A book review of The Forgotten Room by Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig. Post may contain affiliate links.
I will be the first to admit that this book can be confusing at times. Any book that jumps between three main characters in three different eras can end up confusing some of the time. However, it is so worth it. I didn’t even realize that the book had three authors until I finished it. You can not pick up any difference in voice or style, it all goes together beautifully.
As I said above The Forgotten Room: A Novel is told by three women. We first meet Kate in New York City in June 1944. Kate is a doctor at the Stornaway Hospital. She can’t believe that she is actually working in the hospital in what was a fine old mansion. Her mother used to walk her to the mansion when she was a child. She told Kate that she had lived there for a short time when the building had been a boarding house for respectable women. Now she is working in the hospital helping to treat soldiers wounded during the war. There is no room left, when a critically wounded officer arrives and Kate is forced to share her attic room with him.
Next we meet Olive in December 1892. Olive is a servant in the Pratt Mansion. She is not just any servant, she is the daughter of the architecture that built the Pratt Mansion. Olive is there to right a great wrong that happened to her father.
Finally we meet Lucy in July of 1920. The Pratt Mansion is now a boarding house and Lucy is living in it. The only room available in the house is the attic room. Lucy is there trying to find answers about her mother and her past.
The stories are woven together beautifully. You unravel the total story bit by bit through the tales of each woman. Part love story, part mystery.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.
I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
Leave a Reply