Heedless. Stubborn. Disgraced. Small town Illinois, 1870: “My stepfather was not particularly fond of me to begin with, and now that he’d found out about the baby, he was foaming at the mouth”Desperate to avoid marriage, Nell Lillington refuses to divulge the name of her child’s father and accepts her stepfather’s decision that the baby be born at a Poor Farm and discreetly adopted.Until an … and discreetly adopted.
Until an unused padded cell is opened and two small bodies fall out.
Nell is the only resident of the Poor Farm who is convinced the unwed mother and her baby were murdered, and rethinks her decision to abandon her own child to fate. But even if she manages to escape the Poor Farm with her baby she may have no safe place to run to.
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Not a bad story. Good, but not great enough to inspire me to read what happens next.
A good read. At times the narrative voice is too ‘informative’ and heavy, but overall the collection of characters and plot elements make for an enjoyable book.
Excellent
I loved this book and the story.
This is a different kind of book. It is an eye-opener as to how people lived in the victorian days. We have progressed greatly in many ways………or have we?
When I first started reading House of Closed Doors, I was bored and not interested. I was glad I got the e*book from BookBub for free. Story didn’t interested me, didn’t feel the characters, I’m not sure exactly why I couldn’t get into the book. I try to always read up to 10% to give a book a fair chance before I stop reading. I don’t know at what percent I became engaged in the book, but I ended up reading to about 25% before stopping. I did connect to the characters and the story. Throughout the series, the author uses words and terminology consistent with the time, which I enjoyed. There were several words I knew and some I looked up. I’m glad I kept reading as I enjoyed the book and have since purchased and read the next two in the series.
very well written and kept my interest to the end
I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next book in the series. It was very entertaining and loved Nell.
Predictable
I bought the other books in the series.
Good story and characters.
I was really enjoying this book. I was not happy to finish and know the story goes on in a second novel. I will decide the end for myself. I don’t see the need for a continuation, even if the author has a different outcome.
Well written I really enjoyed the story as it unfolded.
Strong characters under adverse conditions.
I enjoyed the book. Easy read without too much effort to get into it
Thoroughly enjoyed this book
I enjoyed this book more for the depiction of mores within the 1870’s, than the characters or the plot. The storyline was interesting and certainly had numerous twists.
Has been happening since the beginning of man and woman! Strong and weak women working and surviving. Some men using and degrading, others supporting.
The story pulled me in so much I read the whole trilogy and recommended it to other book loving friends.
Loved The way the author brought the characters to life. I truly felt as if I knew each one!