The book is told in 3 parts.
July 11, 2014
Unapologetically one of the worst book I've ever read. Simpering, over-written, insignificant characters (am I meant to care about any of them?) such a long, drawn out and utterly boring plot. None of the characters are particularly redemptive. I truly didn't care about the story half-way through but persevered. This felt like a mills and boon, but ten times the length.
March 24, 2017
Another good story written by Monica mcinerney. It was nice to know that there are other families just as weird as ours. Also, towns that were mentioned in the book both in Australia and the United Kingdom are places that I have visited and could relate to the surroundings.
September 2, 2013
An interesting read with a variety of characters and plot twists. Enjoyed listening to it as an audio book - well read.
March 28, 2015
Familes are so complicated. This book is entertaining yet it will ring true the complexities of individuals in family units. I loved this book.
September 11, 2015
FABULOUS!!!
October 31, 2016
It never ceases to amaze me how Monica McInerney makes her characters feel so real, and this book is no exception. Loved it from its start to its perfect ending!
April 9, 2017
Loved, loved loved this story!
February 9, 2018
My first time to read a Monica McInerney book. One of the book reviews says she is the Maeve Binchy of Australia.
I just love the story although it was quite a long read.
I just love the story although it was quite a long read.
March 31, 2025
When the Templetons inherit a stately home in Australia, dating back to the God Rush era, they move from London to stake their claim. The locals are bemused by these unusual blow-ins, especially when it appears that the charismatic Henry, his wife, sister-in-law and four children appear to lead a charmed existence. But all is not as it seems in Templeton Hall and the cracks eventually start to appear.
At home with the Templetons is a lovely read, mostly due to these lovely characters but the first two thirds is the better part while the complicated tragedies are rather swiftly dealt with in the end.
At home with the Templetons is a lovely read, mostly due to these lovely characters but the first two thirds is the better part while the complicated tragedies are rather swiftly dealt with in the end.
August 10, 2018
Er zijn eigenlijk geen echt sympathieke personages hier. Tom ok, en Hillary. Maar verder hebben ze allemaal hun vervelende kantjes. En eigenlijk zelfs Tom, die zo goedgelovig is. Maar toch wil je weten hoe het hen vergaat, leef je mee. Het einde is wat soppig maar dat valt te vergeven. En eigenlijk had je het niet anders gewild.
May 5, 2024
I expected a long family saga from this author
But found the characters were very one dimensional. Charlotte & Audrey were both annoying and had no other characteristics
Spencer was troublesome
Hope added no value to the story except as an excuse for the return
Henry was unbelievable
Also found the missing letters etc very contrived
Agreed with other reviewers that it was overlong
But found the characters were very one dimensional. Charlotte & Audrey were both annoying and had no other characteristics
Spencer was troublesome
Hope added no value to the story except as an excuse for the return
Henry was unbelievable
Also found the missing letters etc very contrived
Agreed with other reviewers that it was overlong
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2013
En casa de los Templeton explora las relaciones familiares de las personas cuyas vidas y creencias se han basado en la mentira hasta encontrar las decepciones. Mónica McInerney ha escrito una excelente novela que centra la atención del lector en la reacción y el impacto al conocer la verdad de cada uno de los personajes involucrados.
Gracie Templeton, el personaje central, se introduce en el prólogo a los 27 años, ella se prepara para regresar a Australia desde su casa en Londres. Sin embargo, la historia retrocede a un período anterior de su vida, cuando tiene once años. Período cuando la familia Templeton vivía en Australia, en una mansión colonial que propiciaba visitas turísticas mientras cada miembro familiar se disfrazaba con trajes de época para hacer el recorrido. Esto será visto por los habitantes del pueblo como una excentricidad por parte de la familia y una manera de mostrar una superioridad social de clases que los habitantes del pueblo rechazarán y darán pie al más puro cotilleo.
Los vecinos más cercanos a esta familia tan peculiar son una joven viuda, Nina Donovan y su hijo Tom, quienes desempeñarán un papel fundamental en las vidas de cada uno de los Templeton, pero sobre todo en la de Gracie. Nina, como los Templeton, guarda secretos de su pasado que afectarán las relaciones con sus amigos y la familia. Sólo al regreso de Gracie a Australia y la revelación definitiva de la verdad de cada personaje es cuando cada uno de ellos encontrará la estabilidad emocional perdida y la paz que necesitan para comenzar el proceso de curación.
Mónica McInerney es una escritora habilidosa. Su caracterización de los personajes es bastante sólida y cada individuo se distingue fácilmente de los otros. Gracie es una niña luchadora, precoz, mucho más madura que otros miembros de su familia. Cuando Gracie alcanza la madurez, su personaje se vuelve menos atractivo y parece caer en el molde de una persona emocionalmente dañada sin salvación alguna a menos que sea solo por amor.
