Synopses & Reviews
A dazzling debut novel about taking chances, finding hope, and learning to stand up for your dreams...
Everyone in Wheeler, New Mexico, thinks Joanna leads the perfect life: the quiet, contented housewife of a dashing deputy sheriff, raising a beautiful young daughter, Laurel. But Joannas reality is nothing like her facade. Behind closed doors, she lives in constant fear of her husband. Shes been trapped for so long, escape seems impossibleuntil a stranger offers her the help she needs to flee....
On the run, Joanna and Laurel stumble upon the small town of Morro, a charming and magical village that seems to exist out of time and place. There a farmer and his wife offer her sanctuary, and soon, between the comfort of her new home and blossoming friendships, Joannas soul begins to heal, easing the wounds of a decade of abuse.
But her pastand her husbandarent so easy to escape. Unwilling to live in fear any longer, Joanna must summon a strength she never knew she had to fight back and forge a new life for her daughter and herself....
CONVERSATION GUIDE INCLUDED
Review
Praise for Beach Plum Island
“In this absorbing, big-hearted novel, Holly Robinson explores sibling bonds, love in middle age, and the intricate dance of a blended family. The painful past is everywhere in Beach Plum Island, but the present moment shines through.”—Elizabeth Graver, author of The End of the Point
“Robinson uses Beach Plum Island to explore the conflicts that can surface between brothers and sisters, half-sisters and half-brothers, and stepsiblings when divorces rip families apart and remarriages attempt to weave them into a new fabric.” —The Daily News (Newburyport, MA)
“A family novel with plenty of emotional punch. . . Robinson weaves each sisters story into a tale of grief and love that explores the ways women adapt to expectations, the consequences when those become too much to bear, and the healing power of love. Along the way, she includes details that bring every scene to life. . . An uplifting but not overly bow-tied ending makes for satisfying reading.”—The Concord Monitor
“What a great cast of characters Holly Robinson has created in this fun and touching novel.”—The Good, The Bad and The Unread
“Anyone liking romance with a little mystery and the shedding of a few tears will enjoy this book as much as I did.”—Open Book Society
“Sensitivity clearly enables every character in this novel to grow, to expose grievous secrets and to create new life that erodes the tension too long lying just below the surface. Lovely, powerful story that is well-crafted."—Crystal Book Reviews
“In Beach Plum Island, Holly Robinson's rich details transport you to picturesque New England and right into the core of the conflicted Barrett family. Robinson tugs at your emotions from the viewpoint of the three complex and very different Barrett sisters, through whom the author deftly explores grief, secrets, and shunned family ties. This story reveals the way people become stronger when they are together rather than apart, and proves that it is never too late to become a family. Beach Plum Island is a triumphant family saga filled with heart and hope. I couldn't put it down!”—Amy Sue Nathan, author of The Glass Wives
“Holly Robinson is a natural-born storyteller and her tale of three mismatched sisters and the lost brother they search for will keep you turning those pages as she quietly but deftly breaks your heart. I loved every single one of her characters and you will too; here is a novel to savor and share.”—Yona Zeldis McDonough, author of Two of A Kind
Review
"Beguiling and bright, van Praags . . . novel delights with deft writing and charming characters."
—Kirkus
"Van Praags writing is bright and hopeful, while rich characters combined with an enchanting blend of the real and the mystical make this tribute to individuality a delightful and engaging read. Fans of Jasper Fforde, Gloria Naylor, or Sarah Addison Allen will especially appreciate this story as a celebration of feminine strength and accomplished women through the ages."
—Booklist (starred review)
“Van Praags fairytale first novel features a house that can change ones life. . . . Fans of Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen should like.”
—Library Journal
“Absolutely delightful . . . . Fans of Sarah Addison Allen will thoroughly enjoy this story from start to finish. Well-drawn fictional characters, sprinkled with famous female characters from the past, combine to tell a tale of life, love, and discovering your deepest desires.”
—RT Book Reviews (top pick, 4.5 stars)
"Sweet, magical, bookish and romantic."
