A harp
causes two lonely Brits, stalled by fate and the choices they've made in life,
to forge a deep, life-changing friendship.
Ellie and the Harpmaker is a lyrically written, delightfully charming story
about two strangers--lost souls--drifting through their lives, until a harp
brings them together.
Ellie
Jacobs is a lonely housewife living in Exmoor, England. She is married to
Clive, a pragmatic, domineering man who goes to work every day and is obsessed
with football and finance. One day, on a walk through the West English
countryside, while reflecting upon the first anniversary of her beloved
father's death, Ellie stumbles upon a place she's never seen before: the Harp
Barn. There, she meets Dan Hollis, the "Exmoor Harpmaker." Dan takes
utmost pride in his work. He also feels the experiences of life very deeply,
but exhibits a limited range of expression.
When
Ellie shares the special significance of the day with Dan--and how learning to
play the harp is actually on her things to accomplish "before-forty
list"--Dan kindly offers Ellie a gift: a harp beautifully carved out of
red-gold cherrywood. Ellie is overwhelmed and thrilled by Dan's generosity, but
her joy is dashed when she returns home and Clive demands she return the harp.
Clive's will and Dan's will ultimately pull Ellie in opposite directions. This
calls into question her beliefs about herself and her marriage, while also
raising inquiries into the many mysteries of Dan's life.
By
telling the story from two intimate points of view, debut novelist Hazel Prior
allows readers to discover startling truths right along with her well-drawn
characters. This approach heightens the narrative tension and allows this
beautiful, tender story about the harmonious meaning of true friendship and
love to reverberate with many unexpected surprises.
Ellie and the Harpmaker by Hazel Prior
Berkley, $26.99 Hardcover, 9781984803788, 336 pages
Publication Date: August 6, 2019
To order this book on INDIEBOUND, link HERE
NOTE: This review is a reprint and is being posted
with the permission of Shelf Awareness. To read this review on Shelf Awareness: Reader's Edition (August 6, 2019), link HERE