New York City, February 1, 1875, that is literally the first line in “Widow of Rose House
It is a time of change; hence it is not surprising that the protagonists Alva Webster and Professor Samuel Moore are on the leading edge of the paradigm shift. A wealthy widow, Alva Webster should be “retiring” instead of being very active especially that she was the focus of a huge scandal.
But instead of hiding, she decided to put her money to good use. She was going to refurbish and redecorate the infamous Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion for her new home decoration book and hopefully also restore her reputation in the process.
Enter the eccentric and brilliant Professor Samuel Moore, an inventor and pioneer of electric lighting. So while Alva is what we would call today as a trust fund baby, Samuel Moore is the Gilded Age’s equivalent of a tech billionaire.
“Widow of Rose House
An accidental meeting in restaurant turned into an instant mutual attraction; but the flirtation was intentional! And as we get to know Alva and Samuel, we just continue falling in love with them!
An easy read, “The Widow of Rose House” gives readers a bird’s eye view of life during a time when electricity was just beginning to be commonplace, when there was no telephone (it was invented in 1876) and industrialization was at its infancy.
Author Diana Biller did a great job in world building. While reading, it felt as if I was transported back to 1875.
That I enjoyed the book is a given. Still, it made me compare the Gilded Age to current events. As described by Britannica.com, “Gilded Age, period of gross materialism and blatant political corruption in U.S. history during the 1870s that gave rise to important novels of social and political criticism.”
Ah, the more things change, the more it stays the same.
“Widow of Rose House
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The Widow of Rose House
An easy read, “The Widow of Rose House” gives readers a bird’s eye view of life during a time when electricity was just beginning to be commonplace, when there was no telephone (it was invented in 1876) and industrialization was at its infancy.
Title: Widow of Rose House
Author: Diana Biller
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Romance
Pub Date: 08 October 2019
Diana Biller’s debut novel, THE WIDOW OF ROSE HOUSE (St. Martin’s Griffin; October 8, 2019; $16.99), is a gorgeous piece of prose, with a decidedly dark Victorian Gothic flair and an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers everywhere.
Prior to penning this novel, Biller had one idea in mind: “Edith Wharton, ghost hunter.” After touring Wharton’s estate, The Mount, and the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York, she came away with a wealth of inspiration, and THE WIDOW OF ROSE HOUSE was born.
It’s 1875, and New York’s Gilded Age is in full swing. After fleeing her abusive husband, Alva Webster spent three years being pilloried in the newspapers of two continents. Now he’s dead, and she’s returned to New York to start over, restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion for her new home decoration book and hopefully her reputation in the process.
So when the eccentric and brilliant Professor Samuel Moore appears, threatening her fresh start with stories of a haunting at her house, she refuses to give him access. Alva doesn’t believe in ghosts.
A pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, Sam’s latest obsession is ghosts. When he learns about a house with a surprising number of ghost stories, he’s desperate to convince its beautiful owner to let him study it. Can he find his way into her house…and her heart?
