The House by the Loch
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The House by the Loch
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Narrated by:
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Siobhan Redmond
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By:
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Kirsty Wark
About this listen
A sweeping, atmospheric novel of family drama and long-hidden secrets, set in the beautiful Scottish countryside, from the bestselling author of The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle.
'Evocatively drawn' Sunday Times | 'Rich, layered and compelling, Wark's debut was impressive; with this novel she has really hit her stride' Yorkshire Post | 'A deeply satisfying work of pure imagination' Damian Barr, author of You Will Be Safe Here | 'Beautiful and atmospheric' Alistair Moffat, author of The Hidden Ways |'Rich and pleasing' Allan Massie, The Scotsman | 'Beautifully written' Daily Mail | 'One to savour' Sunday Express | 'An epic masterpiece' Philippa Perry
Scotland, 1950s
Walter MacMillan is bewitched by the clever, glamorous Jean Thompson and can't believe his luck when she agrees to marry him. Neither can she, for Walter represents a steady and loving man who can perhaps quiet the demons inside her. Yet their home on remote Loch Doon soon becomes a prison for Jean and neither a young family, nor Walter's care, can seem to save her.
Many years later, Walter is with his adult children and adored grandchildren on the shores of Loch Doon where the family has been holidaying for two generations. But the shadows of the past stretch over them and will turn all their lives upside down on one fateful weekend.
The House by the Loch is the story of a family in all its loving complexity, and the way it can, and must, remake itself endlessly in order to make peace with the past.
'Powerful and compelling' Sue Lawrence | 'Her understanding of family - its mysteries, losses and secrets - is masterful' Julie Myerson
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What listeners say about The House by the Loch
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jo
- 22-05-21
Enthralling and heartwarming story.
Beautifully written story of a complex , intricate and tragic family situation and how they work through the pain of loss . I’ve read it twice and will listen again. This was my second title read of this talented author.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- sarah-m
- 30-04-22
What happened
I had really liked Kirsty’s first book, which lead me to purchase this one, what a disappointment, It beggared belief this was even written by the same author also the narration was so whiny at times, I was soul destroyed, had to return.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer Petrie
- 31-03-20
Haunting
A little slow to start but a beautifully haunting story of a family's love and loss.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Reader
- 01-07-24
Nicely crafted novel
Engaging plot, with interesting switch of focus between characters and between eras.
Enjoyed very much.
And compliments to narrator.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Philippa Perry
- 16-06-19
Epic
Beautiful beautiful book. Epic family saga, the healing trans-generational traumas, life continuing when it feels too awful to go on, how time and sharing can eventually bring a peace, so although you’ll cry reading or listening to this, it is also uplifting. Thank you Kirsty Wark x
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Suzanne Murray
- 23-01-23
Will it ever end?
Started well …. Too much repetitive detail about day to day of each character.
Dragged on
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. Madeleine Empson
- 09-10-19
Beautiful prose!
Kirsty caught the wonderful nature of the Scottish Highlands and the people who live there.
I shed many tears whilst reading this book, but nonetheless the characters and situations were so realistic that I could not but love the story. I intend to buy a copy to lend to friends.
It is a long time since I read Kirsty’s first novel, The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle, which also held me in thrall, this latest one has been worth waiting for and I do hope there will be another soon.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Arrbee
- 11-07-19
Heavy Going
I chose this audiobook because I I'd read and enjoyed The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle' and I'm always drawn to fiction set in Scotland / across generations so on paper this was right up my street. I certainly loved the setting and felt Kirsty Wark's love for it. However I struggled to get into 'The House By The Loch' and nearly gave up many times. It was really only when I got to the most tragic event (predictable though it was) about a third of the way through that I decided I would finish it. I felt that Kirsty often regurgitated too much information in her descriptions so they felt very long-winded. It seemed more like a non-fiction book at times. Secondly despite the tragic events, I didn't particularly feel empathy for the characters and they felt a bit genteel. I would have liked more exploration of their innermost thoughts. For example I would have preferred for Jean to explore her own thoughts at the time rather than for them to be revealed in the form of letters towards the end. I also thought that the fishermen characters who were used to reveal Carson's view of the future made the ending feel clunky.
In terms of the performance, Siobhan Redmond is an excellent actress but I found her children's voiced hugely irritating.
I think Kirsty Ward is an intelligent writer and her style of this writing is to be admired but I found this book heavy going.
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2 people found this helpful