Allison’s Book Report “The House in the Orchard” by Elizabeth Brooks

Fall is in full swing in the valley — leaves are falling, there's a brisk snap in the air, and the days are getting short. It's the best time of year to tuck yourself into bed a little early and lose yourself in a book!

If you love a spooky, atmospheric gothic mystery that spans generations, “The House in the Orchard” by Elizabeth Brooks is definitely one to put on your list. This book uses a clever dual-timeline structure, with the bulk of the story revealed through a long-lost diary, making it an engaging and immersive read.

The story opens in 1945, right at the end of World War II. Our present-day protagonist is Peggy, a war widow who has just inherited Orchard House from her late husband’s Aunt Maude. Looking for a fresh start for herself and her young son, Peggy is initially grateful, but the rambling English estate is immediately unsettling. It has a heavy, secretive atmosphere, complete with locked cellars and strange, persistent scents. Desperate to understand the mysteries of her new home and the life of the woman who owned it, Peggy stumbles across Maude’s teenage diary tucked away in an old desk.

The diary transports the reader back to 1876, where we meet Maude Gower, the central figure in the mystery. Maude, recently orphaned at 13, is forced to leave her beloved London and her older brother, Frank, to live with a stranger named Miss Greenaway at Orchard House. All of Maude’s surviving relatives warn her to distrust this enigmatic new guardian, often calling her “The Feline.” However, Maude can’t help but be drawn to Miss Greenaway, who offers the young girl the kindness and intellectual freedom she never had in her restrictive childhood home. Maude quickly grows to love her new life and the tranquility of the house in the orchard.

This delicate balance is shattered when Maude’s protective but manipulative brother, Frank, comes for a visit. The tension mounts as Maude, still naïve and trying to make sense of the adult world swirling around her, struggles to figure out who she can truly trust — the charming guardian who encourages her spirit, or the only remaining family she has. The secrets revealed in the diary show how Maude’s choice ultimately leads to a shocking tragedy, the repercussions of which echo across the decades and still haunt the house Peggy inherited in 1945. It’s a compelling exploration of truth, innocence, and what happens when loyalty turns deadly.

I hope you enjoy whatever you’re reading this week — don’t forget to pop over to my Instagram @allison.the.reader for more recommendations and maybe even to tell me what you think I should read next!