The House at the End of Hope Street: A Novel

I love books that have a little bit of that magical flair. More than a little bit and I feel as if I've hit the reading jack pot. The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna Van Praag is full of magic, from a house that seems to pop up just as you need it, ghosts and portraits that give, sometimes unwanted, advice, and a 99 day chance for a young woman to get her life back on track, this novel keeps the reader enchanted.When Alba, an extraordinary genius with unbelievable sight, experiences the worst event of her life (she's not exaggerating either), she wanders the streets with no idea what should happen next. That's when the house pops up out of nowhere, big and Victorian with vines of wisteria and the smells of calm hovering in the air, and reaches to her like a mother reaches for a hurting child. As you read on, you learn that the house has been rescuing women, especially soon to be famous women like Agatha Christie and Virginia Woolf, for 200 years.Alba's story quickly becomes entwined with the three other women in the house, one hiding from her past, one scared of her future, and the wonderful woman, Peggy, who keeps the house and helps the young women who cross the threshold. One of my favorite parts of this book was the way that the characters stories became so connected. Originally, I was concerned that this was going to be a story of stories, instead of a fluid whole, but Van Praag didn't disappoint.Even though the pages are full of heartbreaking life events, you learn, along with the women experiencing them, that one "must be allowed to feel her grief, must dive headlong into despair, before she can emerge again, her spirit richer and deeper than before" (46). While trying to find herself in all of the madness of her life, Alba is also on the search, rather reluctantly sometimes, for her father, who makes the story even more rich.Although I loved the book, the characters, the story, the mysteries that unravel one tiny strand at a time, I didn't love the number of perspectives that the story was told from. Almost every character gets his or her say, which made me feel like my favorites didn't get enough time with the spotlight. I also had a hard time, whether because of the different circumstances or perspective, relating with Greer, one of the women living in the house.I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I think it was exactly the book that I needed to read! You won't be disappointed.

I have been obsessed with reading books since I was 4. I read them for one of 3 reasons: I need to (for education & information), because I think I should (it sounds interesting enough, someone suggested it, or everyone is talking about it), or my favorite reason: because it's so good I can't put it down, and the book stays with me in some way for the rest of my life! I know when it's the third kind because I find myself thinking about the book throughout the day and counting the minutes until I can read the next chapter. It's not easy to write books like that - to captivate and impact the reader this strongly, so when I find one I treasure it forever.The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag is such a book. I couldn't put it down! To simply summerize it - the book is about women who find themselves at crossroads in their lives. They're lost, feeling hopeless, frustrated, scared and confused about their future. We all can relate to that. But for the book's characters there is hope, and it is hidden on appropriately named Hope Street in a magical house that summons these desperate women in order to give them a chance to heal. In an almost Harry Potter-esque way the house is filled with souls of its former inhabitants, often famous women who have sought solace within its boundaries at some point in their lives. These souls help the new inhabitants during the course of their stay by nudging them on their individual paths to happiness and success. But here is the catch - the women can only stay there for 99 days - long enough to make significant changes in their lives, but short enough so they are motivated to make those needed changes. Brilliant concept! It's like a 3 month retreat with the guidance of history's most inspirational gurus - a sanatorium for the soul. It's life coaching on steroids. Added to that are the mysterious pasts of the book's main characters: the 3 women currently living in the house and the house owner - the gatekeeper, who herself learns a much needed lesson at the end.The author writes brilliant prose and develops the characters and their stories beautifully. She weaves suspense and magical mystery into an inspirational story of triumph: finding strength and courage at the lowest point of one's life. And yes there is a love story or two in there as well because, after all, that is what life is about: having the courage to be yourself, love and be loved. The author keeps you in suspense by slowly revealing details of each character's past. And there are many surprises! In my opinion, this would be a wonderful series, but that is of course for the author to decide... :)Highly recommended for: anyone who has ever felt desperate, hopeless, or in need of an emotional make-over, and those who enjoy a good novel, deep characters and some mystery and magic! You won't be disappointed!

I first heard about this book when Sarah Addison Allen posted it as a recommendation on her Facebook page. I adore her books, but I've read all four of her novels and have been impatiently waiting for her next one to be released. When I saw van Praag being compared to Addison Allen, I was happy, but I also hesitated, because I've found that often authors being compared to someone more famous are not as good as their more famous counterparts.The verdict: I prefer Addison Allen, but I'm still glad I read this book. It's an easy read, endearing and feel-good but not without hardship and struggle. Some of the magical elements of the house seem a little awkward, like the way notes appear. I just feel like the trite motivational sayings appearing in front of the inhabitants doesn't add anything to the story. On the other hand, the talking pictures, the ghost in the kitchen, the caretaker who serves hot chocolate rather than coffee or tea, the magic garden ... all those are charming touches that make the book enjoyable.I've also got to hand it to van Praag for completely surprising me at the end. At the beginning of the book, the house reveals that the caretaker will soon need to find someone else to take over her duties. And the whole time, I thought it was so obvious who was going to take over those duties. I was wrong, and that's all I'll say on the matter to avoid spoiling anything.This is a feel-good book, so don't read it unless you're in that kind of mood. But if that's what you're in the mood for, then I recommend this book.

