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Secrets of Nanreath Hall

Alix Rickloff (Goodreads Author)

3.74 · Rating details · 1,791 ratings · 216 reviews

This incredible debut historical novel—in the tradition of Beatriz Williams and Jennifer Robson—tells the fascinating story of a young mother who flees her home on the rocky cliffs of Cornwall and the daughter who finds her way back, seeking answers.

Cornwall, 1940. Back in England after the harrowing evacuation at Dunkirk, WWII Red Cross nurse Anna Trenowyth is shocked to ...more

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Paperback, 393 pages

Published August 2nd 2016 by William Morrow Paperbacks

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· 1,791 ratings · 216 reviews

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Jul 18, 2017 Aditi rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, harper-collins, friends, my-reviews, family, london-england

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

----Søren Kierkegaard

Alix Rickloff, a critically acclaimed author of historical and paranormal romance, has penned a heart touching historical fiction called, Secrets of Nanreath Hall that revolves around two women, in two different timelines, searching for their own identities, one is looking for her biological mother's family and her forgotten background, while the other leaves everything behind for love. Both the stories ...more

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Oct 14, 2016 Myrna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

The Secrets of Nanreath Hall is a pleasant dual timeline story that intrigued me and felt atmospheric. I could visualize the big English manor and the pre-war/war setting. Most of characters are likable and realistic but some are more complicated than others. The author did a great job of evoking sympathy for some of them. Look forward to other books by this author! This is a good weekend read enjoyed with a cup of tea. If you like historical fiction, I think you will enjoy this book.

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Jul 28, 2016 Colleen Turner rated it really liked it

Find my full review (and giveaway information) on my blog http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com.

I'm a sucker for dual timeline novels! This format has become one of my favorites and, when done right, can immerse me even deeper into the lives and situations presented and, in doing so, make me care for the characters more than I might have expected. Some of my favorite novels are told in this style and I can't get enough of how the separate timelines twist together and reveal secrets about the oth Find my full review (and giveaway information) on my blog http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com.

I'm a sucker for dual timeline novels! This format has become one of my favorites and, when done right, can immerse me even deeper into the lives and situations presented and, in doing so, make me care for the characters more than I might have expected. Some of my favorite novels are told in this style and I can't get enough of how the separate timelines twist together and reveal secrets about the other. So probably needless to say I was really excited to start reading Secrets of Nanreath Hall. It promised to include so many of the things I love in historical fiction: the dual timelines, both set during the World Wars (which I love reading about), secrets hidden that promise to be revealed, the grit and grime of battle against the fading yet still real glamour and aloofness of a stately English home. So much to love! I'm happy to say that Nanreath Hall lived up to its promises and completely drew me in from the very first page.

Now, whenever I read a dual timeline novel I always seem to enjoy one of the timelines more than the other. The same is true in this case, with me enjoying Anna's story more than Katherine's. This is for a number of reasons, mainly because I absolutely just loved Anna's character and I felt the author spent more time developing her against the backdrop of WWII then Katherine and her timeline. Anna is an amazing character, being determined and strong yet vulnerable and damaged all at the same time, presenting as a multifaceted person I could easily envision and appreciate for the struggles she endured. Anna's timeline also spent more time showing the effects of war - from her cousin, Hugh, losing his leg and trying to come to terms with his disfigurement to Anna's PTSD and struggle to shut off the horrors she's seen so she can just cope day to day to everyone's continued worry and fear that bombs could (and did!) drop down on their heads at any moment - and I for one couldn't get enough of all of these aspects as well as the detail spent on Nanreath Hall as both a hospital and a stately home. The descriptions drew me in and I was easily transported to see, hear, smell, and feel all that these characters did.

This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy Katherine's story, I did. I liked Katharine as a character, she having many of the same attributes I appreciated in Anna, except when it came to one thing: Simon Halliday. The fact that she gave up everything - and I mean everything! - for him without even much of a backward glance just felt strange to me. I could appreciate her wanting to become a painter and have freedom beyond what she would have as the daughter of an Earl, but giving it all up for that combined with this young man who I found to be a total cad just didn't sit well with me. Those who enjoy romance-and-passion-above-all-else sorts of stories with probably love her storyline, but I've never really enjoyed that sort of thing so couldn't love her as much as I loved Anna or what she went through. There wasn't as much attention placed on what was happening during the war Katherine lived through either (WWI), which is part of what I enjoyed so much in the other timeline.

