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Orchideenhaus
Als junges Mädchen verbrachte Julia Forrester jede freie Minute bei ihrem Großvater, einem bekannten Orchideenzüchter, im Gewächshaus von Wharton Park. Nach einem schweren Schicksalsschlag führt der Zufall Julia Jahre später noch einmal zu dem Anwesen zurück. Der jetzige Besitzer Kit Crawford überreicht ihr ein altes Tagebuch, das bei den Renovierungsarbeiten gefunden wurde und womöglich Julias Großvater gehörte. Als Julia ihre Großmutter Elsie mit dem Tagebuch konfrontiert, drängt ein jahrelang gehütetes Familiengeheimnis ans Licht, das auch Julias Leben komplett verändern wird...
539 pages, Paperback
First published November 25, 2010
2778 people are currently reading
20995 people want to read
About the author
Lucinda Riley
160 books11.9k followersAKA: Lucinda Edmonds
Lucinda Riley was born in Northern Ireland, and after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first book aged twenty-four. Her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and sold thirty million copies worldwide. She is a No.1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller.
Lucinda’s The Seven Sisters series, which tells the story of adopted sisters and is inspired by the mythology of the famous star cluster, has become a global phenomenon. The series is a No.1 bestseller across the world with total sales of over fifteen million copies.
Lucinda and her family divided their time between the U.K. and a farmhouse in West Cork, Ireland, where she wrote her books.
Lucinda Riley was born in Northern Ireland, and after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first book aged twenty-four. Her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and sold thirty million copies worldwide. She is a No.1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller.
Lucinda’s The Seven Sisters series, which tells the story of adopted sisters and is inspired by the mythology of the famous star cluster, has become a global phenomenon. The series is a No.1 bestseller across the world with total sales of over fifteen million copies.
Lucinda and her family divided their time between the U.K. and a farmhouse in West Cork, Ireland, where she wrote her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,799 reviews
July 16, 2011
This was so much crap! Bullshit at its best, to be precise. Seriously, I expected so much from this book, like a great family saga, with some romance and some interesting plot. And in the end, I didn't get anything but crap!
I mean the prologue was kinda great and I thought, OMG, this book has to fantastic. I was SO wrong. After the prologue the whole story goes down the drain and only consists of stupid and blunt characters that are all so very annoying and not likeable at all. Plus, they don't show how they feel nor is the author able to make the reader care at all for them. They are all like puppets on a string. Same with the setting. You have no pictures in mind when Harry is in Bangkok or Julie in France. They are there. The end. WTF?
But what bugged me the most are those stupid dialogues. I haven't read so much bullshit in a very long time. Seriously, people don't talk like that. Especially not, if they know each other. And what made me laugh out loud are sentences like "I hope I am worth enough for you", from a person living in 2010. Oooooookay.
Plus, the whole story, the diary which doesn't really play a role at all, is just stupid and very predictable! It's like Riley had a list with all the oh so dramatic scenes that she had to put in the book, fitting or not. Who cares. Well, I do. Especially since the ending is probably the worst of it. Predictable, mushy, soapy and very bad written. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, Riley came up with TEH FUCK!!!
All in all this book is badly written, with logical errors all the time, absurd dialogues and predictable to no end. I really can't point out all the things that bugged - let me just say, there were a lot. I still can't believe that nobody noticed all the errors when it came to the logical aspects. WTF!
Worst book read in a while. That's for sure.
I mean the prologue was kinda great and I thought, OMG, this book has to fantastic. I was SO wrong. After the prologue the whole story goes down the drain and only consists of stupid and blunt characters that are all so very annoying and not likeable at all. Plus, they don't show how they feel nor is the author able to make the reader care at all for them. They are all like puppets on a string. Same with the setting. You have no pictures in mind when Harry is in Bangkok or Julie in France. They are there. The end. WTF?
But what bugged me the most are those stupid dialogues. I haven't read so much bullshit in a very long time. Seriously, people don't talk like that. Especially not, if they know each other. And what made me laugh out loud are sentences like "I hope I am worth enough for you", from a person living in 2010. Oooooookay.
Plus, the whole story, the diary which doesn't really play a role at all, is just stupid and very predictable! It's like Riley had a list with all the oh so dramatic scenes that she had to put in the book, fitting or not. Who cares. Well, I do. Especially since the ending is probably the worst of it. Predictable, mushy, soapy and very bad written. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, Riley came up with TEH FUCK!!!
All in all this book is badly written, with logical errors all the time, absurd dialogues and predictable to no end. I really can't point out all the things that bugged - let me just say, there were a lot. I still can't believe that nobody noticed all the errors when it came to the logical aspects. WTF!
Worst book read in a while. That's for sure.
August 29, 2011
This novel is so bad it is a shame to the written word. I cannot believe I read through 577 pages of clichées, stick figures, stupid plot and uninteresting intrigue. I should have left it at page 80, with "Oh Julia, I'll never forget until my dying day, the moment I walked into that Magnolia bedroom and saw her for the first time". That should have been a hint that there were only worse things to come.
The story is that of Julia, who is in deep morning after the loss of husband and child. She's back in her childhood surroundings, near the magnificient Wharton Hall. She slowly returns to life and finds out about the secrets that tie the heir of Wharton Hall to her own family. Somewhere in this Julia falls in love with the current Lord of Wharton Hall, Kit. Predictable from the description of their first meeting as children.
This book does not have a single redeeming quality. However, when Julia's dead husband turns out to not be so dead after all - having survived the train crash - that took the prize as the worst plot twist to ever come to print. This is not a book that will enjoy the comfort of my shelves, it will be thrown into the paper recycling bin. I never throw books away, ever, but "Hothouse Flower" deserves nothing better than a new life as toilet paper.
The story is that of Julia, who is in deep morning after the loss of husband and child. She's back in her childhood surroundings, near the magnificient Wharton Hall. She slowly returns to life and finds out about the secrets that tie the heir of Wharton Hall to her own family. Somewhere in this Julia falls in love with the current Lord of Wharton Hall, Kit. Predictable from the description of their first meeting as children.
This book does not have a single redeeming quality. However, when Julia's dead husband turns out to not be so dead after all - having survived the train crash - that took the prize as the worst plot twist to ever come to print. This is not a book that will enjoy the comfort of my shelves, it will be thrown into the paper recycling bin. I never throw books away, ever, but "Hothouse Flower" deserves nothing better than a new life as toilet paper.
April 16, 2018
Wunderschöne Geschichte ❤️
March 27, 2013
I've read a lot of contemporary chick lit in my day, I only wished I had saved myself the time and money and had just gone straight to reading The Orchid House instead, since the author kindly read all those books for me, and then conveniently condensed every single modern-woman literature trope into one book. Elin Hildebrand? Audrey Niffenegger? Kristin Hannah? Nah. Save yourself hundreds of books and hundreds of dollars, you will find them all condensed here.
Let's see, off the top of my head, ZEE TROPES.
1. Modern-day famous pianist barely subsisting and starving her way through recovery from a hinted-at horrible tragedy (which isn't actually told until 1/4 of the way through the book after I had ripped about half the hair off my head in frustration)
2. Burgeoning romantic relationship with modern-day rake with a heart who also happens to be an aristocrat with a beautiful ancestral home
3. Well-meaning older sister, the hustle-and-bustle perfect family type, with 2.5 kids, a house with a picket fence, and a gruff and friendly husband
4. Re-acquaintance with old family. Oh, grandma? Totally forgot she existed, but now that she's here, time for old family secrets to be revealed!!!!!! She knows everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. Details of her lady's bedroom secrets? Spilled.
5. Ambiguously gay husband
6. Man recovers from illness in Thailand, falls in TWOO WUV with 17-year old Thai girl. Bonks her, swears up and down he'll leave his wife for her. Does he? Dun dun duuuuuuun.
7. Secret adoptions
8. Secret loves
9. Secret adoptions (2 is better than 1)
10. A Frenchman who is so over the top, this is how I imagined him:
And that's just off the top of my head. I think I had more fun keeping track of the tropes than reading the book itself. It took me a month to read this, getting through pages at a time. It was just that unabsorbing. If you must read this book, read it for the amusement value, there is little else to be had here.
