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by Elizabeth Brooks
A startling gothic tale of corrupted innocence that asks―when we look closely―what it really means to know the truth.
When a World War II widow inherits a dilapidated English estate, she uncovers a diary written by an adolescent girl named Maude Gower. Looking for answers, she begins reading, only to unravel more questions about the mysterious past and many secrets hidden deep within the walls of Orchard House.
In 1876, orphaned Maude is forced to leave London, and her adored brother, Frank, to live with a stranger. Everyone―especially Frank―tells her not to trust Miss Greenaway, the enigmatic owner of Orchard House, but Maude can't help warming to her new guardian. Encouraged by Miss Greenaway, Maude finds herself discovering who she is for the first time, and learning to love her new home. But when Frank comes for an unexpected visit, the delicate balance of Maude's life is thrown into disarray. Complicating matters more, Maude witnesses an adult world full of interactions she cannot quite understand. Her efforts to regain control result in a violent tragedy, the repercussions of which will haunt Orchard House for the rest of Maude's life―and beyond.
With each psychologically gripping turn, Elizabeth Brooks masterfully explores the blurred lines between truth and manipulation, asking us who we can trust, how to tell guilt from forgiveness, and whether we can ever really separate true love from destruction.
What are you reading this week? (9/04/2025)
I finished Rgere Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak. I just started The House in the Orchard by Elizabeth Brooks.
-Cheri_Mcelroy
"Exceptional... . Readers will scramble to decide whom to trust, as misplaced faith leads to deadly outcomes." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Haunting... . a richly-layered gothic novel with all the psychological penetrations that form is so celebrated for." ―CrimeReads
"A twisty read full of complex characters and mystery." ―BuzzFeed
"Reading this one feels like wandering darkened hallways with a candle flickering in a ghostly breeze... . A gorgeous historical novel." ―Good Housekeeping
"At turns lush and tangled, with moments of clarity that burst forth from the darkness like shafts of moonlight penetrating a forest canopy, The House in the Orchard represents the finest in gothic fiction. Brooks is a master, enticing the reader forward, one step at a time, but only revealing the path by the light of a candle. Bewitching." ―Erika Robuck, bestselling author of Sisters of Night and Fog
"Elizabeth Brooks has penned an inspired take on the Gothic novel that would impress Daphne du Maurier and Emily Brontë. Alluring, atmospheric, and deliciously creepy, The House in the Orchard is a wickedly entertaining read." ―Tasha Alexander, bestselling author of Secrets of the Nile
This information about The House in the Orchard was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Elizabeth Brooks is the author of The Orphan of Salt Winds, The Whispering House, and The House in the Orchard. She grew up in Chester, England, graduated from Cambridge University, and resides on the Isle of Man with her husband and two children.
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