—Sarah Addison Allen, bestselling author of The Peach Keeper
“This fresh, whimsical book is as full of heart as the house at its heart is full of fascinating women. We should all have such friends and such a refuge!”
—Marisa de los Santos, bestselling author of Falling Together and Love Walked In
“Menna van Praag has created a magical book about an enchanted house and the notable women who inhabit it, both living and dead. Richly atmospheric, literary, and textured, The House at the End of Hope Street casts an enthralling spell, giving both characters and readers not only what they most want, but what they ultimately need.”
—Brunonia Barry, bestselling author of The Lace Reader and The Map of True Places
“An enchanting novel . . . Fans of Sarah Addison Allen will be delighted to discover the house at the end of Hope Street, a magical place where ninety-nine days is just long enough to change a life.”
—Erica Bauermeister, bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients and The Lost Art of Mixing
“I entered The House at the End of Hope Street and was enchanted—literally under the spell—of Menna van Praag's tender, playful, beautiful writing. It fulfills my book lover's dream of an English literary landscape, in the most surprising and magical way.”
—Luanne Rice, bestselling author of The Lemon Orchard
“This exceptional novel enchanted me from the first beautiful page. If only I could stay a spell myself at the house at the end of Hope Street.”
—Melissa Senate, bestselling author of The Love Goddess Cooking School
“The House at the End of Hope Street is a sunrise of a novel, so fresh and lovely, whimsical and original that it will enchant and surprise even the most jaded of readers.”
—Barbara ONeal, author of The Garden of Happy Endings
“The story offers a wonderful mix of all-too-real problems in a fantastical setting. And who couldnt use a Hope Street at some point in her life?”
—Juliette Fay, author of Deep Down True and The Shortest Way Home
Synopsis
Your brother should know the truth.”
These are the last cryptic words that Ava Barretts father says before he dies. But Ava doesnt have a brother, as far as she knows, so how can she tell him the truth? She dismisses the conversation and dedicates herself to bringing her family together for her fathers funeral. This is no easy task, since her sister, Elaine, has been estranged from the family and still harbors resentment against their stepmother and half-sister, Gigi. Ava, on the other hand, is a single mother who sees Gigi as a troubled teen in need of love and connection.
Ava, too, could use more love in her life and finds it where she least expects it. But the biggest surprise of all is that Gigi holds the key to the mystery surrounding her fathers dying words, and joins Ava in uncovering a secret that rapidly unravels the very fabric of their entire family
CONVERSATION GUIDE INCLUDED
Synopsis
Casts an enthralling spell, giving both characters and readers not only what they most want, but what they ultimately need.” Brunonia Barry, bestselling author of The Lace Reader
When Alba Ashby, the youngest Ph.D. student at Cambridge University, suffers the Worst Event of Her Life, she finds herself at the door of 11 Hope Street. There, a beautiful older woman named Peggy invites Alba to stay on the houses unusual conditions: shell have ninety-nine nights, and no more, to turn her life around. Once inside, Alba discovers that 11 Hope Street is no ordinary house. Past residents include Virginia Woolf, Dorothy Parker, and Agatha Christie, who all stayed there at hopeless times in their lives and who still hang aroundquite literallyin talking portraits on the walls. With their help Alba begins to piece her life back together and embarks on a journey that may save her life.
Filled with a colorful, unforgettable cast of literary figures, The House at the End of Hope Street is a wholly imaginative novel of feminine wisdom and second chances, with just the right dash of magic.
About the Author
Tamara Dietrich was born in Germany and raised in Appalachia. She has bounced around in states as far-flung as Maryland, New Mexico, Maine, New York, Arizona and, now, Virginia. Along the way, she has become an award-winning newspaper journalist for her news reporting, feature writing and column writing. When shes not spending every free moment working on novels, shes cycling, hiking, jogging and gardening. Travel is a particular pleasure, although she doesnt get nearly enough of it. Shes the mother of a 19-year-old son, and provides room and board and couch privileges to three cats and a dog. The Hummingbird's Cage is her debut novel.