Oh this was a lovely book! Set against a beautifully portrayed backdrop of Cambridge, the lead characters all sensitively written, their stories skilfully interwoven, this is a cleverly crafted piece of escapist fantasy and a book I couldn't put down.But I do have just a wee gripe - the book is quintessentially English, with English heroines and an English narrative, written by an author born in Cambridge, so why oh why do jarring 'Americansims' creep in? Like flashlight for torch, 'checks' for £10000 and - gasp! worst of all! - Daphne du Maurrier entreating the heroine to 'listen up'. It may seem petty to many people, but for me it really intrudes in the flow of the book, and a truly good read should be seamless, so that's a star deducted, sorry!Having said that, I will be reading more of this author's work!

This is really hard to review - because, like the cake, I absolutely devoured this at the beginning but ended up feeling slightly uncomfortable. I've given this 5 Stars because it is a great read and inspirational - but in fits and starts - and I think I found it ultimately a bit unsatisfying because I'd say I'm older than the targeted readership.Having said that - I adored the idea of the house, and anyone who has been through tough times will identify with that longing for a safe haven, just for a short while, whilst you gather your wits and get your feet under you. I liked the portraits of the famous, reminding us that we're all fallible and prone to fortune's slings and arrows. The whole book is suffused with a wishful charm which carries the story a long way.However, I do feel that there should have been a good dose of vinegar to counteract all the sweetness. It's hinted at - in the residents that the house couldn't help - but, especially towards the end, all difficulties start being skated over. There's a huge missed opportunity with one character's brush with the law - which is portrayed as exactly that - a brush - when it would have been much more serious - and it renders this character a bit of a caricature when she could have been so much more.I'd still recommend this book for all it's good points. But, if you're over 35 or have had a lot of life experience, you might find yourself ultimately a bit frustrated at how simply everyone gets what they want. It ends up as a modern cup-cake of a book with a big swirl of bright icing and sugar sprinkles - feel-good and therapeutic but not the stuff of life.

I rushed to buy this book after reading about it on the #FridayFiveChallenge and am so pleased I did. The House At The End Of Hope Street is women's fiction, the book is set in Cambridge, UK. Oh I so didn't want this book to end, it was truly delicious! My feelings about the book were a mix; I was a gown-up in Alice-in-Wonderland and I felt like Harry Potter seeing the Weasley house for the first time all rolled into one. The shear delight of Number 11 Hope Street, I want to go there now, I want to spend 99 nights and you will too.Alba Ashley is 19, intelligent beyond her years she is already at Cambridge University doing a PHD in modern history, she sees spirits, ghosts, auras and more, yet she is alone, lost and currently in deep shock. Her footsteps take her to the doorstep of number 11 Hope Street and Peggy Abbot. Alba is invited in, the walls are filled with photos of old residents; Daphne Du Maurier, Virginia Woolf and Caroline Herschel to name but a few.Peggy offers Alba a room for 99 nights, no rent, no bills to pay, just take care of the house and the house will take care of you. The house is a refuge for women who lose hope. But it's much, much more than that, the house is alive, magical, it nurtures, soothes and inspires the residents.There are two other ladies living in the house at this time, Carmen a Spanish singer with a secret and Greer a broken hearted actress. The storyline evolves around the healing power of the house on all four of the characters as the author slowly peels away the layers of their lives allowing us to be there with all the women. Peggy has her own tower room as caretaker of the house where she has delightful tea cups painted with tarot cards which read the future of whoever drinks from them and crockery with moving characters from fiction.Alba makes her first friend, a ghost called Stella, who lives in the kitchen and is there for her when she has news that her mother has died. This is a possible set back for Alba in her recovery however where one door closes another opens. The house sends paper messages which often take a little work to understand.I want to tell you so much more, but it would spoil your own enjoyment of this book, I loved Peggy and her chocolate cake eating habit, I loved Alba for who she discovered she could be and Greer and Carmen and I loved the fact that after the author had finished this book she found out that there really is a Hope Street in Cambridge, but no number 11 - spooky!

I rarely leave a 5* review unless I've really loved a book but this was one of those! It's the story of... well... a house, at the end of Hope Street, and its occupants all of whom are, or have been, in need of its magic. I usually avoid 'magic' stories like the plague but something drew me to this one... and I'm very glad about it. It's not a fantasy tale as the struggles of its characters are very real but, as we all crave in life, there's a bit magic thrown in. I particularly liked that our protagonist saw people speak in colour and what those colours represented. I also loved hearing long dead literati giving their observations on proceedings. All in all a lovely book which I will gladly recommend to others.

This is an enjoyable and easy read about women making choices about how to live a happy, fulfilled life (with the help of the house of the book's title of course!) We learn the most about Alba as the main protagonist but the stories of the other inhabitants - Peggy, Carmen and Greer - help to pad out the story. It's not a taxing read by any stretch and van Praag keeps the various stories moving along to keep things interesting so I'd suggest this as a good novel to pack for a relaxing holiday.