Let's see, off the top of my head, ZEE TROPES.
1. Modern-day famous pianist barely subsisting and starving her way through recovery from a hinted-at horrible tragedy (which isn't actually told until 1/4 of the way through the book after I had ripped about half the hair off my head in frustration)
2. Burgeoning romantic relationship with modern-day rake with a heart who also happens to be an aristocrat with a beautiful ancestral home
3. Well-meaning older sister, the hustle-and-bustle perfect family type, with 2.5 kids, a house with a picket fence, and a gruff and friendly husband
4. Re-acquaintance with old family. Oh, grandma? Totally forgot she existed, but now that she's here, time for old family secrets to be revealed!!!!!! She knows everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. Details of her lady's bedroom secrets? Spilled.
5. Ambiguously gay husband
6. Man recovers from illness in Thailand, falls in TWOO WUV with 17-year old Thai girl. Bonks her, swears up and down he'll leave his wife for her. Does he? Dun dun duuuuuuun.
7. Secret adoptions
8. Secret loves
9. Secret adoptions (2 is better than 1)
10. A Frenchman who is so over the top, this is how I imagined him:
And that's just off the top of my head. I think I had more fun keeping track of the tropes than reading the book itself. It took me a month to read this, getting through pages at a time. It was just that unabsorbing. If you must read this book, read it for the amusement value, there is little else to be had here.
May 10, 2016
I'm a firm believer in 'to each his own', but I have to say I'm shocked at how many people liked this book/how many people missed the huge story/character flaws I saw. This book was a combo of hack writing, cliche, & predictability-& trite to a fault. Here's my TOP 10 LIST of issues w the book:
1) Harry Crawford doesn't know if he's homosexual or not. He thinks he may be because he formed an affection for a classmate at school and he likes to play the piano and read poetry. Seriously??? These are the factors that made him confused about his sexuality? So at 24 years old he has never had one single sexual urge for man or woman? Then to 'check' if he's gay or not he WAITS UNTIL HE'S MARRIED to make out with a man, & cruelly denies his gorgeous wife in the marriage bed so he can carouse with some gay friends who are certain he's one of them. In fact when Harry and Archie (his makeout buddy) see one another for the first time they stop and stare at each other, recognizing an attraction. Then after his wife catches him he says he 'tried it (kissing a man) and now he knows it's not for him'. OMG! I mean come on people! I can't buy this in the least. This is a writer trying to force a storyline because she needs it to be the foundation of the problems with Harry's marriage. It's called hack writing. 2) Olivia is madly in love with Harry. Harry doesn't love her but when his mother mentions an heir before he leaves for war he marries her out of duty KNOWING she's madly in love with him. He bends over backwards to get her to accept after ignoring her then again after she catches him with Archie. Is that not the makings of a cruel man? Yet he's the romantic hero!!!! Later he even blames his mother for the marriage (though she said don't marry her if you don't love her), and tells his best friend Bill that it was a marriage of convenience. 3) Harry gets out of prison camp and doesn't write home to his wife who miscarried in her FIFTH month. Traumatic, no? Instead Harry falls head over heels with Lydia. Whom he described as perfect so many times I thought of starting a drinking game to every time he said it. Not only does he cheat on his adoring, hurting, wife, he doesn't tell Lydia he's married and after swearing he won't hurt her he takes her virginity! What a totally malicious self serving jerk!
3) when making love to Lydia for the first time and climaxing he uses the single most ridiculous trite line I've ever heard. Sometimes writers use descriptive and even sometimes moderately cheesy descriptions of this moment. 'He was finally home' or 'everything shattered and came back together in perfect symmetry', etc. Harry says that he 'saw the face of G-d'. I literally screamed out loud. No! Nooooo! He did not say that? I laughed so hard. I mean really? He saw the face of G-d? Give me a break! 4) when Harry comes home finally ?!) he decides to be cruel to his wife...whom he cheated on and who he's decided he's going to leave in a month. He's cold to HER! I mean it defies logic. Worst of all, he swears to Lydia he's coming back after proposing marriage. He's so mushy gushy over Lydia. So madly in love that whilst he's back in England he makes love to his wife, and literally says he doesn't even know why. He just does it. However, he 'savagely' beds her. Over and over. I mean could this guy be a worse creep? No. Sadly, the wife takes it as a sign of love from a man who's been at war and she harbors hope! Does Harry think about the fact she might get pregnant? Or of her feelings? Of course not. He's selfish as the day is long. 5) Harry 'asks' his BF/employee to be the in between of love letters for him and Lydia then sends this poor man who's only recently returned home to his beloved wife from years in prison camp, to go back to Thailand and find Lydia. Selfish Harry at it again! 6) I loved in England, I have English relatives and I can assure you that no one talked the way the aristocrats in this book did. Every other word is followed up with 'Jolly-o Old Chap'. I. Just. Can't. It's out of a comedy skit. Now about the PRESENT story:
7) No explanation about the set of adult bones by the accident so the reader believes her husband truly dead.
8) Xavier, Julia's husband comes back from 'the dead'/aka running away for a year in grief, the very day she arrived home. Coincidental a little? 9) after he spins his tale that he left their son to burn bc he was crazy with grief she stays with him and does whatever he wants because 'she just doesn't care'. He wants to throw a party, have a press conference, go to the coast, make love, she says yes even though she really doesn't want to. Why? Because it 'fits' the storyline she wants to put forward. Meanwhile with Kit and her sister she was very deliberate. She's not a wishy washy person. Not to mention how does she buy that her husband was so filled with grief that he ran away for a year, yet his first week home he's trying to force her to perform sexual favors for him?
10) last but not least, it was so predictable in so many areas but the worst was at the end of the book. The first time Lydia talked about how fabulously rich she was I knew she was going to buy Wharton Park. By the 5th time she said how filthy rich she was I realized the writer really thinks her readers are idiots. Of course I knew she was going to buy it but what was also ridiculously trite was how it all had to come together in a neat cheesy bow in the end. Kit Crawford ends up with Julia and she finally becomes Lady Crawford as she always should have been (I'm gagging right now!). The fact that their 3rd cousins was brought up a few times so that it could be reiterated to the reader by one of the characters that it's 'not a big deal'. This whole book was forced story lines. From Harry's homosexual possibilities (for a guy who had to make out with a guy because he thought he was gay, he wound up being a hard core heterosexual....he turned it around real fast in order focus the story on this 'love affair -heavy on the affair-'), to Julia's husband showing up a year after being declared dead, this book was as ridiculous as they come. What a waste and what a horrible horrible book. I have to assume it's Riley's first book, because she's really grown as a writer and her last, 'The Light Behind the Window' is quite good. If you enjoy reading do NOT read this book, if you don't want to waste your time, do NOT read this book. If you enjoy torturing yourself, DO read this book.
1) Harry Crawford doesn't know if he's homosexual or not. He thinks he may be because he formed an affection for a classmate at school and he likes to play the piano and read poetry. Seriously??? These are the factors that made him confused about his sexuality? So at 24 years old he has never had one single sexual urge for man or woman? Then to 'check' if he's gay or not he WAITS UNTIL HE'S MARRIED to make out with a man, & cruelly denies his gorgeous wife in the marriage bed so he can carouse with some gay friends who are certain he's one of them. In fact when Harry and Archie (his makeout buddy) see one another for the first time they stop and stare at each other, recognizing an attraction. Then after his wife catches him he says he 'tried it (kissing a man) and now he knows it's not for him'. OMG! I mean come on people! I can't buy this in the least. This is a writer trying to force a storyline because she needs it to be the foundation of the problems with Harry's marriage. It's called hack writing. 2) Olivia is madly in love with Harry. Harry doesn't love her but when his mother mentions an heir before he leaves for war he marries her out of duty KNOWING she's madly in love with him. He bends over backwards to get her to accept after ignoring her then again after she catches him with Archie. Is that not the makings of a cruel man? Yet he's the romantic hero!!!! Later he even blames his mother for the marriage (though she said don't marry her if you don't love her), and tells his best friend Bill that it was a marriage of convenience. 3) Harry gets out of prison camp and doesn't write home to his wife who miscarried in her FIFTH month. Traumatic, no? Instead Harry falls head over heels with Lydia. Whom he described as perfect so many times I thought of starting a drinking game to every time he said it. Not only does he cheat on his adoring, hurting, wife, he doesn't tell Lydia he's married and after swearing he won't hurt her he takes her virginity! What a totally malicious self serving jerk!