All this being said, I think what I enjoyed the very most is the over-arching theme that family isn't necessarily who you share blood with but who you keep in your heart, and those that keep you in there's. This presents itself at a few different points in the book, and these points really stuck out for me. I also enjoyed the fact that, while many of the "secrets of Nanreath Hall" were somewhat easy to see coming given the hints dropped throughout the story, one secret in particular (namely what ultimately came between Katherine and Simon) actually surprised me and I always enjoy being taken by surprise.

I recommend Secrets of Nanreath Hall to anyone who loves historical fiction, especially that which takes place during the World Wars. There's much to enjoy here, and I'll be thinking about a number of these characters and how their stories might have proceeded after the last page was turned for awhile.

...more

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Apr 21, 2016 Jenny Q rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-copy, blog-tour, historical-fiction-faves, saw-it-on-facebook, best-of-2016

Kitty Trenowyth, the pampered daughter of a wealthy earl, yearns to choose her own future, to explore her artistic talents, to experience more than her sheltered life has so far allowed. When her father commissions an artist to paint her portrait, he brings with him Simon Halliday, a handsome assistant who awakens both physical desire and a desire to prove to herself and her family that she can make it on her own. But life in the real world turns out to be far harder than Kitty ever expected. Sh Kitty Trenowyth, the pampered daughter of a wealthy earl, yearns to choose her own future, to explore her artistic talents, to experience more than her sheltered life has so far allowed. When her father commissions an artist to paint her portrait, he brings with him Simon Halliday, a handsome assistant who awakens both physical desire and a desire to prove to herself and her family that she can make it on her own. But life in the real world turns out to be far harder than Kitty ever expected. She valiantly attempts to make the most of it, but with the outbreak of World War One, she suddenly finds herself alone and with child, with nowhere to go.

Twenty-five years later, Kitty's daughter, Anna, is searching for answers. A nurse posted to the Trenowyth family estate at Nanreath Hall, which has been turned into a hospital for soldiers too ill or badly wounded to return to the front, Anna hopes to learn more about the mother she barely remembers and the father she never met. But her arrival is not welcomed by her cold and bitter aunt and her crippled, drunken cousin, who are suspicious of her motivations. And though Anna diligently tends to the wounded, she is nursing wounds of her own, both physical and mental. As the war slogs on, Anna and her newfound family form tenuous bonds under the strain of hardship and suffering, but their descriptions of her parents don't match up with the ideal of them she's carried in her heart. With the help of a dashing airman who refuses to let Anna push him away, she unravels the mystery surrounding her birth, but the truth may be more than she's prepared to handle.

I really enjoyed this book as a whole, but it was Anna and her tale that I was more attached to. Kitty does not seem to be quite as well developed, and I had a harder time connecting to her or feeling that the love between her and Simon was grand enough or deep enough to give up everything for. But I did feel sorry for her when everything (rather predictably) came crashing down around her. I was also expecting the first war to play more of a role in her story, as the second war does in Anna's, but aside from Simon going off to fight, Kitty does not feel the daily effects of the war. Hers is more the story of coming of age and coming to terms with the consequences of choices.

But Anna's story had me hooked from beginning to end, riveted by the depiction of the sacrifices on the British home front, the terror of the blitz, the tending of the convalescent, the developing dynamics of her new family, and her blossoming romance. She is everything I love in a heroine--smart, brave, selfless, compassionate, and achingly vulnerable underneath it all. Through the loss of family and friends and the unspeakable horrors of war, she is determined to keep moving forward and to keep searching for answers. My only complaint is that I would really have liked an epilogue. In war, there is no happily ever after, only fleeting moments of happiness, and I'm the kind of reader that needs a little more closure.

Secrets of Nanreath Hall was a pleasant surprise for me. I've been in a bit of a historical fiction slump lately. Though I was drawn to the description, I had not read Alix Rickloff before, and dual timelines can be tricky to pull off. But I found myself instantly absorbed in the story, and I couldn't put it down. I devoured it in two days. It's beautifully written, transporting, and emotional, and its combination of wartime fiction with mystery, family saga, and romance hits all the right notes. Highly recommended. ...more

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Aug 12, 2018 Leona rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

A heartbreaking story, told from two different perspectives and timelines. The author captured the devastating losses two World Wars unleashed on the lives of so many.

