The House I Loved

I had not planned on writing a review for this book. This was a book I read for my own pleasure during a break in my review calendar. However, as I neared the end, I came to realize I had to to share this remarkable read. Every once in a while a reader is gifted with a book that does the unexpected. Every once in a while a reader is taken by surprise when a book leaves an impression they didn't think it would. Today, I share such an experience with you.

The House I Loved
By: Tatiane De Rosnay
222 Pages

Summary:
During the 1860s Paris underwent a modernization. Houses, roads, businesses were destroyed to make room for a new "modern city" complete with straight roads. One woman fought for her house to not be destroyed. She lost. Yet, she refused to vacate her property- even as it was being demolished. This is her story. 

When Rose married her beloved husband, Armand, she also married his family and into his house. She may not have shared the same history with the house he loved, but she came to love it as he did. Upon his death, Rose promised him she would not let the Prefect have their house. She would do everything and anything to prevent that from happening.

Rose hides out in the cellar of her house on rue Childebert with every intention of being in the house when it is demolished. While there, awaiting the inevitable, she writes letters to Armand telling him of life since his death 10 years before. She tells him of their neighbors, their reaction to the official letter informing them of the street's fate, efforts made to save their home, and the people who have been there for her since he died. Through these letters, she tells him of things she never told him when alive. 

The House I Loved is a haunting story that grips onto your heart and soul without you realizing it has done so. The cover is what originally caught my attention, but when I read the description I was more than intrigued. I have never read a story of a woman's fight for a house she loved more than anything. I had a feeling this would be a story that would stand out, but I had no idea how it much it would.

This was a story that I could not walk away from. It wasn't a page turner in the typical fashion, but in an emotional one. The story is one that is driven through sheer emotion and love. I will never forget this book and have been changed after reading it. While there is not the happy ending I long for when I read a book, there is a deep love that has held you close and will never let you go.

Thank you, Tatiana De Rosnay, for giving readers the world over a story that reaches into their heart. Thank you for writing a novel that holds onto you to the bitter end. Thank you for crafting an amazing, unforgettable story that is unlike any other out there. This was the first book of yours I have read, but it will not be the last.