The House of Closed Doors (1)

Really loved it. Could hardly put it downVery well written. I enjoyed the research that was put into the book and yet a story well told

I hesitate before reading a book by someone I "know" on Goodreads. It's tricky; if I like it, great - but then a positive review sounds suspicious. If I don't like it, the diplomatic engineering of that review is a challenge. I loved the synopsis for The House of Closed Doors, though - and the cover! That really is the most gorgeous cover - and so I quietly went off and bought it from Amazon.I'm pleased to say I'm friends with Jane Steen on GR. And I enjoyed her book very much. So there. (It just took me forever and a day to finish and post this review - my apologies!)Oh, I do like Nell Lillington. As a character. I'm not sure how charmed I'd be in person; she starts off this tale as an admittedly spoiled and self-centered seventeen year old girl, who has never had any reason or impetus to become anything else. She has had license to flirt all her life - it's great fun, a skill she has developed to fine art. She has no inclination to marry - not out of an anachronistic desire to hoe her own row, but at least in part because there are no good candidates about, not even her dear old friend Martin. However, combined with the sheer criminal ignorance girls were kept in for ... ever, one afternoon's flirtation with a visiting cousin develops in a way she could never see coming. And a few months later the pregnancy she has been hiding is abruptly revealed to her mother and step-father.Speaking of lovely characters. I loved Nell's mother - soft and sweet, but no fool, she; I loved to hate her step-father, who just, shall we say, did not improve upon acquaintance. I think the best of the two of them was that neither was entirely one thing: Nell's mother is tougher than she seems (she's had to be), and can deal with difficulties more readily than many women of her period and class. And Hiram is ... no, I don't want to use that word. No, not that one, either... Hm. He's arrogant, and self-centered, and harshly (hypocritically) righteous - but he truly does love his wife and will do anything for her. That came really close to redeeming him, until more information started to come out.The House of Closed Doors is peopled by characters who are not of sorts often seen in historical fiction - any fiction, really, and reading this I kept wondering why. Nell is a self-centered girl, naïve yet proceeding under the delusion that she is in complete control of her life - until it is very forcefully proven to her that there are a great many things beyond her power. She's not a Mary Sue, not a Standard Issue Teenaged Girl Circa 1870; she is well-rounded and has a life of her own. Her self-absorption (which is partly down to her age and status) makes her an unlikely friend to Tess, a girl who is now easily recognizable as having Down Syndrome, and who was then simply considered damaged. Tess is one of the parts of the book that lingers - partly because she too was a beautifully drawn character who was more than just the sum of her adjectives, and partly because I can't shake the question of why on earth more isn't written about those with Down Syndrome in other time periods and what they went through.Nell's friend Martin is a pretty special character as well. It's a pleasure to read about a man the likes of which just about everyone knows, a "type", if I may, who has to have existed in every era: the handsome, unattached man who, in today's parlance, pings the gay-dar without quite setting it off. He's not known for wenching - this could be virtue, or inclination of one sort or another. He might be in love with Nell - or it might just be the affection of a true friend. One thing's certain: if you're a man and you impugn his manhood, you will find yourself on your back watching stars and birdies circle overhead. I liked him at least as much as I like Nell, and I particularly enjoyed not knowing where the story would take him, or them. Would there be a "them"? Would there be love, a mariage de convenance, a continuance of their friendship -? At different points in the book I had different guesses. I think they were all wrong. I love that.For some reason I wasn't expecting the level of suspense and mystery in the story. What I was expecting to be a sort of a coming-of-age story became not only that but much more as well. And while the ending set me up for the sequel, and I can't wait to find out where these folks go next (literally), The House of Closed Doors is very, very satisfying in its own right.

I was expecting a quick "cosy mystery." What I got was a well written picture of the life of an independent girl on the Midwestern prairies of the 1870s. There is enough to learn that it's a bit of a slower read than I expected, but it's engaging enough that I still wanted to keep reading. I was fascinated by the histories and fate of all the characters, and Ms. Steen managed to make me somewhat sympathetic to them all. Even the villain, though I was glad at his downfall, I cared about why he had become what he was.A bit of a spoiler, I suppose, but although there is plenty of excitement and suspense, we only see one murder. And that isn't any of the women or children. There are three deaths in the book itself: murder, accident and natural causes. And there are, I think, seven deaths mentioned but not pictured. Of these four are thought to be murders and the rest are accidents or disease. Most of the horrible things that happen are left to the imagination, and the people who act horribly are pretty well depicted as horrible people. There is quite a bit of ablism and a bit of racism (I'm sure there would be more but the setting has very few people of color) but this is well portrayed as an action of people who think of no one but themselves.I enjoyed the story, I loved many of the characters, and as long as the author can keep her style and craft without giving in to the temptation to just churn out a quick book, I think I may read more in this series.

This book was amazing, except it stopped about a third of the way through and that was the end. Now the rest of the book, 3 parts I think, will cost $12.00. The first part was in K.U. This is why I have K.U! Not happy!

The story had so many twists and turns. The characters by the end of the book became like old friends. A very good read.

This first book is a great beginning to Nell's saga. While developing the background info and characters, author, Jane Steen, gives her readers a story full of emotion, moral questions, intrigue, deep friendships and a strong female protagonist worthy of admiration.I am looking forward to the second book in the series.

Wonderful story , with many delightful characters. I can't wait to start the next book. I know I will not be disappointed.

The story of Nell, challenging the cultural norms of her time. She is a strong female protagonist who stands her ground, pushes back against patriarchy and creates a life of her own. Well written story!

How pleased I am to discover this truly gifted author! Young Nell's dramatic circumstances and her amazing fortitude are told with genuine feeling and in defining detail. Authentic characters and relationships fit seemlessly into their well-drawn settings. Fine pacing and suspense. One complaint: romance is practically absent.

I really enjoyed this book, it's been a nice introduction to historical fiction and I've even tried some others in thie genre.I liked Nell and following her change of circumstances and how her decisions impacted her life.I was so interested that I immediately requested, then borrowed book 2 from my local library, and I've requested book 3 before even finishing the second. I really want to learn how the story ends for everyone.I like the writing style and find it easy to understand and engage as a dyslexic reader, some things I cannot follow but I've managed to keep this story straight in my head.

Very interesting. Thoroughly enjoyable. I read it in four days. This book made me want a sequel, where Martin brings them back to Chicago and they thrive together. But it is still open!

Women of 1870s Chicago...I am sure Indian women of today can relate to the times very well. Nell's thought process when she was innocently 17 differentiated from her matured decisions when with her baby later are brought out very well. I also enjoyed the language, with very few words as actual dialogues between Martin and Nell their strong bond of friendship could be felt.

Ich habe alle 3 Büchern der Reihe hintereinander gelesen und finde sie alle 3 sehr unterhaltsam! Sehr empfehlenswert zum Abschalten am Abend!!