The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna Van Praag

I was recently surprised to enjoy THIS book about reincarnation.  Well, as if on a mission from another universe, another unusual book entered my orbit.

Really liking the cover, I opened this book on my Kindle, and before I knew it, I had read two chapters.

Magic, fantasy – not usually my cup of tea (true confession time, I only made through the first Harry Potter book), but I kept reading well into the night and finished The House at the End of Hope Street the very next evening. 

When Alba, an extraordinarily smart woman experiences what she believes is a career-ending event, she wanders the streets with no idea what should happen next. That’s when a large Victorian house pops up out of nowhere, covered in fragrant wisteria and with a sense calm that emanates from within.

Peggy, the caretaker of the house, appears to expect Alba. And oh how the house welcomes her.  In this house, the floors are soft under foot, the walls breathe and hug you, and one sees colors when words are spoken.  Important notes flutter down from the ceilings for the intended recipient,  and the framed portraits of past residents of the house, such as Agatha Christie, George Eliot, and Virginia Woolf chat away, giving advice and counsel.

Turns out this magical house has been rescuing extraordinary women, for 200 years.  And each woman, including Alba, have 99 nights to stay in the house and turn their lives around.

“If you stay I can promise you this. This house may not give you what you want, but it will give you what you need. And the event that brought you here, the thing you think is the worst thing that’s ever happened? When you leave, you’ll realize it was the very best thing of all.”

Peggy, the 80+ caretaker of this magical house, is my favorite character.  She lives in her own private tower of the house, entertains a mysterious lover every Sunday, eats cake for breakfast, and has an invisible cat named Mog.

We also learn the stories of Carmen and Greer, the other residents of the house, who also arrived heartbroken, hopeless, not knowing what to do:

“[each woman] must be allowed to feel her grief, must dive headlong into despair, before she can emerge again, her spirit richer and deeper than before”

One would think that Ms. Van Praag would have trouble creating believable characters in and among all this hocus pocus magic but each character is rendered with realistic layers of character flaws and redeeming talents.  

But my favorite part of this book was the rooms that magically fill with objects to suit the occupant.   Greer loves clothes so her room is filled with an amazing wardrobe. Alba loves books so her room is filled with the books the house thinks she should read.  What’s not to like about that fantasy?

I felt quite buoyed upon finishing this book, believing the magic — that problems can be surmounted, that heartbreak can be lessened, and troubles put in their proper place.

Magic sure, but it’s Magically Delicious

A digital advanced readers copy was provided by Penguin Books via Netgalley.

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