The Song of Hartgrove Hall

Summary (from the publisher): New Year’s Eve, 1946. Candles flicker, a gramophone scratches out a tune as guests dance and sip champagne— for one night Hartgrove Hall relives better days. Harry Fox-Talbot and his brothers have returned from the war determined to save their once grand home from ruin. But the arrival of beautiful wartime singer Edie Rose tangles the threads of love and duty, and leads to a devastating betrayal.

Fifty years later, now a celebrated composer, Fox reels from the death of his adored wife, Edie. Until his connection with his four-year old grandson - a piano prodigy – propels him back into life, and ultimately to confront his past. An enthralling novel about love and treachery, joy after grief, and a man forced to ask: is it ever too late to seek forgiveness?

 

Review: I won an advance reader's copy of this novel as a giveaway on Goodreads.

 

This novel has a dual narrative, as the reader follows narrator Harry Fox-Talbot in 1946 and again over fifty years later in 2000. In 1946, Harry - known to his family as Fox - has returned to his family home of Hartgrove Hall. Although devoted to music and composing, Harry commits to helping his brothers George and Jack save their childhood home from demolition. However, their plans are complicated by Jack's beautiful girlfriend, famous wartime singer Edie Rose, who also comes to live at the hall. Fast forward to 2000 and Fox is now an old man, mourning the loss of his beloved wife Edie. His life feels aimless and without purpose until he discovers that his young grandson Robin is a piano prodigy.

 

This is the second novel by Solomons I have read, having previously read The House at Tyneford. Solomon does an excellent job with her mid-century historical fiction novels. If anything, I loved this one even more. Oftentimes, when a novel has a dual story line, I find myself more drawn to one over the other. However, in this novel, Solomon does an excellent job of creating two equally compelling storylines. I was just as curious to see what would happen with Hartgrove Hall and between Fox and Edie as I was anxious to see what would happen to elderly Fox and his aspiring musician grandson.

 

Additionally, Solomons has a beautiful, lyrical writing style. Fox describes the ruin of his childhood home calling it "an invalid with her shattered limb still attached" (8). He describes his charismatic older brother Jack by relaying a childhood anecdote: "When we were children our grandmamma played several games with us but our favorite was to pluck a buttercup and hold it under our chins" to see if it cast a yellow glow. "My brother lives permanently in that buttery glow" (17). Fox also captures the grief over losing a spouse, describing marriage by saying, "it's these bric-a-brac moments that make up a shared life. The grand events: the births of one's children, their first day at school or signing my first recording contract with Decca - these shine a little brighter, but they are only a proportion of one's life together; a handful of stars in the night's sky" (70).

 

An interesting symmetry was the mystery of Fox's mother in the 1940s juxtaposed with the absence of Edie in the 2000s. Fox's mother died when he was very young and he has no memories of her. He's surprised to learn small facts about her, such as the fact that she was musically inclined like him. Like his mother, Edie is also a mystery to him. Fox realize he doesn't even know her true name and says she "is a stranger to me" (290). Later, after her death, he reflects on how much of her past he knew nothing about and feels alienated by her interest in her religion. Similarly, he feels alienated from his daughters and granddaughters. Aside from his great love for his wife, Jack seems to have a hard time connecting with women and viewing them as anything other than mysterious.

 

I appreciated how flawed Solomon's characters are. Fox certainly does things he is not proud of, as does Edie. Yet despite their imperfections, they found love and happiness - a happiness so great that their daughters find it difficult to approach relationships, afraid of following short of the model their parents left for them.

 

In some ways, it was almost difficult to remember that Fox in the 1940s and Fox in the early 2000s were the same man or that he's living in the same house in both time periods. This sense is exacerbated by the infrequency with which Fox references his past. Only rarely does he mention his life from decades past. Yet there was a beautiful symmetry to both timelines; in both Fox is trying to navigate life after a change in plans and after the loss of the way he imagined his life would be.

 

Stars: 4