The House At Tyneford

The House At Tyneford
By: Natasha Solomons
368 Pages

Summary:
It's the spring of 1938 and no longer safe to be a Jew in Vienna. Nineteen-year-old Elise Landau is forced to leave her glittering life of parties and champagne to become a parlor maid in England. She arrives at Tyneford, the great house on the bay, where servants polish silver and serve drinks on the lawn. But war is coming, and the world is changing. When the master of Tyneford's young son, Kit, returns home, he and Elise strike up an unlikely friendship that will transform Tyneford-and Elise-forever. --bn.com

I enjoyed this book. Natasha Solomons does an excellent job of making you feel like you're right there in the story, not just reading it. I love good historical fiction novels, and I'm pleased to say, The House at Tyneford is one of them.

Elise is used to living a rather comfortable life in Vienna. Sadly, those days come to an end. Concerned for her safety, Elise's parents have her go to England to work as a parlor maid. Not used to the work, she struggles. However, everything changes when she strikes a friendship with Kit, the son of Tyneford's owner. Before long, they fall in love and begin an affair that causes problems.

Everything changes when Kit announces his plans to marry Elise to his father. His father asks for them to wait a year, and they do. However, war breaks out during that year and Kit goes off to fight in it. Elise is left behind at Tyneford to help run the house and help take care of Kit's father. The two are forced to rely on one another as they ride out the roller coaster that is war.

If you are looking for an intense read, you have found it in The House At Tyneford. From Elise being shot at by an enemy plane, to being hauled away by the police, to acts of descrimination you will not lack in drama. While I did feel the author went into too much detail at times, the story was still remarkable. I encourage any historical fiction lover to read this book.

Rating: Borrow From Library/Buy It