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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A well written story.
Great book…well written
The House of Closed Doors is a well researched historical fiction book of life in the midwestern United States in the 1870’s. Good characterization, an interesting plot line, and a murder to solve make a most satisfying read. There are two more books in the series: Eternal Deception and The Shadow Palace, that continue Nell Lillington’s story.
This is a book that will pull you in with the secrets and mystery and deceit and even murder. It will keep you guessing for a while as to what will happen to poor spoiled Nell. I know there were probably lots of young girls that found themselves in this situation during these times and weren’t as determined as Nell to do what her heart and mind told her to do. I only had two real issues with this book and one is that it is a cliffhanger and I personally despise those but I loved the first installment of this story and will continue on through the next 3 books to see what happens to Nell. Second is some of the language of some characters at the Poor Farm did not seem period accurate. I’m sure there were definitely language that was coming from the ladies of ill repute but I didn’t quite buy what was written in the story. Everything else seemed to fit.
Overall I still give this book a solid 4 as it has a great plot and the characters are all well thought out and well written and I was sad when it was over as I wanted more, which is the point of a cliffhanger I guess.
Attempted to read.
Starts out stuck in a past better forgotten – the abuse of women. Couldn’t get past that to finish the story. While I think the story moves on to show how this attitude is wrong, it almost glorifies the abuse in the first few chapters.
Interesting first book in a historical fiction series. The author creates characters that break with norms for the time and need to navigate the consequences of those decisions. We see some of them grow and mature because of their experiences, while others suffer. The ending was a surprise.
I could not put down this book, and upon ending it, I rush to get the second book! I loved it!
This novel will tug at your heart strings as Nell Lillington goes from a sheltered girl who grew up in a wealthy home–to an unwed mother. In 1870 that was a big no no and she was sent to a poor farm to have her baby and then give it up for adoption.
Bodies are discovered at the poor farm in an unused portion of the house behind a locked door. Nell is positive that it was murder–but how to prove it. She decides then and there to have her baby and keep it–but how will she get away–who will help her?
There is a happy ending for Nell as secrets come out and the murderer found–but not without angst and trouble!
I really enjoyed reading this book-it was engrossing with characters that you will either love or hate!
I loved the unconventional independent spirit of the female lead character and all of the adventures she goes on and growth she experiences. I went on to buy the other two books in this trilogy and would gladly read another three more if the author were to write them! Really enjoyable!
This was a real page-turner.
Excellent plot and realistic characters of that time period. Sensational story line that kept be following all the twists and turns wondering whose baby it was and would all the secrets be uncovered.
I enjoyed this book. It was a fun, relaxing read.
It’s so amazing how little women were even considered people so long ago.
Enjoyed so much purchased subsequent books
I loved the independence of the main character. She forged a path for herself even though it went against the norms of her time.
My how times have changed! A very naive young girl is taken advantage of by a lusty man and she becomes pregnant – her life can be ruined by this whatever she chooses to do: marry the man she doesn’t love, give the baby up for adoption and try to keep the gossipers from spreading the news, keep the child and create a dead husband as a cover. Our heroine certainly has a mind of her own and faces her challenge head on…times have changed…
This is the start of a series – the book ends leaving you wondering how she fared.
historically good and a interesting story to go with it
I read it an the sequels. Recommended it to my friend and she read a!l of the books also.
The poor farm ends up as the place where the unwed girl awaits the child that resulted from a rape following her naive flirtation with her cousin. Her controlling stepfather is hiding terrible secrets in his attempts toward higher inspirations. The poor farm also has secrets. She develops friendships that will continue beyond her confinement. An older childhood becomes her knight in shining armor.
Started slow but picked up. Great descriptions of the place and what was happening. Really got involved in the story. My only complaint is that it is not finished and it leaves you wondering what is next. If I wanted to read a serial story I would like to know. I don’t mind the same characters but I like it to be finished.