Charlotte, la hermana mayor de Gracie, es ambiciosa y pronto las puertas del éxito se abren para ella, es quien dicta las reglas y no tiene espacio en su vida para aquellos que son menos inhibidos. Audrey, la segunda hermana, es una persona introvertida que choca en su adolescencia con el primer muro de no aceptación social y pronto se esconde del mundo para protegerse, solamente cuando se reconoce como una persona común y corriente, capaz de cometer errores es que acepta la verdad sobre sí misma y sus talentos. Spencer, el hermano menor de Gracie, es un niño travieso que nunca parece aceptar la responsabilidad por sus acciones o la de reconocer el efecto de estas en los demás.
Los padres, Henry y Eleanor, han construido sus vidas y las de su familia en la negación de las circunstancias y de sus sentimientos. Henry es un charlatán y un estafador. Eleanor, una facilitadora, el comodín ideal que un hombre como Henry necesita para crear un mundo diseñado a sus anchas. Hope, la hermana de Leonor, completa la familia, su alcoholismo y adicción a las drogas podrían hacernos sentir compasión por ella, excepto que sus acciones afectarán a todo el elenco de los personajes y no será agradable leer las palabras cínicas de una persona consumida por la amargura.
Y por último tenemos a Tom. Tom es un niño que ha crecido solo junto a su madre (Nina). La muerte de su padre justo antes de su nacimiento será el factor desencadenante de una serie de secretos que su madre ocultará hasta llegar al punto de no retorno en el afecto entre ambos. Su amistad con los Templeton creará un vínculo muy estrecho y es después de conocer el éxito en su carrera deportista y la caída de la misma, que los malos entendidos y la mentira por otros, lo separará de esta familia y en concreto de Gracie. Después de las mentiras y los secretos, vendrá la decepción y solo con la vuelta de Gracie a Australia es que ambos personajes logran estabilizar sus emociones y conocer el porqué de la razón que los mantuvo separados tantos años.
He disfrutado con el libro, aunque reconozco que hubo momentos en los que no me mantuvo en vilo y deseaba un poco más de desarrollo en la trama en lugar de descripciones individuales de cada personaje, pero en la mitad de la lectura ocurrió el gancho y pronto la historia pasó a tener más interés. La autora tiene una gran pericia para escribir sobre la familia y los individuos disfuncionales, así como los efectos que sus acciones causan en sus más allegados. Cualquiera que disfrute de una historia sobre las relaciones familiares disfrutará de este libro y se verá sentado imaginariamente en la terraza de una mansión colonial australiana.
Gracie Templeton, el personaje central, se introduce en el prólogo a los 27 años, ella se prepara para regresar a Australia desde su casa en Londres. Sin embargo, la historia retrocede a un período anterior de su vida, cuando tiene once años. Período cuando la familia Templeton vivía en Australia, en una mansión colonial que propiciaba visitas turísticas mientras cada miembro familiar se disfrazaba con trajes de época para hacer el recorrido. Esto será visto por los habitantes del pueblo como una excentricidad por parte de la familia y una manera de mostrar una superioridad social de clases que los habitantes del pueblo rechazarán y darán pie al más puro cotilleo.
Los vecinos más cercanos a esta familia tan peculiar son una joven viuda, Nina Donovan y su hijo Tom, quienes desempeñarán un papel fundamental en las vidas de cada uno de los Templeton, pero sobre todo en la de Gracie. Nina, como los Templeton, guarda secretos de su pasado que afectarán las relaciones con sus amigos y la familia. Sólo al regreso de Gracie a Australia y la revelación definitiva de la verdad de cada personaje es cuando cada uno de ellos encontrará la estabilidad emocional perdida y la paz que necesitan para comenzar el proceso de curación.
Mónica McInerney es una escritora habilidosa. Su caracterización de los personajes es bastante sólida y cada individuo se distingue fácilmente de los otros. Gracie es una niña luchadora, precoz, mucho más madura que otros miembros de su familia. Cuando Gracie alcanza la madurez, su personaje se vuelve menos atractivo y parece caer en el molde de una persona emocionalmente dañada sin salvación alguna a menos que sea solo por amor.
Charlotte, la hermana mayor de Gracie, es ambiciosa y pronto las puertas del éxito se abren para ella, es quien dicta las reglas y no tiene espacio en su vida para aquellos que son menos inhibidos. Audrey, la segunda hermana, es una persona introvertida que choca en su adolescencia con el primer muro de no aceptación social y pronto se esconde del mundo para protegerse, solamente cuando se reconoce como una persona común y corriente, capaz de cometer errores es que acepta la verdad sobre sí misma y sus talentos. Spencer, el hermano menor de Gracie, es un niño travieso que nunca parece aceptar la responsabilidad por sus acciones o la de reconocer el efecto de estas en los demás.
