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House of Longing

By Tara Calaby
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3.86 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 120 ratings, 24 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In House of Longing by Tara Calaby, set in the Victorian era, Grace is a young woman confined to a sanatorium due to her emotional struggles. Amidst the backdrop of her restricted world, she forms a deep friendship with another patient, Mary, exploring themes of love, friendship, and the desire for freedom. The novel delves into the complexities of human relationships and the yearning for connection amidst personal turmoil.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're captivated by atmospheric historical settings and compelling character-driven narratives. This general fiction work weaves an intriguing tale that explores themes of identity, desire, and the complexities of the human heart, delivering a rich and immersive reading experience.

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An irresistible sapphic historical romance from a dazzling new Australian talent

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Charlotte has always known she is different. Where other young women see their destiny in marriage and motherhood, the reclusive Charlotte wants only to work with her father in his stationery business; perhaps even run it herself one day. Then Flora Dalton bursts through the shop door and into Charlotte’s life—and a new world of baffling desires and possibilities seems to open up to her.

But Melbourne society of the 1890s is not built to embrace unorthodoxy. When tragedy strikes and Charlotte is unmoored by grief, she finds herself admitted to Kew Lunatic Asylum ‘for her own safety’.

There she learns that women enter the big white house on the hill for many reasons, not all of them to do with lunacy. That her capacity for love, loyalty, and friendship is greater than she had ever understood. And that it will take all of these things—along with an unexpected talent for guile—to extract herself from the care of men and make her way back to her heart’s desires.

A compulsively readable historical romance, House of Longing combines an effortless instinct for narrative with impeccable research, lightly worn. House of Longing is the debut of a major talent.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

House of Longing by Tara Calaby is praised for its beautifully written narrative that explores themes of empowerment and self-acceptance, set against the backdrop of 19th-century Melbourne. The debut novel, lauded for its historical accuracy and depth, intertwines a tender Sapphic romance with well-crafted characters. Reviewers highlight the compelling storyline and Calaby's imaginative exploration of women's lives and choices in a restrictive society, offering a hopeful tale infused with love and courage.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781922790286

Publisher: Text Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 May 2023

Country: Australia

Imprint: The Text Publishing Company

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 416

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Tara Calaby

About the Author

Tara Calaby lives in Gippsland with her wife and far too many books. She is currently a PhD candidate at La Trobe University, researching the social worlds of women in Victorian lunatic asylums. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, attempting to learn Danish, and patting other people’s dogs. House of Longing is her debut novel.

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