This is a historical fiction book which is filled with spookiness.
This book was very well researched.
The characters were very interesting and I didn’t guess the ending until very late in the book.
A good historical fiction book

I was pulled in to this interesting dual timeline novel by the wonderful historical background and the interweaving of the two stories. In 2019 Thea Rust becomes a new teacher at a very prestigious school - Oxleigh College in Wiltshire are making history by admitting their first female students. The new girls will be boarding in one of the oldest buildings on campus, a 250 year old building known as The Silk House. This converted silk factory has had a chequered history since silk making ended, with no tenant living there for very long. In our second narrative the author takes us back to 1768 and Rowan Caswell’s arrival at the house, She is employed by Mr Hollander, a silk weaver and merchant who needs help in the home. Rowan wishes to stay under the radar and simply get on with her work, but her skilled use of herbs and other plants soon becomes known. She knows very well the dangers her healing abilities can bring, but is in no position to refuse her employers. Even though witch trials are officially over, being a wise woman is a precarious business for a young girl.

As is often the case in these dual timeline narratives, it is the past narrative that really sings here, Thea’s contemporary story shows a plucky young woman who has to suddenly rise to the challenge of becoming a house mother to the fourteen new girls at the school. The reluctance of other staff members to be resident in the Silk House raised my suspicions so I wasn’t surprised when Thea finds the house unsettling, especially at night. This set the scene for the past sections and had me racing through one narrative to get to the Rowan’s chapters and find out what had happened there, i also found the past characters more vividly drawn and the historical details enthralling too. Patrick Hollander is one of those loud and lively characters, but his outer demeanour is covering up a ‘fatal flaw’ that foreshadows his downfall. I felt so much for his wife Caroline who is longing for a baby. Even the servants feel real and the friendship between Rowan and the butchers boy is touching. He’s there for Rowan when she needs help.

The business of the silk house is given a fascinating context within the fashion world and I love historical fashion so this was a real plus point for me. A smaller character called Mary brought an interesting perspective as she tries to work in a man’s world and actively change it to welcome women. I loved how the tension built towards the revelations of the past. Strange and uncanny happenings continue to occur in the present, causing Thea to make some investigations into the history of the building. We know something happened and the revelations are satisfying. This was an interesting read and I can understand why Kayte was inspired to tell this story. I will be looking out for her work in the future.

Once I started reading The Silk House I didn’t want to put it down. I liked the alternating chapters between the present day and the past. I wanted to know more about each of the female narrators. I thought the interweaving of the stories between the past and the present which the reader was aware of but the narrators were not was well done.

A dual timeline gothic mystery with a hint of the supernatural set in fictional Oxbridge during the 18thC and the present day. In the present day Thea Rust takes up the position of history teacher at an exclusive boarding school whilst in the 18thC Rowan Caswell begins working for a silk merchant. Witchcraft and things which go bump in the night are what connects them.

I really enjoyed this story. I was quite gripped by it and found it a page turner. I love a gothic mystery and tales set in creepy old houses so this one was right up my street. I liked that the timelines seemed to connect with each other, followed a similar pattern. And I liked the characters, they seemed realistic. The supernatural element is well done, there is a befitting amount of spookiness although not too much to be considered a scary read, all leading to a satisfying conclusion

A beautifully written and crafted, easy to read novel which I can highly recommend to all those gothic fiction enthusiasts out there!

The Silk House a house built in the 1700's, its inhabitants then were Patrick Hollander, his wife Caroline and household servants among them Rowan, working to support her orphaned brothers. In the present day the house is to be the home of students, girls attending the former all boys school for the first time.
Thea is Australian and the History teacher, her Father attended the school and had high expectations of her, she meets with prejudice against the girls inclusion from the pupils and the staff.
The Silk House was also formerly a Silk Merchants shop owned by Patrick, his gambling and bad management forced him into debt and he took a gamble on a fantastic piece of silk made by Mary, a woman trying to find her way in a trade dominated by men.
As well as all of intrigue there is an undercurrent of witchcraft and hidden secrets.
Rowan in the past tries to help her Mistress and the other maid with tragic results, Thea gets involved in these past occurrences and has mysterious help to solve the old mystery.
I live in Wiltshire and enjoyed hearing about the various towns that were mentioned.
Thank you Kayte and NetGalley.