3) when making love to Lydia for the first time and climaxing he uses the single most ridiculous trite line I've ever heard. Sometimes writers use descriptive and even sometimes moderately cheesy descriptions of this moment. 'He was finally home' or 'everything shattered and came back together in perfect symmetry', etc. Harry says that he 'saw the face of G-d'. I literally screamed out loud. No! Nooooo! He did not say that? I laughed so hard. I mean really? He saw the face of G-d? Give me a break! 4) when Harry comes home finally ?!) he decides to be cruel to his wife...whom he cheated on and who he's decided he's going to leave in a month. He's cold to HER! I mean it defies logic. Worst of all, he swears to Lydia he's coming back after proposing marriage. He's so mushy gushy over Lydia. So madly in love that whilst he's back in England he makes love to his wife, and literally says he doesn't even know why. He just does it. However, he 'savagely' beds her. Over and over. I mean could this guy be a worse creep? No. Sadly, the wife takes it as a sign of love from a man who's been at war and she harbors hope! Does Harry think about the fact she might get pregnant? Or of her feelings? Of course not. He's selfish as the day is long. 5) Harry 'asks' his BF/employee to be the in between of love letters for him and Lydia then sends this poor man who's only recently returned home to his beloved wife from years in prison camp, to go back to Thailand and find Lydia. Selfish Harry at it again! 6) I loved in England, I have English relatives and I can assure you that no one talked the way the aristocrats in this book did. Every other word is followed up with 'Jolly-o Old Chap'. I. Just. Can't. It's out of a comedy skit. Now about the PRESENT story:
7) No explanation about the set of adult bones by the accident so the reader believes her husband truly dead.
8) Xavier, Julia's husband comes back from 'the dead'/aka running away for a year in grief, the very day she arrived home. Coincidental a little? 9) after he spins his tale that he left their son to burn bc he was crazy with grief she stays with him and does whatever he wants because 'she just doesn't care'. He wants to throw a party, have a press conference, go to the coast, make love, she says yes even though she really doesn't want to. Why? Because it 'fits' the storyline she wants to put forward. Meanwhile with Kit and her sister she was very deliberate. She's not a wishy washy person. Not to mention how does she buy that her husband was so filled with grief that he ran away for a year, yet his first week home he's trying to force her to perform sexual favors for him?
10) last but not least, it was so predictable in so many areas but the worst was at the end of the book. The first time Lydia talked about how fabulously rich she was I knew she was going to buy Wharton Park. By the 5th time she said how filthy rich she was I realized the writer really thinks her readers are idiots. Of course I knew she was going to buy it but what was also ridiculously trite was how it all had to come together in a neat cheesy bow in the end. Kit Crawford ends up with Julia and she finally becomes Lady Crawford as she always should have been (I'm gagging right now!). The fact that their 3rd cousins was brought up a few times so that it could be reiterated to the reader by one of the characters that it's 'not a big deal'. This whole book was forced story lines. From Harry's homosexual possibilities (for a guy who had to make out with a guy because he thought he was gay, he wound up being a hard core heterosexual....he turned it around real fast in order focus the story on this 'love affair -heavy on the affair-'), to Julia's husband showing up a year after being declared dead, this book was as ridiculous as they come. What a waste and what a horrible horrible book. I have to assume it's Riley's first book, because she's really grown as a writer and her last, 'The Light Behind the Window' is quite good. If you enjoy reading do NOT read this book, if you don't want to waste your time, do NOT read this book. If you enjoy torturing yourself, DO read this book.
August 20, 2012
Book was displayed in a bookstore as "for fans of Downton Abbey" - I've never watched the show but everyone has told me I'll love it.
In this case, I regret wasting my time. I feel like a fool because I kept slogging on until the end, despite early and plentiful signs that it wasn't going to be what I hoped; I admit I was interested enough in the plot to just read a little further... a little further... But it just could have been so much better.
Characters just never come alive and are hard to care about or believe in. Their speech is clumsy and unrealistic.
Action is described thoroughly and clearly, but not elegantly or with any spark of liveliness.
Language is trite (I literally threw the book down when one character decided "she could not allow herself to love again"); and as though the author doesn't trust that the dialogue between characters conveys the proper ideas, each exchange is followed by a few lines redundantly summarizing what everyone meant and felt.
Plot twists range from predictable to absolutely ridiculous. One in particular toward the end was just totally absurd, negating whatever redeeming qualities the novel had maintained up to that point.
Not recommended.
In this case, I regret wasting my time. I feel like a fool because I kept slogging on until the end, despite early and plentiful signs that it wasn't going to be what I hoped; I admit I was interested enough in the plot to just read a little further... a little further... But it just could have been so much better.
Characters just never come alive and are hard to care about or believe in. Their speech is clumsy and unrealistic.
Action is described thoroughly and clearly, but not elegantly or with any spark of liveliness.
Language is trite (I literally threw the book down when one character decided "she could not allow herself to love again"); and as though the author doesn't trust that the dialogue between characters conveys the proper ideas, each exchange is followed by a few lines redundantly summarizing what everyone meant and felt.
Plot twists range from predictable to absolutely ridiculous. One in particular toward the end was just totally absurd, negating whatever redeeming qualities the novel had maintained up to that point.
Not recommended.
June 16, 2017
Eine wunderschöne Familiensaga!
Sehr bewegend, sehr emotional und traurig sch��n, und der Funken Hoffnung verglimmt an keiner Stelle dieses Buches! ❤
Sehr bewegend, sehr emotional und traurig sch��n, und der Funken Hoffnung verglimmt an keiner Stelle dieses Buches! ❤
April 15, 2012
On the whole, I really liked this book. I questioned a couple things (I'll get into that) but as a whole, I really liked this historical fiction book.
Julia has just suffered a great loss in her life and has gone back to see her grandmother who begins telling her stories of the people who once lived in a great house where Julia's grandmother worked. As with many of these stories that take place in two time periods, I liked the old one a lot better.
I loved seeing how the mystery of Julia's family came together. The historical part of the book takes place during World War II in both England and Thailand. I liked how the story was told by Julia's grandmother as sort of an omniscient point of view. The part of the story set in Thailand was definitely my favorite. It's a love story between two people who deeply care for each other and holds the secret to Julia's existence.
Now here's where I had some issues with the book. I had some trouble understanding the motives behind some of the characters. First, Henry, the heir to Wharton House, is sort of horrible. He leads Olivia on and traps her in a loveless marriage and only seems to be looking out for himself. He doesn't seem to understand why what he's doing is wrong and he sort of manipulates Julia's grandfather to get what he wants. Even though I liked the love story between Henry and Lidia, it made it a little hard to fully support their love story as Henry was just generally horrible.
The other issue that I had was everything that happened with Julia's personal life. I don't want to give anything away so excuse me for being vague. First, it just seemed a crazy that it would happen in the first place. I almost wished that it would have been left out of the book because aside from making Julia really sad, I don't think it added anything to the book.
I still really liked this book and would definitely recommend it even with these couple of things that I didn't care for.
Bottom line: This is a great historical fiction!
Julia has just suffered a great loss in her life and has gone back to see her grandmother who begins telling her stories of the people who once lived in a great house where Julia's grandmother worked. As with many of these stories that take place in two time periods, I liked the old one a lot better.
I loved seeing how the mystery of Julia's family came together. The historical part of the book takes place during World War II in both England and Thailand. I liked how the story was told by Julia's grandmother as sort of an omniscient point of view. The part of the story set in Thailand was definitely my favorite. It's a love story between two people who deeply care for each other and holds the secret to Julia's existence.
