Carolyn Hill's Reviews > The Song of Hartgrove Hall

I had never read any books by Natasha Solomons when I picked this up at a used book store. Granted, the cover of an English manor house hooked me, as well as the enthusiastic blurbs. I was therefore somewhat surprised by how much I enjoyed her writing, which was lyrical and evocative. The story centers around Harry Fox-Talbot (called Fox), a composer and youngest son, and therefore not the heir, of the General who owns Hartgrove Hall, a decrepit but beautiful estate which after requisitioned for the war was even in worse shape than before. Unable to afford its upkeep or the taxes, the General, the family patriarch, decides to demolish the house. The three boys are desperate to save it and dedicate themselves to the task if the General will change his mind. He gives them a year. Harry leaves school, which could mean the end of his intended life as a musician, and finds himself a hard-working but reluctant farmer, and more intrigued by collecting the old folk songs of the area he has always loved. It is not until he realizes that he is desperately in love with the woman his oldest brother intends to marry that he leaves the family and the estate. Edie Rose had been a popular singer during the war, and Fox's golden boy eldest brother Jack had won her affections.

In counterpoint to this is interspersed the more contemporary narrative from the 2000's when Fox is mourning the loss of his beloved wife Edie, and it is not until he discovers his young grandson has an amazing gift for music that he begins to regain an interest in life and to be able to hear his own internal music again.

The author manages the tension between the past and current time frames well, with the reader wondering how Fox and Edie managed to get together and live at Hartgrove Hall. She gives convincing depictions of different generations of family life, grief, aging, and deep marital love. There are also a lot of musical references for those who enjoy that. I particularly liked her characterization of Fox, the narrator, whom we see as both a young and old man. Despite his flaws, I liked and sympathized with him. However, I felt a little shortchanged by the elusive Edie, whom we see through Fox's adoring eyes, but never come to know for ourselves.

I quite enjoyed this book and will look for others by Natasha Solomons.