Bone House [Import] [Unbound]

Betsy Tobin (Author)

Product Details

• Unbound
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books (February 2001)
• ISBN-10: 0743213769
• ISBN-13: 978-0743213769
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must read!!, February 3, 2001

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bone House (Hardcover)

The "Bone House" is a haunting and compelling tale. I simply could not put this book down! Betsy Tobin does a wonderful job of evoking the lives of the inhabitants of a small and somewhat isolated 17th century Elizabethan village, bringing to life all the different denizens of the village: from the landed gentry that inhabit the Great House and all their servants, to the ordinary people in the village.

The novel centers around the mysterious figure of Dora, the village prostitute, who suddenly appeared in the village many years ago. No one knows much about Dora, where she came from or why she left her native country to settle in rural England; but such was her charm and vitality that she was almost immediately accepted by all the men and women alike in the village. And when she is found dead, at the bottom of a ravine, everyone is shocked and saddened by the loss. None more so than the unnamed narrator of the novel. Our narrator is the daughter of the village midwife, and has longed admired Dora for her courage and warmth, so that Dora's death hits her really hard. And when it comes to light that Dora died pregnant, our narrator begins an obsessive quest to discover who the father of the unborn child is, and to find out if she can uncover more about Dora's past. In the process, our narrator sees how much Dora touched and affected all those around her, herself included; and sees that that influence that does not seem to preclude death.

This novel is a absorbing read. The plot is a compelling one and is richly textured with most themes that one would expect from a historical novel that is set in the 17th century: birth and death, sexuality, superstition and witchcraft. However it is the way in which Tobin has pulled all these themes together that is a testimony to her masterly storytelling skills. I think that I can safely recommend the "Bone House" as one of the best historical novels I have read for quite a while.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down!, April 18, 2001

By 

"janmcalex" (Humboldt, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bone House (Hardcover)

I can't think of another book that I've read in less than a day. "Bone House", a classicly gothic book, is filled with atmosphere, mystery, and memorable characters. I simply couldn't put it down!

The tale is told in the voice of an unnamed lady's maid whose mother is the local midwife. They befriend Dora, a prostitute, who settles in their small village after emigrating from a country "across the waters." No one knows where she's from or her story, but the men enjoy her services and the women, oddly enough, her friendship. When Dora is found dead, apparently having slipped on ice covered rocks, our young narrator feels there is more to her death than an accident. When Dora's grave is robbed of her body, rumors of witchcraft begin to fly, with the narrator's mother, the midwife, as chief suspect.

Dora's half-wit son, Long Boy, cannot grasp that his mother is dead. Rumors of Dora sightings begin to spook the villagers. The lord of the local manor, Great House, requests that a portrait of the dead woman be painted. Dora's death seems to be beyond acceptance by anyone.

Secrets begin to unfold with the search for the body. The narrator must find out the truth about Dora's death and the theft of her body before her mother is convicted of witchcraft.

Throw in the characters of the dying grande dame of Great House, her evil but now deceased husband, their deformed son, and the portrait painter with secrets of his own and you have a smashing good read.

Tobin's prose flows comfortably. Characterization and dialogue both fit well with the setting. "Bone House" is Tobin's first novel and I will definitely read her second.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent novel, March 7, 2001

By 

Michele Lloyd "SF reader" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bone House (Hardcover)

What really made the book for me were the characters, whose actions and motivations were deep and complex. Though this book is frequently referred to as a mystery, it's not a traditional mystery. Call it a "literary mystery." I enjoyed the way the events unfolded and how the death of Dora ended up revealing so much about the people in the village. Everyone says it takes place in the 17th century, but if so, it's before 1603, because Elizabeth is still queen. There's also a romance in case that matters to you.