Now here's where I had some issues with the book. I had some trouble understanding the motives behind some of the characters. First, Henry, the heir to Wharton House, is sort of horrible. He leads Olivia on and traps her in a loveless marriage and only seems to be looking out for himself. He doesn't seem to understand why what he's doing is wrong and he sort of manipulates Julia's grandfather to get what he wants. Even though I liked the love story between Henry and Lidia, it made it a little hard to fully support their love story as Henry was just generally horrible.
The other issue that I had was everything that happened with Julia's personal life. I don't want to give anything away so excuse me for being vague. First, it just seemed a crazy that it would happen in the first place. I almost wished that it would have been left out of the book because aside from making Julia really sad, I don't think it added anything to the book.
I still really liked this book and would definitely recommend it even with these couple of things that I didn't care for.
Bottom line: This is a great historical fiction!
August 26, 2012
Lucinda Riley's endings are disgustingly cheesy, with everything being more than a little too perfect. Especially her characters. Here with her famous pianist (tormented by recent loss), and recently with her extremely gifted artist (tormented by recent loss) and ballerinas (also tormented by recent loss) of "The Girl on the Cliff". Riley clearly lives in a dream where all the good people get to live off of their art. She's part of a wave of authors that I feel are generally trying to be Kate Morton, just without the debth. Their books aren't a far step away from the single title historical romance paperbacks I sometimes get at the grocery store. And what's up with this sub genre of historical romance that is so popular right now? Tragic events happen between 1900 and 1940, dual-time narrative with flashbacks and histories of people of the past is intertwined and run paralell with the story of some present day woman who is having a hard time but finally finds love. The reader and the present time protagonist(s) get to unravel all the old secrets together. Blah blah blah.
That being said... It is a page-turner, and I like a light read now and then. When I wasn't being distracted by it's shallowness or annoyed by all the unlikely happenstances in the plot, it was an enjoyable read. I just feel that these books are trying to be something better and more serious than they are. Don't expect anything life-changing.
That being said... It is a page-turner, and I like a light read now and then. When I wasn't being distracted by it's shallowness or annoyed by all the unlikely happenstances in the plot, it was an enjoyable read. I just feel that these books are trying to be something better and more serious than they are. Don't expect anything life-changing.
December 1, 2018
I wanted to like this book. It has all the elements of a fantastic novel—history, family secrets, nobility, plot twists. Sadly, the writing ruined it. The story is overwritten, and the dialogue is just dreadful.
September 23, 2012
I would have rated this book 3.5 stars, if half stars were allowed on Goodreads.
There is truth about the old adage, "less is more". I was happily reading along when one extra twist in the story punted it firmly into the realm of melodrama. Unfortunately, there were a couple more twists to come. Lucinda Riley, you were doing just fine until you started to embellish too much.
The story had promise. I loved the fable told at the beginning of the novel and how it played out throughout the story. While I enjoyed the story, I would have enjoyed it more if the twists and turns were pared down in favour of better character development.
There is truth about the old adage, "less is more". I was happily reading along when one extra twist in the story punted it firmly into the realm of melodrama. Unfortunately, there were a couple more twists to come. Lucinda Riley, you were doing just fine until you started to embellish too much.
The story had promise. I loved the fable told at the beginning of the novel and how it played out throughout the story. While I enjoyed the story, I would have enjoyed it more if the twists and turns were pared down in favour of better character development.
December 10, 2015
2.5. Very predictable. Horrible dialog. Velly?!?!? And the word "darling" was used 122 times ...
April 26, 2013
It is worth noting that Hothouse Flower was republished in 2012 with the title of The Orchid House just so that any confusion with readers thinking it might be a different story, when this is not the case are cleared up straight away. Although the central theme of a family saga set in a country house spanning from the 1930's to the present day is far from an original one, this one is different. It has such a multi layered story to tell us with so many stirring and compelling love stories, secrets and surprises to share I stayed awake far too late at night reading this as I was engrossed. Extremely well written the story flows beautifully, period and locations are credibly described and the characters feel realistic. The situations that they face are ones that we are all able to empathise with from generation to generation. Certainly one of the best family sagas of the genre that I have read recently.
At the centre of the story is the female protagonist Julia Wharton who growing up had spent many happy hours in the heated greenhouses of the Wharton Park estate where her grandfather tended the orchids. It seems only natural therefore for her to return to the area when she needs to recover from a devastating personal tragedy. It is whilst coming to terms with her grief that she discovers quite by chance a family secret that will cause even more heartache. The story of the family history is related to Julia by her grandmother and stretches back to the nineteen forties when Harry Crawford the heir to the estate marries his bride Olivia before the second world war separates them. The results of this enforced separation will be felt for generations to come as this poignant and atmospheric story takes us from war torn Europe to the present day alternating between Norfolk and Thailand. With plenty of passion and twists and turns along the way I highly recommend this to all fans of the genre.
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspo...
At the centre of the story is the female protagonist Julia Wharton who growing up had spent many happy hours in the heated greenhouses of the Wharton Park estate where her grandfather tended the orchids. It seems only natural therefore for her to return to the area when she needs to recover from a devastating personal tragedy. It is whilst coming to terms with her grief that she discovers quite by chance a family secret that will cause even more heartache. The story of the family history is related to Julia by her grandmother and stretches back to the nineteen forties when Harry Crawford the heir to the estate marries his bride Olivia before the second world war separates them. The results of this enforced separation will be felt for generations to come as this poignant and atmospheric story takes us from war torn Europe to the present day alternating between Norfolk and Thailand. With plenty of passion and twists and turns along the way I highly recommend this to all fans of the genre.
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspo...
February 27, 2013
What better way to heal from a tragedy than to go back to a time and a place when life was good. Julia had lost her husband and her son in a tragic accident in France and decided to return to England to begin healing and to begin re-acquainting herself with her family.
Julia was having a difficult time with her grief, but luck came her way one day when she was given a diary that belonged to her grandfather.
The diary had been found under the floorboards in one of the cottages on the Crawford estate, Wharton Park. Along with the diary, Julia also had Elise, her grandmother, to help her remember the good times and to explain firsthand about the past and what actually happened at Wharton Park when Elise worked as a lady's maid for Olivia Crawford. The memories and a few of the characters, one in particular, helped Julia begin to bring herself back.
Wharton Park was where Julia helped her grandfather in the estate's hothouses where he grew orchids....orchids that had come from Thailand where her grandfather had been held captive during WWII. Being with her grandfather was the best part of her childhood. The diary brought back memories, and Julia's grandmother brought forth the truth about the family's history along with all its unspoken secrets.
Remembering the past and finding hidden secrets are a part of THE ORCHID HOUSE that is very appealing. You will follow the lives of the Crawford family where Julia's grandmother and grandfather were part of the staff of Wharton Park. The secrets revealed in the diary and those secrets revealed firsthand by Elise will keep you turning the pages. Knowing that there is a secret between the aristocratic Crawfords of Wharton Park and the household staff which included Julia's grandparents made the book intriguing and one that will keep your attention.
Don't miss this alluring story with its captivating characters who have secrets that span 70 years and a family that makes a full circle with Wharton Park being the beginning and the end.
I truly enjoyed the book because of its historical fiction and the style of going back and forth in time. The secrets that are revealed, the lies that kept the secrets unspoken, the twists and turns, and the surprise ending make this book one I couldn't read quickly enough. ENJOY!!!! 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Julia was having a difficult time with her grief, but luck came her way one day when she was given a diary that belonged to her grandfather.
The diary had been found under the floorboards in one of the cottages on the Crawford estate, Wharton Park. Along with the diary, Julia also had Elise, her grandmother, to help her remember the good times and to explain firsthand about the past and what actually happened at Wharton Park when Elise worked as a lady's maid for Olivia Crawford. The memories and a few of the characters, one in particular, helped Julia begin to bring herself back.
Wharton Park was where Julia helped her grandfather in the estate's hothouses where he grew orchids....orchids that had come from Thailand where her grandfather had been held captive during WWII. Being with her grandfather was the best part of her childhood. The diary brought back memories, and Julia's grandmother brought forth the truth about the family's history along with all its unspoken secrets.