Actually purchased this book before the preview copy was granted as love this author and couldn't wait. Really enjoy 'timeslip' novels and this one did not fail to absorb me into the world of 'The Silk House'
The story effortlessly steps between today and historical events. The characters are utterly believable, the settings rich enabling the reader to “see“ the colours and “walk” through the house. Is there anything better than coming to the end of a book that leaves you wanting more (in a good way).. Have enjoyed all of Ms Nunn's books so far and wait with baited breathe for the next one, please don't leave it too long.

I live Kayte Nunn books so this one was an easy yes for me. Historical fiction, feel good and heart warming.

I loved this book so much I purchased the paper back, just so I can have it sitting on my bookshelf. Great book!!

My thanks to Orion Publishing Group for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Silk House’ by Kayte Nunn in exchange for an honest review. It was published in January and my apologies for the late feedback.

This historical mystery is set in two time periods and focuses upon the lives of three women whose fates are linked to the Silk House, located in the Wiltshire market town of Oxleigh.

In the present day Thea Rust arrives from Australia to teach at Oxleigh College, an exclusive boarding school. She is also assigned to look after the school’s first intake of girls. As such she is to stay with them in the Silk House, a converted silk factory from the 18th century. Yet the house is hiding secrets that are waiting to be discovered...

In 1768 Rowan Caswell leaves her village to seek work and is employed in the home of Mr. Hollander, an English silk merchant. She wants to live a quiet life but her skills with herbs and healing soon places her in a precarious situation. The witch trials may have formally ended but there is still suspicion about women like Rowan.

In London, Mary-Louise Stephenson dreams of becoming a silk designer, though being a woman no one will consider her designs. Then she is approached by Hollander, who commissions her designs in silk. A length of fabric that she produces with a pattern of deadly flowers will have shocking consequences for those who dwell at the Silk House.

I enjoyed this very much and felt that Kayte Nunn created compelling characters and evoked her period setting well. I found that the narrative moved fluidly between the 18th and 21st Centuries. Nunn also linked the periods in small yet significant ways: like the silk bookmark that Thea finds, a recurring symbol with mysterious origins, and her research into the lives of the house’s former inhabitants.

The novel also contains plenty of details about the historical silk trade along with herbal medicines and the like.

Overall, I found it an engaging mystery with plenty of unsettling moments, things going bump in the night, and a very unexpected but satisfying conclusion.

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.
Always been a fan of romantic fiction. And this book delivers without disappointing. Dive into this amazing book for an exciting story.

The Silk House is an intriguing and well written novel with a haunting story told in three unique perspectives; Rowan, Mary and Thea and spans across two timelines. I liked the description in the novel especially when it came to the silk trade and the dresses, it was sumptuous and so evocative. The current day timeline with Thea proved a lot less compelling for me than the timeline set in the past but even so the whole book just lacked the necessary gravity or spark for me. It was a perfectly good read but nothing particularly caught my attention or was remarkable hence my middle of the road rating.

I very much enjoyed this atmospheric dual timeline tale. The writing is lovely and the historical detail is rich and authentic.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This is an elegantly written story that I found completely absorbing. From the moment I started to read it I was drawn into the atmospheric tale of The Silk House.. I loved the historical detail woven so lightly but richly into the story and the Gothic shadows that make it so compelling. A beautiful and intriguing page-turner.
Thank you NetGalley and Orion Publishing for allowing me the chance to read and review this book.