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Jun 29, 2017 Renee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, dual-story-line-two-time-periods, world-war-ii, british-home-front-wwii, 2017-goodreads-reading-challenge

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

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Aug 04, 2016 Lynn Spencer rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

C+ at AAR, so 3.5 stars For the longest time, Susanna Kearsley, Lauren Willig, and Susan Meissner were the only authors I regularly encountered who wrote dual timeline novels. However, they seem to be everywhere all of a sudden. I love this device, so I’m certainly not complaining. In fact, I was quite eager to read Secrets of Nanreath Hall, with its World War I and World War II storylines connecting a mother and daughter. Unfortunately, the execution in this book ended up feeling disjointed and C+ at AAR, so 3.5 stars For the longest time, Susanna Kearsley, Lauren Willig, and Susan Meissner were the only authors I regularly encountered who wrote dual timeline novels. However, they seem to be everywhere all of a sudden. I love this device, so I’m certainly not complaining. In fact, I was quite eager to read Secrets of Nanreath Hall, with its World War I and World War II storylines connecting a mother and daughter. Unfortunately, the execution in this book ended up feeling disjointed and the storylines just didn’t live up to their promise.

In the days leading up to WWI, young Kitty Trenowyth decides she is more suited to art school than to life as a proper debutante and wife. She feels the weight of family expectations and traditional roles closing in on her – until the day a well-regarded artist comes to Nanreath Hall to paint her portrait. The artist brings with him his assistant, Simon Halliday, and that meeting changes the course of Kitty’s life forever. She decides to follow her heart, a choice that separates her from her family and sweeps her into the more bohemian circles of London just as war looms on the horizon.

Years later, Kitty’s daughter, Anna Trenowyth, faces a crossroads of her own. She lost her mother at an early age, and was raised by family friends she regards as her own dearly loved parents. In the early days of World War II, Anna is serving in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), providing field nursing services. After surviving a traumatic evacuation at Dunkirk, the newly recovered Anna finds herself posted to Nanreath Hall to work in the hospital which has taken over the house. Though she hungers to learn more about her mother’s family, Anna also feels ill at ease taking up a place among the relations who rejected Kitty.

However, Anna does as told and reports to her duty station. What she finds there is a wealth of family secrets, buried memories and all manner of mixed emotions. Along the way, we also see Anna discover new strengths within herself as she learns more about who she is and starts to fall in love. These parts of the story were all big positives for me. I liked Anna as a character, the hopefulness of her story appealed to me, and I found myself intrigued by the details of what life in England was like during the war. Nanreath Hall in the 1940s comes to life in a way that Nanreath in the 1910s didn’t quite manage, and the details of Anna’s job and the people she encounters kept me intrigued.

This is a partial review. The complete text can be found at All About Romance: http://allaboutromance.com/book-revie... ...more

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Mar 28, 2016 Renée Rosen rated it it was amazing

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

Add this to your shelf. You can thank me later! :)

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Sep 17, 2016 Paula Adams rated it it was amazing

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

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Aug 07, 2019 Sharon Bruce rated it liked it

This was a nice read with a good ending. I enjoy reading books during two time periods.

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Aug 13, 2016 Meg - A Bookish Affair rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016, historical-fiction, fiction

"Secrets of Nanreath Hall" is a historical fiction tale told in two times. The first time is WWI where Kitty is the spoiled daughter of a titled family who falls in love with the proverbial "guy from the wrong side of the tracks." Her life is upended when she gets pregnant and is practically disowned from her family. The second time is WWII takes up Anna, Kitty's daughter, story. Anna's mother died when she was very young and she was left with a lot of questions. When chance sends her to her mot "Secrets of Nanreath Hall" is a historical fiction tale told in two times. The first time is WWI where Kitty is the spoiled daughter of a titled family who falls in love with the proverbial "guy from the wrong side of the tracks." Her life is upended when she gets pregnant and is practically disowned from her family. The second time is WWII takes up Anna, Kitty's daughter, story. Anna's mother died when she was very young and she was left with a lot of questions. When chance sends her to her mother's family home to work as a nurse, Anna is hopeful that she will begin to unravel the mystery of her family and her origins. I love a good story about family secrets and this book definitely fits the bill.

I loved both Kitty and Anna. Their plights are very different. Although they are mother and daughter, their upbringings were very different. Kitty grew up extremely comfortable and Anna's life was much different. The contrast was really fantastic. Even though they grew up in such different environments, they still have the same ambitious, independent spirit. In books that take place in more than one time, I usually have a favorite. Because these characters are so strong, I enjoyed both parts of the book equally. I especially liked seeing how the author joined these characters together throughout the book.

WWI and WWII are two of my very favorite times to visit through books. I really liked that this book took place in both time periods. It was so interesting to see how Nanreath Hall changes throughout the book. During Kitty's time, it is a glorious house filled with riches that many can only dream of. During Anna's time, it has been turned into a hospital and has lost some of its luster during the war. I thought the author did a great job of showing the differences.