Remembering the past and finding hidden secrets are a part of THE ORCHID HOUSE that is very appealing. You will follow the lives of the Crawford family where Julia's grandmother and grandfather were part of the staff of Wharton Park. The secrets revealed in the diary and those secrets revealed firsthand by Elise will keep you turning the pages. Knowing that there is a secret between the aristocratic Crawfords of Wharton Park and the household staff which included Julia's grandparents made the book intriguing and one that will keep your attention.
Don't miss this alluring story with its captivating characters who have secrets that span 70 years and a family that makes a full circle with Wharton Park being the beginning and the end.
I truly enjoyed the book because of its historical fiction and the style of going back and forth in time. The secrets that are revealed, the lies that kept the secrets unspoken, the twists and turns, and the surprise ending make this book one I couldn't read quickly enough. ENJOY!!!! 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2023
Minunata! Că toate cărțile autoarei!
May 14, 2019
Сооооолодкаа така історія. Але це не про мінуси, я цього й хотіла. А ще книга підійде під настрій, коли є бажання прочитати щось масштабне, таке собі сімейно-історичне. Ще й обожнюю в літературі, коли всі кривди минулого можна "виплатити" у сьогоденні
June 23, 2016
I love these lines from the book: We are sharing a moment in time. Like the universe, there is no beginning or end. We just are.
This is what Kit told Julia when they were at Wharton Park looking at the stars and everything seemed to be perfect for them. Of course, Julia was still grieving for her son and husband, but Kit was helping her.
Then she found out that Xavier had done something terrible, and it sent her reeling, causing her to wonder if she and Kit could ever make it together. Then a true miracle happens when she finds a lost ancestor, someone of whom Julia had been unaware of. This ancestor helps Julia understand love and pain.
I really enjoyed this book although the plot line is implausible. It is really very interesting, so I forgive the author for the stretch in plausibility.I like the way the author threads the two timelines together so seamlessly. It is fine look at family relationships and at the long term effects of family secrets.
This is what Kit told Julia when they were at Wharton Park looking at the stars and everything seemed to be perfect for them. Of course, Julia was still grieving for her son and husband, but Kit was helping her.
Then she found out that Xavier had done something terrible, and it sent her reeling, causing her to wonder if she and Kit could ever make it together. Then a true miracle happens when she finds a lost ancestor, someone of whom Julia had been unaware of. This ancestor helps Julia understand love and pain.
I really enjoyed this book although the plot line is implausible. It is really very interesting, so I forgive the author for the stretch in plausibility.I like the way the author threads the two timelines together so seamlessly. It is fine look at family relationships and at the long term effects of family secrets.
November 20, 2022
Dar viena Lucinda Riley knyga perskaityta. Kaip ir kitose mano skaitytose jos knygose istorija pasakojama dviem laiko linijomis: praeitimi ir dabartimi.
Skaitant kilo minčių: kiek vienas žmogus gali patirti įvairių išgyvenimų? Kiek gali iškęsti ar paaukoti?
Olivija ir Haris mano nuomone buvo tie, kurie daugiausiai paaukojo.
Ar tokį gyvenimą nugyvenę žmonės galvoja, kad kažką galėjo padaryti kitaip? Kažką pakeisti ir būti laimingi?
Knyga man patiko. Buvo lengva ir įdomu skaityti. Pabaiga buvo kaip ir nuspėjama, bet visos šeimos paslaptys ir netektys suteikė įdomumo. Ašaros visgi neišspaudžiau, nes knyga mane tiek nepalietė.
Skaitant kilo minčių: kiek vienas žmogus gali patirti įvairių išgyvenimų? Kiek gali iškęsti ar paaukoti?
Olivija ir Haris mano nuomone buvo tie, kurie daugiausiai paaukojo.
Ar tokį gyvenimą nugyvenę žmonės galvoja, kad kažką galėjo padaryti kitaip? Kažką pakeisti ir būti laimingi?
Knyga man patiko. Buvo lengva ir įdomu skaityti. Pabaiga buvo kaip ir nuspėjama, bet visos šeimos paslaptys ir netektys suteikė įdomumo. Ašaros visgi neišspaudžiau, nes knyga mane tiek nepalietė.
May 19, 2020
Prva knjiga koju sam pročitala od Lucinde Riley bila je "Svjetlost s prozora"; odmah sam znala da je to baš nešto što mi je po gušu, onda kad poželim čitati nešto lagano i zanimljivo, a da je nije (priglupi) ljubić ili sl. Riley jako lijepo kombinira prošlost i sadašnjost, najrazličitije svjetske lokacije i sl. kao u "Svjetlosti s prozora", tako i u "Tajni orhideje". S ovom sam knjigom dobila upravo ono što sam očekivala... nekoliko sati opuštanja uz lijepu priču.
November 19, 2012
General thought: I don't know what to make of this book.
Lucinda Riley can truly spin a tale and frankly, after reading Kate Morton's novels, which are essentially tragedies, it's refreshing to read a story told in the same vein but with a more uplifting ending.
Julia, the protagonist has just had her world thrown upside down. Devastated and mostly catatonic, she stumbles upon a mystery of the noble house she grew up by. So at this point, the story takes off. We're introduced to a bevy of characters, including Harry, Lord Crawford. Oh man, was this guy unlikeable or what? He marries this largely affable girl, Olivia, whom he hurts repeatedly. One second, he's possibly gay and is found kissing one of her male friends. No harm, no foul. It turns out he was confused and professes to Olivia that he loves her and wants to do right by her. She gives him a second chance and the reader is treated to a few paragraphs where the couple are basking in their new love. Then he goes off to war and falls in love with a 17 year old in Thailand, then makes plans to be with her and leave his wife because apparently, he never loved her. I'm sorry. He was an selfish asshole. Anyway, it turns out that Julia, remember our modern-day protagonist, is his granddaughter. Turns out, he unknowingly left the 17 year old pregnant. I think this book would have been better had Harry been more likable.
In any case, as this story unveils, Julia finds love with the modern-day Lord Crawford and heals from her previous tragedy. I liked Kit, but the dialogue was...corny. Moving on, the ending was really cheesy but I did like the happy ending. If I had yet another gripe, it would be that Alicia, Julia's adopted sister, didn't get any acknowledgment from Lidia, her grandmother. After all, even though she was not related by blood, she was Jasmine's first daughter. I felt that this part was written rather poorly, after all, wasn't Jasmine herself also adopted and every bit part of her adopted family? It would seem that her birth mother would have been just as intrigued by her daughter's daughter who had known Jasmine longer.
To conclude, I thoroughly enjoyed Riley's style and while it could have been better, the fact remains that I couldn't put this book down, gripes and all. Her work demonstrated a lot if promise that I immediately downloaded her second novel after having finished this one...and I'm glad I did.
Lucinda Riley can truly spin a tale and frankly, after reading Kate Morton's novels, which are essentially tragedies, it's refreshing to read a story told in the same vein but with a more uplifting ending.
Julia, the protagonist has just had her world thrown upside down. Devastated and mostly catatonic, she stumbles upon a mystery of the noble house she grew up by. So at this point, the story takes off. We're introduced to a bevy of characters, including Harry, Lord Crawford. Oh man, was this guy unlikeable or what? He marries this largely affable girl, Olivia, whom he hurts repeatedly. One second, he's possibly gay and is found kissing one of her male friends. No harm, no foul. It turns out he was confused and professes to Olivia that he loves her and wants to do right by her. She gives him a second chance and the reader is treated to a few paragraphs where the couple are basking in their new love. Then he goes off to war and falls in love with a 17 year old in Thailand, then makes plans to be with her and leave his wife because apparently, he never loved her. I'm sorry. He was an selfish asshole. Anyway, it turns out that Julia, remember our modern-day protagonist, is his granddaughter. Turns out, he unknowingly left the 17 year old pregnant. I think this book would have been better had Harry been more likable.
In any case, as this story unveils, Julia finds love with the modern-day Lord Crawford and heals from her previous tragedy. I liked Kit, but the dialogue was...corny. Moving on, the ending was really cheesy but I did like the happy ending. If I had yet another gripe, it would be that Alicia, Julia's adopted sister, didn't get any acknowledgment from Lidia, her grandmother. After all, even though she was not related by blood, she was Jasmine's first daughter. I felt that this part was written rather poorly, after all, wasn't Jasmine herself also adopted and every bit part of her adopted family? It would seem that her birth mother would have been just as intrigued by her daughter's daughter who had known Jasmine longer.