A sweeping tale that spans centuries full of magic, ghost and some very strong women. Thea Rust is a teacher from Australia come to work at an all boys school that's finally letting in girls. The year is 2019. The house they will be living in was once know as The Silk House. As a history teacher this intrigues her to no end. But something strange is going on in the house and even though it scares her she will not stop until she figures it out. Rowan is an orphan, the older sister of four boys who must work to pay for their support. In the year 1768 she finds herself in the employ of a merchant in The Silk House. It's a dangerous time for women like her and she desperately tries to keep her knowledge of herbs and such to herself. But that us easier said then done when the mistress of the house demands her help. This sets in motion events that will reverberate through out the centuries. Strong females that want respect and everything they can get out of life. It's interesting and full of surprises and definitely a five star read for me!

I love a good historical fiction novel with dual timelines that eventually interlink.
The key word is eventually- the plot too much of a slow burn and I got frustrated with not following how the stories would tie together.
This book had so much potential but lost me half way through.

The Silk House by Kayte Nunn
Publication Date: January 21, 2021
.
“1700s - Rowan Caswell leaves her village to work at the home of an English silk merchant. Very soon, she finds herself thrust into a dangerous world, where her talent for herbs and healing starts to attract unwanted attention.

Mary-Louise Stephenson dreams of becoming a silk designer, a path that has remained largely forbidden to women. A length of fabric she weaves with a pattern of deadly flowers will have shocking consequences for all who dwell at the Silk House.

Present Day - Thea Rust arrives at an exclusive boarding school in the British countryside to look after the first intake of girls in its history. She is to stay with them in the Silk House, a converted silk factory from the 18th century, where the shadows hide secrets waiting to be discovered...”
.
Thank you to @NetGalley @orion for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
.
My thoughts...
I was attracted to this book because of the description. As a historical fiction you get a glimpse of how it was in the 1700s. Mary’s character felt like a supporting character as opposed to one of the three main ones. I liked Rowan’s character, but I expected to read more about “Healers and Witches”. The book started well, but halfway the story waned and the timelines didn’t mesh as well as it should have. The theme of the weaved fabric was so interesting, but it needed more background and explanation. Overall, I liked the concept, the theme of the Silk House connection and the fabric were interesting.

I enjoyed this book. Set in 2 different times, the 1700's and the present, it goes backwards and forwards effortlessly interweaving and tying the stories together.

There is an underlying spooky element to the book as well, which just adds to the narrative.

Sometimes this type of book can be confusing; but the characters and the environment of the times were clearly drawn.

I enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to reading more from this author.

A wonderful, spooky tale told across two timelines set at The Silk House. I loved the character of Rowan, the 'maid of all things' back in the late 1700's. She was a woman of integrity, warmth and intelligence and really was the lynchpin of the whole household. The history of silks and weaving was well researched and really interesting, and the links to witchcraft at the time made this a fascinating piece of historical fiction. My first Kayte Nunn but definitely not my last.

The Silk House is a haunting take set between two different timelines.
The first is set in late 1700s when a young woman, Rowan, is hired as a maid for a silk merchant. She has a talent for healing which quickly draws attention.
The second timeline is set in 2019 when Thea Rust arrives to teach at the Silk House, which is now a boarding school with its first intake of female pupils. Strange things start happening in the house and Thea starts looking into the history of the house,
The duel timelines flow together well and I enjoyed the gothic, witchy vibes throughout the book. I will definitely be reading more from Kayte Nunn.

This book is told from the perspective of three women: Rowan, Mary and Thea. The characters are interesting, although I feel Mary does not get the focus that the others do.

The women are all linked by the silk house, home of Mr Hollander who is a mercer and, it seems, a not very honourable man.

The story is interesting and I loved Rowan’s character. I did feel however that the three parts were not done justice. I feel that more could have been told about the women, especially Mary. It felt at times as though they were only there to help the story move on, whereas the synopsis suggested they are three main characters.

Overall an enjoyable read.