Overall, this book had some good twists and turns that kept me guessing. According to Goodreads, this looks to be Rickloff's first plain ol' historical fiction and I will be on the look out for more. This book will appeal to those who like family secrets and vivid characters. ...more

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Jun 30, 2016 Meredith rated it really liked it

Shelves: won-giveaway

This book follows two times lines of both mother and daughter as they move through life altering events. Each chapter moves back and forth between the mother (Kitty) and daughter (Anna). A nurse serving during WWII Anna has been stationed at Nanreath Hall, her mother's birthplace, which has become a hospital for wounded servicemen. Once she arrives Anna starts digging into her past to discover who her mother and father were as real people, and learns more about her own character in the process a ...more

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Jul 11, 2016 Reading Fool rated it liked it

Shelves: giveaways, 2016

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

This historical fiction novel is the story of two women: Lady Katherine Trenowyth, in 1913, who is unhappy with the stifling life that her noble background has given her; and Katherine's daughter Anna, in 1940, who wants to learn more about her mother and the secrets that her family has hidden for a generation. The story is told in alternating chapters set in the two different time periods. Sometimes predictable, it still kept me engage ...more

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Jul 29, 2016 Anna rated it really liked it

Shelves: she-reads

I've been lucking out on can't-put-down-ers. This one certainly fits the bill. From trying to figure out the secrets of Lady Katherine to trying to figure them out for her daughter and nephew, it's a whirlwind of a war(s) story. Easy, entertaining, and happy read. The ending isn't all wrapped up in a bow, but even I can forgive that after a plot like this! ...more

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Sep 19, 2016 Ivy rated it liked it

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I found that the dual story line didn't do much for me. It wasn't well enough developed for both characters. It seemed to just get bogged down in itself. It could have just been told through Anna's voice and been as effective. It was an okay read, but not stunning. ...more

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Mar 01, 2020 Nina rated it really liked it

Engaging novel that alternates between the mother’s first person narrative in the years leading up to WWI, and the third person story of her daughter in the early years of WWII. The mother had fled a vapid aristocratic existence in an English country house to pursue her dream of being an artist and living with a dashing bohemian who wouldn’t marry her, got her pregnant, and was promptly killed in the war. The mother died when her daughter was six, leaving her to be raised by friends. As an adult ...more

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Feb 27, 2018 Elaine rated it it was amazing

I love novels that rich in historical detail! And this one was one of them! It covers Pre WW 1 in 1913 and goes to WW 11 in 1940, in England! It loved the way Alix would go back and forth in ea time period. It was easy to get up and so easy to follow the characters!
I loved Lady Katherine and her daughter, Anna! I just hate that this story has ended!

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Jun 17, 2020 Elizabeth rated it liked it

There was a sad part when a much loved walking path was blocked!

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Mar 07, 2017 Ricki Treleaven rated it really liked it

I received Secrets of Nanreath Hall via Once Upon a Book Club subscription box.

Secrets of Nanreath Hall is yet another family drama set in Cornwall, England across both world wars. Lady Katherine's story is quite unbelievable: She seems too smart to have fallen for someone like Simon and live in abject poverty when he's unwilling to introduce her to his family. I wanted to like Katherine and Simon since both are artists so I was a little disappointed that I didn't really care. One draw for Kath I received Secrets of Nanreath Hall via Once Upon a Book Club subscription box.

Secrets of Nanreath Hall is yet another family drama set in Cornwall, England across both world wars. Lady Katherine's story is quite unbelievable: She seems too smart to have fallen for someone like Simon and live in abject poverty when he's unwilling to introduce her to his family. I wanted to like Katherine and Simon since both are artists so I was a little disappointed that I didn't really care. One draw for Katherine's choice in lifestyle is the promise of pursuing an art education, but that doesn't seem to come to fruition. Simon is not worthy of Katherine, and the only reason I won't say that he is a total waste of oxygen on this earth is because of Anna. Anna's storyline, however, is equally tragic, but she's a heroine. I love her character, bravery, and spirit. The family intrigue at her family estate is fantastic and makes the book worthwhile. We get a hint that Anna might have a happy ending, but the book ends even before America becomes involved in the war. Maybe there is a sequel in the works. If you enjoy novels chock full of family secrets with a World War II setting, you will enjoy this book.