To conclude, I thoroughly enjoyed Riley's style and while it could have been better, the fact remains that I couldn't put this book down, gripes and all. Her work demonstrated a lot if promise that I immediately downloaded her second novel after having finished this one...and I'm glad I did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2022
Džiulija- garsi pianistė. Netekusi vyro ir vaiko pasinėrusi gyvena mažame namuke, kuriame ją dažnai lanko sesuo Alicija. Netikėtai Džiulija Vorton Parke susitinka su Kristoferiu- vaikystėje susipažintu berniuku, kuris dabar jau suaugęs kaip ir ji. Iš jo gauna nežinia kieno dienoraštį ir nuvyksta pas močiutę Elsę išsiaiškinti ar ji žinojo apie dienoraštį. Tuomet prasideda Krofordų šeimos pasakojimas apie Oliviją ir Harį bei Antrąjį pasaulinį karą...
Mane knyga sudomino dėl pavadinimo, nes pats auginu orchidėjas. Ir knygoje iš tikrųjų buvo kalbama apie jas, nes jos buvo auginamos Vorton Parko šiltnamiuose. Tačiau man labiausiai patiko Olivijos ir Hario istorija, nes ji turi LGBT prieskonio. Nenoriu išduoti kas ir kur, bet mažytis gay vibe‘as yra.
Ši knyga yra apie šeimų paslaptis, karą, orchidėjas ir žinoma meilę. O man tokios šeimos istorijos labai patinka tad nepaisant, kad knyga labai stora- buvo lengva skaityti. Veikėjai tikrai brandūs ir puikiai sukurti, siužetas lėtas, bet labai įdomus. Gaila negaliu papasakoti visos istorijos, nes tik gale knygos atsiskleidžia didžiosios paslaptys. Iš tikrųjų negalėjau nuspėti kaip viskas baigsis, bet galiu pasakyti tik tiek, kad pabaiga labai laiminga.
Rekomenduoju visiems, kam patinka šeimos istorijos su paslaptimis, ir žinoma orchidėjos...
Mane knyga sudomino dėl pavadinimo, nes pats auginu orchidėjas. Ir knygoje iš tikrųjų buvo kalbama apie jas, nes jos buvo auginamos Vorton Parko šiltnamiuose. Tačiau man labiausiai patiko Olivijos ir Hario istorija, nes ji turi LGBT prieskonio. Nenoriu išduoti kas ir kur, bet mažytis gay vibe‘as yra.
Ši knyga yra apie šeimų paslaptis, karą, orchidėjas ir žinoma meilę. O man tokios šeimos istorijos labai patinka tad nepaisant, kad knyga labai stora- buvo lengva skaityti. Veikėjai tikrai brandūs ir puikiai sukurti, siužetas lėtas, bet labai įdomus. Gaila negaliu papasakoti visos istorijos, nes tik gale knygos atsiskleidžia didžiosios paslaptys. Iš tikrųjų negalėjau nuspėti kaip viskas baigsis, bet galiu pasakyti tik tiek, kad pabaiga labai laiminga.
Rekomenduoju visiems, kam patinka šeimos istorijos su paslaptimis, ir žinoma orchidėjos...
January 3, 2021
2.5 stars.
This is an inter-generational drama based at an old estate in England, following the families who live there.
Julia has just suffered a tragedy and is back in England trying to piece her life together. She starts digging into the history of the estate where her family lived as the gardener and lady's maid. She uncovers a story from World War 2 when the heir to the manor, Harry, was held as a prisoner of war and then ended up in Hong Kong in recovery.
This is a story of tragedy, forbidden love, betrayal and a sense of duty.
I do love this author's Seven Sisters series, but I do feel like her older books are not that great. The dialogue is truly awful, and in no way represents how real people speak to each other. I also thought that Harry was a terrible and creepy character, his story was very off putting in general.
That being said, it was a good holiday read, and I flew through it pretty quickly. It lost half a star because the ending did induce some eye rolling out of me.
This is an inter-generational drama based at an old estate in England, following the families who live there.
Julia has just suffered a tragedy and is back in England trying to piece her life together. She starts digging into the history of the estate where her family lived as the gardener and lady's maid. She uncovers a story from World War 2 when the heir to the manor, Harry, was held as a prisoner of war and then ended up in Hong Kong in recovery.
This is a story of tragedy, forbidden love, betrayal and a sense of duty.
I do love this author's Seven Sisters series, but I do feel like her older books are not that great. The dialogue is truly awful, and in no way represents how real people speak to each other. I also thought that Harry was a terrible and creepy character, his story was very off putting in general.
That being said, it was a good holiday read, and I flew through it pretty quickly. It lost half a star because the ending did induce some eye rolling out of me.
July 23, 2016
This is a hard book to rate. I really enjoyed the beginning & reading about Julia's story (as well as her sister Alicia & Kit). I felt like this book was a bit too long (50 pages or so) & the end kind of threw me, very random plot twist that felt strange. Olivia's story - break my heart why don't you? :'''''( And Harry....Dude! Really? Really!!? There is alot going on in this book.
December 25, 2024
Прекрасна книга. Вълнуваща. Докосваща. Държи те в очакване и трепет през цялото време. Пълна с тайни. Пренася те в далечен и екзотичен Тайланд. Можех дори да помиришша красивите орхидеи. Приказка за невъзможната любов, която може да завърши и красиво.
Лусинда Райли се превръща в любима писателка.
Лусинда Райли се превръща в любима писателка.
February 8, 2012
The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy (Random House; 304 pages; $23).
The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley (Simon and Schuster; 464 pages; $15).
Over the past few years, the book world has witnessed a rising trend in which a present-day protagonist, grappling with her own problems, stumbles upon an intriguing past mystery. Only when she solves the puzzle can she then tackle what is wrong in her own life. Curiously, many of said novels have ties to World War II. Recent notable books in this genre are Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum (2005); Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (2007); The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (2008); and The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean (2009).
Two new novels are a welcome addition to this fairly recent development: The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy and The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley. Both books have a similar feel yet are very distinctive. Both feature strong, memorable heroines and move from our own time into a past we cannot even begin to contemplate. Yet these women must; if they do not, then they will never get on with their lives.
In Sarah McCoy's The Baker's Daughter, the main character is Reba Adams, a writer who lives in El Paso, Texas. Reba dreams of going to California but has not capitalized on her vision yet: "I thought I'd start here and eventually make my way to California—L.A., Santa Barbara, San Francisco." She has yet to leave Texas, however.
Several things stand in Reba's way. She is engaged to Riki Chavez, an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol, but Reba is reluctant to commit. She wears her engagement ring on a chain around her neck; she is not ready to wear it on her finger, and she may never be. Her parents had a difficult marriage. Vietnam affected her father so badly that he later committed suicide. The tragedy led Reba to flee her Virginia home when she was old enough, and she has only minimal contact with her mother and sister. She is unsure of Riki and of their relationship; most of all, Reba is unsure of herself.
Reba is like the border town in which she resides, "stuck in between" where she is and where she is headed. She is a very flawed, even damaged, character, making her a very relatable and very real protagonist. Like most of us, she does not have it all together. Reba is far from perfect.
An assignment leads Reba to a German bakery where she wants to interview an elderly woman on Christmas traditions around the world. The old woman, Elsie Meriwether, the owner of Elsie's German Bakery, is uncooperative. With a deadline fast approaching, Reba spends more and more time with Elsie and her daughter, Jane. Soon, though, Reba finds she likes visiting the women. She opens up to them. The feeling is mutual. Elsie opens up to Reba not about German Christmas traditions but about a Christmas in 1944, one that changed everything.
Here is where The Baker's Daughter truly shines. Elsie and her parents run a bakery in Garmisch, Germany, a city where Gestapo soldiers raid houses and residents fear for their lives in the worst days of World War II. McCoy renders the bakery especially well. I could smell, see, and taste the breads and sweet treats. My mouth still waters thinking about them. Goodies aside, the bakers move this part of the story. At seventeen, Elsie is being courted by an SS officer who is closer in age to her father than to her. She does not love him. Rather, Elsie adores Hollywood movies and is more concerned with keeping a secret that could get her and her family killed.