Los padres, Henry y Eleanor, han construido sus vidas y las de su familia en la negación de las circunstancias y de sus sentimientos. Henry es un charlatán y un estafador. Eleanor, una facilitadora, el comodín ideal que un hombre como Henry necesita para crear un mundo diseñado a sus anchas. Hope, la hermana de Leonor, completa la familia, su alcoholismo y adicción a las drogas podrían hacernos sentir compasión por ella, excepto que sus acciones afectarán a todo el elenco de los personajes y no será agradable leer las palabras cínicas de una persona consumida por la amargura.
Y por último tenemos a Tom. Tom es un niño que ha crecido solo junto a su madre (Nina). La muerte de su padre justo antes de su nacimiento será el factor desencadenante de una serie de secretos que su madre ocultará hasta llegar al punto de no retorno en el afecto entre ambos. Su amistad con los Templeton creará un vínculo muy estrecho y es después de conocer el éxito en su carrera deportista y la caída de la misma, que los malos entendidos y la mentira por otros, lo separará de esta familia y en concreto de Gracie. Después de las mentiras y los secretos, vendrá la decepción y solo con la vuelta de Gracie a Australia es que ambos personajes logran estabilizar sus emociones y conocer el porqué de la razón que los mantuvo separados tantos años.
He disfrutado con el libro, aunque reconozco que hubo momentos en los que no me mantuvo en vilo y deseaba un poco más de desarrollo en la trama en lugar de descripciones individuales de cada personaje, pero en la mitad de la lectura ocurrió el gancho y pronto la historia pasó a tener más interés. La autora tiene una gran pericia para escribir sobre la familia y los individuos disfuncionales, así como los efectos que sus acciones causan en sus más allegados. Cualquiera que disfrute de una historia sobre las relaciones familiares disfrutará de este libro y se verá sentado imaginariamente en la terraza de una mansión colonial australiana.
October 30, 2019
Dull and predictable storyline. Even the "twist" wasn't much of a surprise. Could have been a whole lot shorter and still covered the same story.
May 21, 2013
It actually took me awhile to really get into this book. I still read it just as fast as any other book but to be honest it just wasn't grabbing me. And then about half way through i realised that i found it quite depressing. Not so much the storyline, just the general feel of the book and the characters. I remember putting the book down for the night and turning to my husband saying `I feel quite depressed from reading this book. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly, just the mood of the book or something'.
I think another reason why i found this book harder to get into was because i didn't feel any attachment to any of the characters so frankly i didn't care what happened to them. I'm not sure why, maybe it was because i found most of them quite selfish and shallow. This however, did change. At the twist. I started really caring about some of the characters then.
The twist happened just at the right moment when i was wondering what could tie everything together to end the book. OH MY GOSH. I wanted to stab that woman. Rip her eyeballs out for the rest of her life. I can't believe she did that! Who does that? I won't give away who because i HATE spoilers (every time something happens now you're going to think it was that but believe me you will know what i am talking about when you read it). Far out. I was SO MAD. I wanted to rip the book in half. I don't think i have ever hated a character more! Not even an evil, evil villain.
I enjoyed the ending although it was more a relief that it was over (not because it was terrible but because my nerves were worse than Mrs Bennet's from Pride and Prejudice by the end). I even had to go for an hour walk with my iPod to release all the emotion when I'd finished reading it.
I'm not sure what genre to put this book in. I thought at first it was a family saga but I'm not so sure because it only follows the same generation. I guess though it is a family and boy is it a dramatic saga!
I'm not sure how Monica was feeling when she wrote this book but i don't think I've ever been on such an emotional roller coaster from a book before. So if that is what you like to read, then this book is definitely for you! I don't think i would read it again though.
www.readingforthemasses.wordpress.com
I think another reason why i found this book harder to get into was because i didn't feel any attachment to any of the characters so frankly i didn't care what happened to them. I'm not sure why, maybe it was because i found most of them quite selfish and shallow. This however, did change. At the twist. I started really caring about some of the characters then.
The twist happened just at the right moment when i was wondering what could tie everything together to end the book. OH MY GOSH. I wanted to stab that woman. Rip her eyeballs out for the rest of her life. I can't believe she did that! Who does that? I won't give away who because i HATE spoilers (every time something happens now you're going to think it was that but believe me you will know what i am talking about when you read it). Far out. I was SO MAD. I wanted to rip the book in half. I don't think i have ever hated a character more! Not even an evil, evil villain.
I enjoyed the ending although it was more a relief that it was over (not because it was terrible but because my nerves were worse than Mrs Bennet's from Pride and Prejudice by the end). I even had to go for an hour walk with my iPod to release all the emotion when I'd finished reading it.
I'm not sure what genre to put this book in. I thought at first it was a family saga but I'm not so sure because it only follows the same generation. I guess though it is a family and boy is it a dramatic saga!
I'm not sure how Monica was feeling when she wrote this book but i don't think I've ever been on such an emotional roller coaster from a book before. So if that is what you like to read, then this book is definitely for you! I don't think i would read it again though.
www.readingforthemasses.wordpress.com
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