Kristin reviews Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley, our One Book, One L&A selection for 2018! Here's her review:

From the bestselling author of A Desperate Fortune and The Firebird comes a new mesmerizing novel that will have you immersed in a story that weaves together both the past and present. Susanna Kearsley brings her passion for research and travel to life in Bellewether, which follows the usual format of her books where we meet a present day woman who stumbles upon a mystery from that past that she must untangle and solve. This time around it’s Charley Van Hoek, the new curator of the Wilde House Museum, which is a converted old house that holds many secrets from generations long ago. Slowly, Charley will delve into the curious mystery involving past occupants of the house, as she becomes infatuated by the doomed love story of Lydia and Jean-Philippe who lived there during the late 1700s.

To bring this historic tale to life, the author allows us to personally observe the lives of those that made this house a home, as she shifts from past to present skillfully chapter by chapter. Not only do we get to experience a forbidden love story blossoming between two unlikely people, but we get to see Charley untangle this romantic mystery that has become a local legend of sorts to the townspeople living in the present day. No one truly knows for sure the complete story surrounding this romance since it has been lost within history. However, Charley hopes to piece together this incomplete puzzle by examining old artifacts, studying the property and getting to the bottom of some weird events that take place within the house.

This exquisite book has also been selected as the One Book, One L&A for 2018. We at the County of L&A libraries are encouraging everyone to read this book during the summer before we host Susanna Kearsley at our 5th Annual Author Gala in the fall. If you are looking for a romantic-driven historical novel, with a tad bit of mystery and a splash of nostalgia mixed in, then you need to get your hands on this book right away! It won’t take you long to realize this author is a master storyteller who plays very close attention to sensory details.

Click here to place a hold on Bellewether.