McCoy has done meticulous research for The Baker's Daughter. The best example of her diligence is Elsie's older sister, Hazel, a participant in the Lebensborn Program. This was part of Germany experiment to perpetuate the Aryan race by producing blond-haired, blue-eyed German children with high morals, exceptional intelligence, and an unbreakable bond with the state. Hazel, in effect, had babies for Germany and had to give them up. Lebensborn was real, and McCoy accurately portrays this chapter in German history.
McCoy, little by little, never too much too soon, reveals what happens to Elsie and her family. Elsie's story transforms Reba in ways readers will cheer. Thus, Elsie and her family take on the role of helper characters as they steer Reba back on the road to life.
I love The Baker's Daughter and feel the novel is even better than Sarah's Key. McCoy effectively draws a comparison between anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant (read: anti-Mexican) sentiment. She uses Riki to do this. Rather than being heavy-handed and didactic, it works rather well.
While characters propel The Baker's Daughter, it is the setting that drives Lucinda Riley's The Orchid House, already a bestseller in Europe. The true star of Riley's novel is Wharton Park, a majestic British estate "comprising of a thousand acres of fertile farmland" that has been in the Crawford family for three hundred years. The house, though, is not as grand as it once was. Running the estate requires a lot of money, money the present heir, Kitt, simply does not have.
Wharton Park holds a special place in the heart of Julia Forrester, a world-renowned concert pianist. As a child, Julia spent time there since her grandparents were long-time employees of the Crawfords and lived in a cottage on the grounds of the manor. Her grandfather grew exotic orchids and made Wharton Park famous for the rare flowers; her grandmother, Elsie, was a lady's maid. Their devotion to the manor parallels that of the servants of Downton Abbey for the Granthams. Julia's summers at the estate were dreamlike: "The tranquility and warmth of the hothouses—sitting snugly in the corner of the kitchen garden, sheltered against the cruel winds that blew in from the North Sea during the winter—stayed in her memory all year."
A horrible tragedy makes Julia remember Wharton Park all the more. Her husband, Xavier, and their son, Gabriel, were killed in a car accident. A forest fire started as a result. Their deaths have understandably broken Julia. She is a changed woman unable to play the music she played the night of the catastrophe. She seeks comfort in a cottage near the sea in Norfolk. But Wharton Park beckons to her. It is an idyllic place where she so desperately needs solace, "a place of peace." Julia recalls wistfully that at Wharton Park, "nothing changed." "Alarms and timetables weren't in charge, it was nature dictating the rhythm."
That earlier, easier time appeals to Julia so much that she returns to Wharton Park for an estate sale. While there, she runs into Kitt Crawford, the new heir. They had briefly met as children when Julia played his late uncle's piano but have had no contact since then. A friendship develops with the promise of more. Kitt is renovating the cottage her grandparents had called home. In the midst of remodeling, he discovers an old diary of a man imprisoned in Thailand during World War II. Kitt mistakenly assumes the diary is the property of Julia's grandfather. Her grandmother, though, reveals the diary belonged to the deceased Lord Crawford, Kitt's uncle, who, together with Julia's grandfather, was a prisoner.
Julia finally comes back to life as her grandmother tells her events before and after the war. This is my favorite part of The Orchid House. The lives of two young couples take shape: William and Elsie and Harry and Olivia. Riley's real focus, though, is on Olivia and Harry. She marries Harry only to find him kissing another man. Devastated, she continues on with her unhappy marriage because that is what was done back then. The outbreak of war sends both Harry and William to Thailand, where they are later captured. After the war, William returns to England before his master; Harry suffers more sickness and thus takes longer to recuperate. While in Thailand, Harry falls in love with a young Thai woman named Lidia. He plans to divorce his wife and marry Lidia. However, after he returns to Wharton Park, he must fulfill his obligations to his wife, his family, and to the estate. Harry writes to her. When his letters go unanswered, he sends his trusted servant, William, to Thailand. William's journey changes everyone's lives forever.
Just when I think Julia and Kitt will live in bliss, Riley throws several curveballs. She does this to mix things up. First, we learn that Julia and Kitt are kissing cousins, which I finally decided to go along with. Second, Julia's husband rises from the dead. This is difficult to swallow. I could not wait for Julia to leave the horrible cad.
Riley reminds me of Kate Morton, and I also see traces of Downton Abbey. If you are a fan of either, I recommend this novel. It is easy to understand how The Orchid House took Europe by storm. I predict the same will happen in the United States.
The Baker's Daughter is a character-driven novel, while The Orchid House is propelled by its setting. In that sense, they are very different. Each has a distinctive voice and feel. Yet both feature heroines stuck in a certain place in life, desperate, tragic, or even both. Neither protagonist can continue on the path she is on. She must find a new road. A past mystery or secret is the only thing that can propel the women forward. A quest is what each must undergo. Solving the riddle means another chance at happiness and at life. Perhaps that is why these novels appeal so. Second chances are a universal desire.
The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley (Simon and Schuster; 464 pages; $15).
Over the past few years, the book world has witnessed a rising trend in which a present-day protagonist, grappling with her own problems, stumbles upon an intriguing past mystery. Only when she solves the puzzle can she then tackle what is wrong in her own life. Curiously, many of said novels have ties to World War II. Recent notable books in this genre are Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum (2005); Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (2007); The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (2008); and The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean (2009).
Two new novels are a welcome addition to this fairly recent development: The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy and The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley. Both books have a similar feel yet are very distinctive. Both feature strong, memorable heroines and move from our own time into a past we cannot even begin to contemplate. Yet these women must; if they do not, then they will never get on with their lives.
In Sarah McCoy's The Baker's Daughter, the main character is Reba Adams, a writer who lives in El Paso, Texas. Reba dreams of going to California but has not capitalized on her vision yet: "I thought I'd start here and eventually make my way to California—L.A., Santa Barbara, San Francisco." She has yet to leave Texas, however.
Several things stand in Reba's way. She is engaged to Riki Chavez, an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol, but Reba is reluctant to commit. She wears her engagement ring on a chain around her neck; she is not ready to wear it on her finger, and she may never be. Her parents had a difficult marriage. Vietnam affected her father so badly that he later committed suicide. The tragedy led Reba to flee her Virginia home when she was old enough, and she has only minimal contact with her mother and sister. She is unsure of Riki and of their relationship; most of all, Reba is unsure of herself.
Reba is like the border town in which she resides, "stuck in between" where she is and where she is headed. She is a very flawed, even damaged, character, making her a very relatable and very real protagonist. Like most of us, she does not have it all together. Reba is far from perfect.
An assignment leads Reba to a German bakery where she wants to interview an elderly woman on Christmas traditions around the world. The old woman, Elsie Meriwether, the owner of Elsie's German Bakery, is uncooperative. With a deadline fast approaching, Reba spends more and more time with Elsie and her daughter, Jane. Soon, though, Reba finds she likes visiting the women. She opens up to them. The feeling is mutual. Elsie opens up to Reba not about German Christmas traditions but about a Christmas in 1944, one that changed everything.
Here is where The Baker's Daughter truly shines. Elsie and her parents run a bakery in Garmisch, Germany, a city where Gestapo soldiers raid houses and residents fear for their lives in the worst days of World War II. McCoy renders the bakery especially well. I could smell, see, and taste the breads and sweet treats. My mouth still waters thinking about them. Goodies aside, the bakers move this part of the story. At seventeen, Elsie is being courted by an SS officer who is closer in age to her father than to her. She does not love him. Rather, Elsie adores Hollywood movies and is more concerned with keeping a secret that could get her and her family killed.
McCoy has done meticulous research for The Baker's Daughter. The best example of her diligence is Elsie's older sister, Hazel, a participant in the Lebensborn Program. This was part of Germany experiment to perpetuate the Aryan race by producing blond-haired, blue-eyed German children with high morals, exceptional intelligence, and an unbreakable bond with the state. Hazel, in effect, had babies for Germany and had to give them up. Lebensborn was real, and McCoy accurately portrays this chapter in German history.
