I consider Haggard House an historical fiction novel that leans toward gothic. The story revolves around Adam Bolton, a young boy raised by an abusive, zealot mother in mid-nineteenth century Michigan. We follow chapters mostly from his and his classmate Penny's perspective as they grow up with flashback perspectives from another character whose identity is quickly revealed. To me, the overarching question of this story is whether Adam will get a happy ending.
I greatly enjoyed the first half of the book, but once Adam left and then came back Nomaton, I found myself losing interest in the perpetual suffering.

This rather unusual read is totally brilliant.

Set in Michigan it tells the story of Adam Bolton. His life changes when he is sent to the village school aged 11 and meets Penny.. The girl who will be his only friend.
His friendship with Penny has to be kept secret from his mother and as we discover the reasons why this story becomes intense and unsettling.

It is a well told read and I really loved it. It is a book to rememeber and a good one to talk about.

This book was so good! It was genuinely unsettling, and scary. I didn't know much about this time period in Michigan when I started this book, but from the description it sounded like something I would like. I was so surprised to be genuinely unsettled reading this book, and the house idea is just brilliant. I really liked that it told the story from different character perspectives. I would highly recommend!

When Adam Bolton starts school at the age of 11, the only person who tries to get close to him is his classmate Penny. Adam keeps the friendship in a secret corner of his mind because he knows his zealot mother would never approve.
So begins the story of this family that seems to revolve around the obsessions of Sarai, Adam's mother. Not only will we see how this childhood love turns into an adult love marked by Adam's upbringing, but we will also learn about the events that drove his mother to such extremes and how they influence Adam's life and the lives of all those around her.
A story of narratives where we alternate points of view between the different characters until we come to see the big picture.
It is a story with many layers, intense, complex, with a mix of genres, at times it is romance, at other times it makes you feel deeply unsettled but never indifferent, which makes it unique. Highly recommended.