I enjoyed the goodies I received with the book. The Once Upon a Book Club selections have post it notes in the book that tell the reader to open a present with the corresponding page number on it. This one was very well done. One thing I loved is that we were given an apron similar to the one Anna wore while nursing the injured soldiers. Later in the book, she reaches in her apron pocket and takes out a photo she filched from her aunt's photo album, and the envelope with the photo in it was in the apron! Too cute!

I am enjoying this book club subscription very, very much. I have been more than pleased with the books, and one of the three best books I read last year came from Once Upon a Book Club. You can see photos from this selections prizes and read more on my blog. Here is the link:

http://www.ricki-treleaven.com/2017/0...
...more

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Aug 27, 2020 Amy added it

Given to me by a friend. Pretty standard fare. The author writes some paranormal and I was hoping for that to appear. Pandemic read.

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Jun 14, 2016 Becky rated it liked it

Anna's parentage has never been a secret, but when her new post is to Nanreath Hall - the home where her mother once grew up - she hopes to get her adoptive parents' opinion before deciding. Graham and Prue Handley have something to tell her, but unfortunately before they can reveal what they know they're killed in a London bombing leaving Anna orphaned once again.

When she arrives at Nanreath Hall, Anna finds she has a cousin and aunt in residence. The cousin is curious but her aunt wants nothi Anna's parentage has never been a secret, but when her new post is to Nanreath Hall - the home where her mother once grew up - she hopes to get her adoptive parents' opinion before deciding. Graham and Prue Handley have something to tell her, but unfortunately before they can reveal what they know they're killed in a London bombing leaving Anna orphaned once again.

When she arrives at Nanreath Hall, Anna finds she has a cousin and aunt in residence. The cousin is curious but her aunt wants nothing to do with her, even offering to use her clout to get Anna a posting as far away as possible. Now Anna has to decide whether to take the opportunity she's so longed for or stay and learn more about the family she's never met.

Alix Rickloff, aka Alexa Egan, tells the story of two women and two wars: Lady Katherine Trenowyth, a fallen heiress who followed her heart in the years up to and following WWI, and her daughter, Anna, orphaned after her mother dies of cancer and working as a nurse for the Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment in WWII.

Katherine, who begins our tale in 1923 already dying of cancer, was raised the daughter of an earl. Given everything she could ever dream of, she longed for the one thing she could never have: an education at an art school. And so when an artist catches her eye, even the promise of scandal can't dissuade her.

A generation and a war later, her daughter Anna has only just recovered from a terrible injury courtesy of German bombers. The "incident," as others are fond of calling it, also claimed the life of Anna's friend and left Anna unfit to be sent overseas for duty. But it's still a posting she wants desperately. And so the assignment at Nanreath Hall is something of a disappointment - and a shock considering it's her ancestral home.

At the request of her mother, Graham and Prue Handley have never kept Katherine's story from her daughter. But it's clear there are still secrets. Being the daughter of an unwed mother who fled her own family doesn't really leave much room for being welcomed into the arms of the remaining Trenowyth family, and yet with just two aunts and cousins remaining - one of whom is the current earl and seemingly ok with Anna's presence and acknowledgment -, Anna's reception is more icy than even she'd expected.

The tale unfolds through alternating chapters, giving readers glimpses into Katherine's story as well as that of her immediate family alongside Anna's own journey and eventual discovery of the truth about that generation. Bookended by two massive wars, its a tale that is of course fraught with tragedy but one that is also filled with hope.

And interestingly, the story doesn't end with Secrets of Nanreath Hall. Both timelines mention sister Cynthia and her daughter - Cynthia is the cooperative Trenowyth daughter who lives overseas as Anna's story plays out. Apparently Rickloff has plans to follow up Secrets of Nanreath Hall with Cynthia's daughter's story: "...who has departed Singapore for England under a cloud of scandal on the eve of Pearl Harbor." (According to the interview included in the back of Secrets.) It's a good thing people were so incredibly scandalized so easily during this era - it's great fodder for historical fiction writers for sure! ...more

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Aug 21, 2021 Alyssa rated it it was amazing

This book is my favorite type - historical fiction that teaches me something new but is really about people and their relationships with one another.

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Jan 03, 2017 Rachel (borntoberustic) rated it really liked it

I just finished this book, and now I'm sitting on my couch, wondering how on earth I am supposed to review a book that has left me feeling so raw and conflicted! So I'm going to start off simply...

First of all, Rickloff's writing style is excellent! This book alternates between Kitty's story (written in first person) and her daughter, Anna's story (written in third person). Not many people could have pulled this off without making the storyline seem jumbled and confusing, but Rickloff pulls it o I just finished this book, and now I'm sitting on my couch, wondering how on earth I am supposed to review a book that has left me feeling so raw and conflicted! So I'm going to start off simply...

