House of Trelawney…

About the Book:

The seat of the Trelawney family for over 800 years, Trelawney Castle was once the jewel of the Cornish coast. Each successive Earl spent with abandon, turning the house and grounds into a sprawling, extravagant palimpsest of wings, turrets and follies.

But recent generations have been better at spending than making money. Now living in isolated penury, unable to communicate with each other or the rest of the world, the family are running out of options. Three unexpected events will hasten their demise: the sudden appearance of a new relation, an illegitimate, headstrong, beautiful girl; an unscrupulous American hedge fund manager determined to exact revenge; and the crash of 2008.

A love story and social satire set in the parallel and seemingly unconnected worlds of the British aristocracy and high finance, House of Trelawney is also the story of lost and found friendships between three women. One of them will die; another will discover her vocation; and the third will find love.

My Thoughts:

This novel was pure gold class entertainment. Hannah Rothschild takes us into the world of a modern impoverished aristocratic family who are very much living their worst nightmare: there is no money. None. Every parcel of land that could be sold, has been sold. Anything of value inside has also been sold. The rest is crumbling to ruin around them as they live out their days in a castle too large and expensive to run, much less fix and maintain, slowly being reclaimed by nature as the ivy and rodents move in and take hold.

Dripping with satire and speckled with moments of outrage and eccentricity, House of Trelawney examines the ever-changing face of British society. This is an intelligent work of fiction, diving deep into the financial crisis of 2008 and its far-reaching effects for all: the aristocracy through to the working class.

As the family navigate these changing waters, their circumstances are brought to a head by several factors and a few key people intent on quite literally bringing down the house. I am a fan of British humour so for me, this entire novel was pitch perfect. It’s boldly honest, laugh out loud funny, intricately plotted, and peopled with a wholly unique and entertaining cast. Hannah Rothschild is a great writer, achieving a precise and clever balance between scorn and empathy. I really enjoyed House of Trelawney and can highly recommend it.

☕☕☕☕☕

Thanks is extended to Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with a copy of House of Trelawney for review.

House of Trelawney
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing
Released 18th February 2020