McCoy, little by little, never too much too soon, reveals what happens to Elsie and her family. Elsie's story transforms Reba in ways readers will cheer. Thus, Elsie and her family take on the role of helper characters as they steer Reba back on the road to life.
I love The Baker's Daughter and feel the novel is even better than Sarah's Key. McCoy effectively draws a comparison between anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant (read: anti-Mexican) sentiment. She uses Riki to do this. Rather than being heavy-handed and didactic, it works rather well.
While characters propel The Baker's Daughter, it is the setting that drives Lucinda Riley's The Orchid House, already a bestseller in Europe. The true star of Riley's novel is Wharton Park, a majestic British estate "comprising of a thousand acres of fertile farmland" that has been in the Crawford family for three hundred years. The house, though, is not as grand as it once was. Running the estate requires a lot of money, money the present heir, Kitt, simply does not have.
Wharton Park holds a special place in the heart of Julia Forrester, a world-renowned concert pianist. As a child, Julia spent time there since her grandparents were long-time employees of the Crawfords and lived in a cottage on the grounds of the manor. Her grandfather grew exotic orchids and made Wharton Park famous for the rare flowers; her grandmother, Elsie, was a lady's maid. Their devotion to the manor parallels that of the servants of Downton Abbey for the Granthams. Julia's summers at the estate were dreamlike: "The tranquility and warmth of the hothouses—sitting snugly in the corner of the kitchen garden, sheltered against the cruel winds that blew in from the North Sea during the winter—stayed in her memory all year."
A horrible tragedy makes Julia remember Wharton Park all the more. Her husband, Xavier, and their son, Gabriel, were killed in a car accident. A forest fire started as a result. Their deaths have understandably broken Julia. She is a changed woman unable to play the music she played the night of the catastrophe. She seeks comfort in a cottage near the sea in Norfolk. But Wharton Park beckons to her. It is an idyllic place where she so desperately needs solace, "a place of peace." Julia recalls wistfully that at Wharton Park, "nothing changed." "Alarms and timetables weren't in charge, it was nature dictating the rhythm."
That earlier, easier time appeals to Julia so much that she returns to Wharton Park for an estate sale. While there, she runs into Kitt Crawford, the new heir. They had briefly met as children when Julia played his late uncle's piano but have had no contact since then. A friendship develops with the promise of more. Kitt is renovating the cottage her grandparents had called home. In the midst of remodeling, he discovers an old diary of a man imprisoned in Thailand during World War II. Kitt mistakenly assumes the diary is the property of Julia's grandfather. Her grandmother, though, reveals the diary belonged to the deceased Lord Crawford, Kitt's uncle, who, together with Julia's grandfather, was a prisoner.
Julia finally comes back to life as her grandmother tells her events before and after the war. This is my favorite part of The Orchid House. The lives of two young couples take shape: William and Elsie and Harry and Olivia. Riley's real focus, though, is on Olivia and Harry. She marries Harry only to find him kissing another man. Devastated, she continues on with her unhappy marriage because that is what was done back then. The outbreak of war sends both Harry and William to Thailand, where they are later captured. After the war, William returns to England before his master; Harry suffers more sickness and thus takes longer to recuperate. While in Thailand, Harry falls in love with a young Thai woman named Lidia. He plans to divorce his wife and marry Lidia. However, after he returns to Wharton Park, he must fulfill his obligations to his wife, his family, and to the estate. Harry writes to her. When his letters go unanswered, he sends his trusted servant, William, to Thailand. William's journey changes everyone's lives forever.
Just when I think Julia and Kitt will live in bliss, Riley throws several curveballs. She does this to mix things up. First, we learn that Julia and Kitt are kissing cousins, which I finally decided to go along with. Second, Julia's husband rises from the dead. This is difficult to swallow. I could not wait for Julia to leave the horrible cad.
Riley reminds me of Kate Morton, and I also see traces of Downton Abbey. If you are a fan of either, I recommend this novel. It is easy to understand how The Orchid House took Europe by storm. I predict the same will happen in the United States.
The Baker's Daughter is a character-driven novel, while The Orchid House is propelled by its setting. In that sense, they are very different. Each has a distinctive voice and feel. Yet both feature heroines stuck in a certain place in life, desperate, tragic, or even both. Neither protagonist can continue on the path she is on. She must find a new road. A past mystery or secret is the only thing that can propel the women forward. A quest is what each must undergo. Solving the riddle means another chance at happiness and at life. Perhaps that is why these novels appeal so. Second chances are a universal desire.
January 13, 2021
Esta mujer te hace viajar a todos los lugares que describe, qué maravillosa capacidad de invención, y que formidable forma de hilar historias, a mí personalmente me atrapa.👌💯
July 2, 2023
Complete utter bullshit.
I was hesitant to read this book. The first five reviews of this book on Goodreads gave it very low ratings. But due to my book club loyalty, this book was chosen for our visit to "Thailand." I thought I would give this book a chance, because I love Thai food. However, this book was a complete waste of time. Don't read this. Unless you like reading melodramatic, predictable stories with stereotypical characters (the gay-not-so-gay husband; the docile Asian people; the arrogant French; the cold and bitter British woman). This book includes incest; two adoptions that are only revealed in adulthood; a husband, who re-emerges alive after his death and turns out to be a complete idiot. And there are lots of errors in this book. Only 30% of the story was set in Thailand. At least, I read this book in German, which helped me get back into the habit of reading German language books. But I do wonder, how come this book is so popular in Germany. And I wonder, how did the editor and the publisher allow this book to be actually published. And lastly, I wonder who the two million people are, who bought this book. It is complete, utter bullshit.
I was hesitant to read this book. The first five reviews of this book on Goodreads gave it very low ratings. But due to my book club loyalty, this book was chosen for our visit to "Thailand." I thought I would give this book a chance, because I love Thai food. However, this book was a complete waste of time. Don't read this. Unless you like reading melodramatic, predictable stories with stereotypical characters (the gay-not-so-gay husband; the docile Asian people; the arrogant French; the cold and bitter British woman). This book includes incest; two adoptions that are only revealed in adulthood; a husband, who re-emerges alive after his death and turns out to be a complete idiot. And there are lots of errors in this book. Only 30% of the story was set in Thailand. At least, I read this book in German, which helped me get back into the habit of reading German language books. But I do wonder, how come this book is so popular in Germany. And I wonder, how did the editor and the publisher allow this book to be actually published. And lastly, I wonder who the two million people are, who bought this book. It is complete, utter bullshit.
April 3, 2011
Sorry, this was a wallbanger for me, and I only made it less than 100 pages in. Started it with such high hopes (beautiful cover, great blurb), when I got to where one sister is telling the other how old she is and about her house, dogs, husband and kids I thought 'hmmm, not sure her sister needs to be TOLD how old she (her sister) is', but gave it the benefit of the doubt. A few pages later I got to where the same sister prefaces a conversation with her father (amid an improbably perfect domestic setting) with 'As you know, Dad...' and the book hit the wall. Sorry. It came over as stilted and some of the writing seemed... I dunno...beginnerish. No idea why, probably just me and the mood I was in, and no fault of the book's at all, but even so...
November 30, 2022
1,5 Sterne
Leider kein gutes Buch für mich 🥲 langweilige Klischee Plottwists, oberflächliche toxic Charaktere und eine Handlung, die mir irrelevant und an den Haaren herbeigezogen erscheint.
Leider kein gutes Buch für mich 🥲 langweilige Klischee Plottwists, oberflächliche toxic Charaktere und eine Handlung, die mir irrelevant und an den Haaren herbeigezogen erscheint.
August 24, 2016
Another wonderful book of the genre that I really like. Two stories that are going on in the same time, one happening in the past, another now, in the present. Destinies that are connected in some way, and people who all have some relationship with each other. I enjoy these type of books, never have enough of them. They always show that, no matter what happened in the past, and no matter how much people suffered through a set of bad circumstances, present is here to bring us a better future and a happy ending. We hope and hope, while we read, that the new generation will manage to win and live with the one they love.
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