First of all, Rickloff's writing style is excellent! This book alternates between Kitty's story (written in first person) and her daughter, Anna's story (written in third person). Not many people could have pulled this off without making the storyline seem jumbled and confusing, but Rickloff pulls it off seemingly effortlessly. "Secrets of Nanreath Hall" is both engaging and emotional, and is perfect for lovers of historical fiction!

If there's anything this book has showed me, it's that life isn't simple or easy to sort out; it is a tangled, crazy, impossible ball of yarn that can be frustrating, mind-numbing, and exhilarating. "Secrets of Nanreath Hall" encompasses those emotions and so much more! So be prepared before you take the plunge.

I guess I expected this to be an easy read, but it definitely was NOT. Perhaps I should have guessed this, seeing as this book covers not only WWI, but also WWII. Wow. Talk about emotional! As if that topic isn't difficult enough, there's plenty of domestic drama within the covers of this book. After finishing reading "Secrets of Nanreath Hall" mere minutes ago (and within the span of about 12 hours), I feel rather as though I've just run up 15 flights of stairs in sandpaper shoes. (Tired, raw, but rather impressed with myself.) Sorry, bad analogy? Did I mention I was tired?
But really, throughout this entire book, I was gripped with the terribly persistent desire to cast judgments. On Kitty's decisions, on Anna's, on Cynthia's, on Williams--the list goes on and on! I mean, this book has some really messed up people in it!! But at the end of it all, how could I judge them? They are human. (Please commence with the good ol' "willing suspension of disbelief" so that this makes sense.) They made mistakes, tried to fix them, and made even bigger mistakes in the process. If you act out of love, how wrong is the action? Where does one draw that line? And when all is said and done and those actions are in the past, how do those who are left cope with the consequences? Did I mention...life is complicated.

If nothing else, this book will make you think long and hard about your life, decisions, and much more than that. If you're ready for an emotional read, this is for you! I personally consider it to have been worth it.

Content (10= extremely high focus; 0=non existent):
Adventure content: 6
Creepiness content: 3
Grief content: 5
Language content: 4
Religion content: 2
Romance content: 4
Sexual content: 5
Violence content: 6 ...more

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Aug 19, 2016 Lesa rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, war, fiction, family-relationships

Alix Rickloff has written historical and paranormal romances, but Secrets of Nanreath Hall is her first historical novel. It's a disturbing, fascinating story of a mother and daughter. But, it's the daughter's story, the atmospheric depiction of World War II, that brings the story to life.

In alternating chapters, Rickloff tells of Lady Katherine Trenowyth and her daughter, Anna Trenowyth. As a young woman, passionately in love, and wanting to be an artist, Katherine fled from her family estate a Alix Rickloff has written historical and paranormal romances, but Secrets of Nanreath Hall is her first historical novel. It's a disturbing, fascinating story of a mother and daughter. But, it's the daughter's story, the atmospheric depiction of World War II, that brings the story to life.

In alternating chapters, Rickloff tells of Lady Katherine Trenowyth and her daughter, Anna Trenowyth. As a young woman, passionately in love, and wanting to be an artist, Katherine fled from her family estate at Nanreath Hall in Cornwall. Her story is set prior to and during the Great War, but it's Kitty's story up until her death when Anna is young. In contrast, Anna's story is set against World War II, but the war itself is essential to Anna's story. Seventeen years after her mother's death, Anna has survived the collapse of France, and barely survived when the ship she was on was strafed and hit a mine. She's part of the Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment. After her recuperation in the hospital, she's assigned to work in a convalescent home. Anna Trenowyth is sent to Nanreath Hall in Cornwall.

While Katherine's story is one of love and loss, Anna's is the story of the search for a family, a history she never knew. "The Trenowyth family never recovered. Scandal, debt, injuries, death." What part did Katherine play in the rumor that the Trenowyths were cursed? Anna knows nothing about her mother's past, but will discover family members who don't want her and secrets they want hidden.

Katherine and Anna are both strong, interesting women. But, it's the background of Anna's story that is vivid and heart wrenching. Rickloff's account of World War II deals with the role played by all the British. She writes of the suffering of the nurses such as Anna, who dealt with PTSD, who heard the cries of the dying, who lost friends. Nanreath Hall is bombed in the course of the book. She brings the convalescent home, the bombed out London streets, to life. Anna's memories and her reaction to them, are usually not portrayed in books about the war. We read about PTSD in the soldiers. But, we seldom read about the nurses and volunteers who saw so much. In Anna, in her cousin, Hugh, we see the suffering of the survivors.

