The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves - by Christine Nolfi Paperback

About the Book

"Cautious Claire Shelton, employee at a Maine antique shop, is surprised when she's recruited to catalog the treasures of reclusive Hanna Reeves, sole descendant of the state's most colorful shipbuilders and industrialists. Hanna's retreat from society year ago is just one of many mysteries behind the walls of Rose Hill, her fabled estate. Settling into Rose Hill's carriage house, Claire finds Hanna, nearing eighty, to be a still-formidable woman. She's demanding, judgmental, and protective of a mansion that is a veritable shrine to her ancestors. Then, diving into her work, Claire discovers a hidden library that is the stuff of legend among locals. An avid booklet, Claire is in heaven. More enthralling are Hanna's leather-bound family journals that open Claire up to the past - and soon forge a rich and unexpected bond between two very different women. A legacy is coming to light. All of Maine is talking. Because the revelations in the journals are enlightening enough to unite old friends, lovers, and families. And shocking enough to tear them apart forever"--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

An antiques dealer and an enigmatic heiress embark on a revelatory friendship in a haunting and hopeful novel about family ties, secrets, and belonging by the bestselling author of A Heart Like Home.

Cautious Claire Shelton, employee at a Maine antique shop, is surprised when she's recruited to catalog the treasures of reclusive Hanna Reeves, sole descendant of the state's most colorful shipbuilders and industrialists. Hanna's retreat from society years ago is just one of many mysteries behind the walls of Rose Hill, her fabled estate.

Settling into Rose Hill's carriage house, Claire finds Hanna, nearing eighty, to be a still-formidable woman. She's demanding, judgmental, and protective of a mansion that is a veritable shrine to her ancestors. Then, diving into her work, Claire discovers a hidden library that is the stuff of legend among locals. An avid booklover, Claire is in heaven. More enthralling are Hanna's leather-bound family journals that open Claire up to the past--and soon forge a rich and unexpected bond between two very different women.

A legacy is coming to light. All of Maine is talking. Because the revelations in the journals are enlightening enough to unite old friends, lovers, and families. And shocking enough to tear them apart forever.

Review Quotes

"Lost loves, generations-old secrets, and an unlikely friendship all unfold in Christine Nolfi's deliciously immersive novel The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves. Readers will fall headlong into this wonderfully layered gem about writing your own story and the beauty of a life--and a fortune--well spent. I was not ready for this story to end." --Barbara Davis, bestselling author of The Echo of Old Books

"Christine Nolfi has done it again. The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves is a tantalizing and magical tale of how one woman's tragic beginnings put her on the journey she was always destined for. This story intertwines the complexities of friendship between the mysterious heiress Hanna Reeves and the raw, fiercely independent Claire Shelton--a young woman pioneering her identity in the early 1970s. Pour a steaming cup of tea, grab a blanket, and lose yourself in the pages of this beautiful story. A must-read." --C. I. Jerez, author of At the Island's Edge

"If you love books about books, love Maine and rambling old houses, love family secrets, or just plain love a ripping good story beautifully told, you must read Christine Nolfi's The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves. Nolfi's gifts shine as she weaves together not only a memorable main character's past and present but also various strands of family stories, each with pain and loss, as well as beauty and strength. With her signature compassion and insight, Nolfi gives us a story that draws us in--into individual lives, into a beguiling New England estate and a philanthropist's mysterious decisions, and into a journey of finding purpose and belonging where we'd least expect it." --Joy Jordan-Lake, bestselling author of Echoes of Us

"Chock-full of humanity, history, and heart, The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves is the compelling story of a striving, 26-year-old antiques dealer and a reclusive, elderly heiress in Maine. A wealth of well-written characters and well-hidden secrets more hush-hush than a reading room result in yet another stellar page turner by acclaimed author Christine Nolfi." --Marilyn Simon Rothstein, author of Who Loves You Best

"Christine Nolfi weaves a rich, emotional tapestry with this heartwarming testament to the power of love, generosity, and promises kept. The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves is an unforgettable story written with gentle, nuanced prose and characters who will challenge you to consider the ways in which we are all connected. Read it and be inspired to find--and nurture--the good in the world, just like Hanna." --Paulette Kennedy, author of The Artist of Blackberry Grange