Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham (Bibliolifestyle & Austenprose Book Tours)

 

Title: Beyond Ivy Walls

Author:  Rachel Fordham

Narrated by:  Em Eldridge, Jason Keller

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 56 minutes

Source: Thank you @bibliolifestyle @tnzfiction @rachel_fordham for the physical review copy, @netgalley audiobook review copy, and @austenprose for the digital review copy.

If you could jump into any fairytale, which one would you pick?  I’ve always thought of Beauty and the Beast mainly because I want the library that is in the Disney cartoon.

Beyond Ivy Walls is a Beauty and the Beast type story.  Sadie West’s father has been in an accident, and her family desperately needs money.  Sadie goes to work in Monticello Iowa at a feather duster factory to earn money to help her family.  While there through a series of unfortunate events, she found herself homeless and living in an abandoned factory.  One day she befriends a dog only to discover that he belongs to a mysterious man who has just returned to his family estate.  Otis Taylor was sent away by his father years before and has only recently returned after the death of his brother to settle the estate.  He discovers that his brother may have had a secret child and that he may still have family in this world.  He also discovers Sadie living in his abandoned factory.  Will Otis find his brother’s daughter?  Will Sadie be able to help her family?  Will these two find love?

My thoughts on the novel:

·       Poor Otis has alopecia and loses his hair as a child.  His father tries many “cures” such as pouring boiling oil on top of his head, which scarred Otis for life.  His father never had him come home again and Otis spent his life alone.  He longs to feel loved and to have a family.

·       The one good thing Otis’s father did was to send him to a place where he can practice his beautiful music and become a great musician.

·       Sadie is ridiculed at the factory for being dirty and smelly.  There is a pretty viscous “mean girl” in this novel.  Luckily, the kind servants who live in the Taylor mansion offer her a part time job which includes board.

·       The story was told through the alternating viewpoints of Otis and Sadie.  On audiobook, each has their own narrator.  It was pleasant to listen to.

·       I especially enjoyed that there were many mentions of Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester throughout the novel.

·       This was a clean read.

·       I really enjoyed the author’s note.  Author Rachel Fordham described her research including a real feather duster company and skating rinks in early twentieth century Monticello Iowa.  She also included a picture of the historical factory and the patent of the “featherless” duster.  It was interesting and made for a very unique setting and story.

·       I enjoyed the mystery of trying to find Otis’s niece.  That story had many twists and turns.

·       This novel really made me ponder what is “normal?”  There is a beautiful scene in the epilogue where a doctor has “horrible” news about a facial birthmark of a child, but the mother only sees the child as beautiful.

·       As it is a Beauty and the Beast type story, I did enjoy the overall theme of looking beyond appearance and looking at the character and personality of the person.

·       There are also great discussion questions at the end of this novel for a book club.

Overall, Beyond Ivy Walls is a lovely historical romance novel with a unique setting, and thoughtful story.