Secrets of Nanreath Hall is a compelling, atmospheric story. Rickloff vividly portrays the time period in a story that is heart wrenching when describing the war. It was a war that changed British society forever, and it's reflected here. There are complex, flawed characters in this book, fascinating characters. But, for me, the agonizing stories of the survivors, the people fighting their memories, are the pieces of this book that linger. ...more

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Aug 01, 2016 Gaele rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, reviewed, edelweiss, william-morrow, historic, 2016-challenges, 2016-favorites

Focusing on the life of Anna, she’s back in England after the horrors of the evacuation of Dunkirk. I loved Anna’s character – so determined and self-assured, with a need to ‘do her part’ in the war effort, she’s made great sacrifices to serve. Adopted as a child, she discovers that her adoptive parents have been killed in the blitz. If that weren’t enough change for Anna with all of her other worries and duties, she’s been assigned to work at a military hospital at the grounds of her birth fami Focusing on the life of Anna, she’s back in England after the horrors of the evacuation of Dunkirk. I loved Anna’s character – so determined and self-assured, with a need to ‘do her part’ in the war effort, she’s made great sacrifices to serve. Adopted as a child, she discovers that her adoptive parents have been killed in the blitz. If that weren’t enough change for Anna with all of her other worries and duties, she’s been assigned to work at a military hospital at the grounds of her birth family’s home in Cornwall, Nanreath Hall.

Far from being a shrinking violet, Anna takes the chance to answer some of the long-standing questions she has and reconcile them with some nebulous memories. Meeting her birth family, gaining answers to questions about her own history, and finding a wealth of secrets, tragedies and loves unrequited.

A wonderfully paced and drawn story brings the tale of Anna’s search and reconnection to her birth family with the then shame and sorrows of her young and daring birth mother. Born to a life of luxury while society is changing and rearranging as the murmurs of a war are on the horizon, Lady Katherine Trenowyth is meant to marry well and continue on in a respectable fashion. She, not unlike her daughter, takes steps into the future that are both daring and uncertain. An affair with a bohemian painter brought her away from her normal and into a life that was more freeform, centered around art, joy and the moment.

What Anna discovers in her time at Nanreath is secrets upon secrets, many seem to shore the foundations and bedrock of her birth family. One never feels that Anna is determined to undermine or injure this family she is so intricately tied to, but their secrets often stalemate her own search for her identity and place in the world beyond that of nurse and woman. With lovely prose that never fails to evoke the emotional tumult and choices facing Anna, many harkening to those of her birth mother a generation earlier. Wonderfully complex yet undeniably easy to relate to, this story is ultimately a search for self-identity while honoring the influences from your own life and those that came before.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
This review was originally posted on I am, Indeed ...more

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Nov 04, 2016 Mary Eve rated it it was amazing

Shelves: won, arc, hardcover-paperback-own, historical-fiction, first-reads-giveaways, wwi-wwii-holocaust-nazi-bastards, 2016-book-challenge

I started reading this book during a busy month. Any other time, I would've devoured this wonderful tale of loss, chance, family secrets, and finding one's way home despite the obstacles. There are those books that one reads and it is just that - reading. Whilst the story may be somewhat entertaining, it ceases to draw you in and fails to connect oneself to place or protagonist. Just another book you quickly want to finish. Then, there's that lovely, lively book that finds its way to your hands I started reading this book during a busy month. Any other time, I would've devoured this wonderful tale of loss, chance, family secrets, and finding one's way home despite the obstacles. There are those books that one reads and it is just that - reading. Whilst the story may be somewhat entertaining, it ceases to draw you in and fails to connect oneself to place or protagonist. Just another book you quickly want to finish. Then, there's that lovely, lively book that finds its way to your hands and once you've lost yourself in its pages you never want to leave it behind. Secrets of Nanreath Hall is the latter and exactly why I love historical fiction. Set between alternating periods of WWI and WWII, two women struggle to define themselves within a distinguished family that has hidden their secrets well inside the walls of Nanreath Hall.

Another fabulous read of 2016. I fell in love with ALL of the characters, each one growing closer to my heart as the story gained momentum. While the plot is not altogether original, I never felt as if I'd read this before. The scenes of war are vivid and I could hear the engines of aeroplanes screaming across the British skies. I could sense the fear and feel the heartbreak when letters brought news of lost loved ones, another casualty of war that changed lives in an instant. I ached for the young soldiers dashing off to war, imagining himself a hero but returning as a broken weary veteran, a constant battle inside the war between remembering and forgetting. It felt as if I was at the train depot standing amongst the women who kissed their soldier's lips for the very last time. Nanreath Hall came to life and I could smell the salty sea air, picture the transformation of the once great home that was now being used as hospital for the wounded and infirmed. Yes! Strong characters lived and breathed between the pages and captured my imagination until the very end. Superbly written. Five shiny gold stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Doubt that the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move, Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love." - Shakespeare

*I won a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you to William Morrow for sponsoring the giveaway and to Alix Rickloff for writing a story that I'll always remember. ...more

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Jul 14, 2016 Cynthia rated it liked it

Historical fiction is by far my favorite genre, particularly stories that take place in war-torn Europe, so I immediately jumped at the opportunity to receive an advanced reading copy (ARC) of “Secrets of Nanreath Hall” by Alix Rickloff. In her debut historical novel, Alix depicts the lives of two strong women – a mother and daughter – living through WWI and WWII, respectively.

Lady Katherine, who’s story begins in 1913 before the first world war, struggles with society’s pressures of being prim Historical fiction is by far my favorite genre, particularly stories that take place in war-torn Europe, so I immediately jumped at the opportunity to receive an advanced reading copy (ARC) of “Secrets of Nanreath Hall” by Alix Rickloff. In her debut historical novel, Alix depicts the lives of two strong women – a mother and daughter – living through WWI and WWII, respectively.

Lady Katherine, who’s story begins in 1913 before the first world war, struggles with society’s pressures of being prim and proper and eventually breaks free from her family to follow her heart and ambitions. Meanwhile, Katherine’s daughter Anna, whose story takes place during WWII, grapples with finding her place and herself after losing the only family she’s ever known – a couple who raised her after Lady Katherine’s death.

The novel stays true to its times, depicting the demands and tensions of society especially for women growing up striving to be more than a trophy wife, married for wealth and station. Taken through each woman’s life parallel, Katherine’s unfolds as Anna works to uncover the secrets of her family’s past.

While having an illegitimate child was a major scandal in the early 20th century, everyone knew that Katherine was “a fallen woman” from the moment she left her parents’ home to run away with Simon, the love of her life. Although it was scandalous and isolated Anna, it wasn’t really a secret that she had an unconventional upbringing. As Anna sets off to mother’s childhood home on a military assignment, the book implies that there are major secrets lurking in the corridors of Nanreath Hall. While the narrative was interesting and compelling, I was disappointed by the lack of bombshells uncovered. Granted, at the time, all of the secrets eventually discovered would have been major upsets for the family, as a reader I felt like they weren’t very shocking having already been alluded to throughout the story.

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Aug 10, 2016 Patty rated it really liked it

This is ultimately a story of class in an England that is changing due to both World Wars. It is two different stories; one of a mother, the other of the daughter and each one takes place during one of the Great Wars. Lady Katherine Trenowyth grows up with all of the privilege that being the daughter of an Earl can bring her but it also brings confining expectations. Katherine meets a man – an artist’s assistant that encourages her in her own burgeoning talent and he opens her heart. With his su ...more

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Sep 13, 2016 Christine Roberts rated it it was amazing

It is 1940 and Anna Trenowyth's latest assignment as a WWII Red Cross nurse is to travel to Cornwall and care for wounded soldiers at Nanreath Hall. However, this is no ordinary assignment for Anna. She is a Trenowyth and so are the owners of Nanreath Hall. However, they are not known to each other and are not aware that they are family...at least, not yet. How is Anna related to the aristocratic family of Nanreath Hall and why does no one know of this long lost Trenowyth?

Secrets of Nanreath Hal ...more

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Jun 10, 2016 Amanda rated it it was amazing

This is the story of Katherine and Anna Trenowyth and the place that brings mother and daughter together Nanreath Hall. Anna doesn't know much about her mother when she begins working as a nurse at Nanreath Hall but the story goes back to when Katherine was a young woman living there with her family. Katherine's love of art leads to her romance with the artist Simon Halliday. Anna also learns about the Trenowyth family during this time. I loved getting to know these characters and the story is c ...more

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About Alix Rickloff

Alix Rickloff

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Critically acclaimed author of historical fiction, Alix Rickloff’s family tree includes a knight who fought during the Wars of the Roses (his brass rubbing hangs in her dining room) and a soldier who sided with Charles I during the English Civil War (hence the family's hasty emigration to America). With inspiration like that, what else could she do but start writing her own stories? She lives in M ...more