Rowan Coleman is a fantastic author and her books never disappoint. The Girl at the Window takes us to Ponden Hall, where Trudy Heaton grew up.

Following the loss of her husband, Trudy returns to Ponden Hall, along with her young son. As well as helping her son through the trauma, she also has to mend fences with her difficult mother.

This is a beautiful story that spans generations, and includes love, mystery, fact, and fiction. I didn’t want to put it down, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House and Ebury Press for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

I don't usually put disclaimers on my reviews but here goes. There is nothing I can write that will do justice to The Girl At The Window. The only thing I can suggest is that you read it for yourself.

Rowan Coleman's writing is absolutely beautiful and I love the way she is able to pinpoint abstract concepts such as grief, love and fear and make the reader understand them as clearly as if they were feeling the emotions themselves.

I have mentioned in previous reviews that I'm not a massive fan of the Brontes' work  but I am fascinated by their life and history. I was captivated by the way their story was intertwined with a modern day one seemingly effortlessly and I was eager to learn as much as possible.

The Girl At The Window is set at Ponden Hall in Yorkshire, and there is so much atmosphere that the house is almost a character in itself, with Trudy and her mother both saying they believe they are called to the house and it will speak to them and give them answers. I loved the eerie feeling and the sense of mystery through the whole novel.

This novel does not fit into any particular genre. There is romance, history, supernatural and mystery and whilst some of these are not genres I would usually read, I found they worked together incredibly well and the story completely blew me away.

Old properties often have their own stories of legends, myths and ghosts and Ponden Hall did not disappoint. The first foundation stone was laid in 1540 by a Heaton but the historical event that Trudy is compelled to find the truth about takes place in the mid 1600’s. Alongside this is the mystery of Abe and his disappearance while on a mission in Peru.

Ponden Hall is a place where Trudy truly belongs and her return after a 16-year absence is a decision she’s made to be able to gain some comfort. But things are very different than the peace and quiet she was expecting at Haworth… Ponden Hall is a character in its own right, offering up its secrets when the time is right. Some of the scenes gave me goosebumps and raised the hairs on the back of my neck! There are also scenes that made me hold my breath at Castle Ellis. Awesome.

I loved the format in this story. Letters take us back to the mid 1600’s, we’re also taken back to when Trudy and Abe first met and their love story weaves in and out of present day. Another key part to the story is Trudy’s relationship with her mum. This broke and soothed my heart in equal measure.

The Girl at the Window weaves fact and fiction. It is a story about the unbreakable bonds of unconditional love and how much power and energy that has to transform and heal across time. It’s about the sorrow of misconceptions and ultimately the healing of emotional pain. A love story with a difference.

Highly recommended.

This was a beautiful story written in a lyrical way, the prose had me
sighing with great joy as I started reading it.

My first Rowan Coleman book, the story followed the life of Trudy who moved back home with her son after her husband went missing.

The author's detailed descriptions of the settings, her engrossing plots, her beautifully etched characters had me deliriously happy. This was a slow moving book as compared to my thrillers, but it cast a strange hypnotic spell on me. Trudy's characterization touched my heart, her innocent son's beliefs had me in tears. The book also had a spooky mystery which thrilled me to bits.

Different timelines and an enthralling story, this book simply splendid.

I found this a spectacularly immersive read. Was hooked from the first page and couldnt put it down. Im not an Emily Bronte superfan, but this book made me want to be one.

When I got the offer to be part of the blog tour for The Girl at the Window by Rowan Coleman I jumped at the chance having read and loved many of Rowan Coleman’s previous books. The Girl at the Window is set in the beautiful Yorkshire Moors, and follows Trudy, who with her young son, Will, moves back to her childhood home after her surgeon husband goes missing, presumed dead in Peru. Returning home has it’s own problems, Trudy doesn’t have a good relationship with her mother and her childhood home, Ponden Hall is in serious need of renovation. But this house has secrets, of inhabitants past and present, and treasures hidden within it’s walls all waiting for Trudy to come and find them.

Once I started The Girl at the Window I was even more excited than when I got the invite to take part in the blog tour; this book is an homage to one of all time favourite authors, Emily Bronte. The setting of Howarth is somewhere I have visited many times, and Rowan Coleman’s writing brought it back to life for me; the steep walk up to the Parsonage, and the beautiful Top Withen’s, the inspiration for Wuthering Heights and the stunning views over the moors (I am such a huge Bronte fan that one of my dogs is called Bronte). As well as the obvious references to Emily Bronte, there are also subtle references like Marcus having the surname Ellis, and his home is Castle Ellis. The detailed descriptive prose and multi layered plot line, with the plot moving from present day, and to the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, make this such a gripping and engaging read that once started you won’t want to put down.

The chapters are narrated by Trudy, with occasional chapters looking back at her relationship with her husband Abe, and chapters telling the story of Agnes who lived at Ponden Hall in the seventeenth century, but whose voice is strong throughout the plot. I really felt for Trudy as a character, her son won’t accept his dad is dead and she doesn’t want to take his hope away even though Abe probably couldn’t have survived the crash. The relationship with her mother is difficult, but through the chapters looking back at her relationship with Abe we find out what happened and Trudy finds out the secrets her mother has been keeping, and they start to learn more about each other. Trudy enlists the help of Marcus Ellis with the renovations of Ponden Hall. Marcus seems a good friend, who shares many of the same interests as Trudy, but I always felt a sense of unease where he was concerned. However, I would have married him for the library. he had at Castle Ellis; a book lovers heaven. The other main character in this book is Ponden Hall. It is a living, breathing thing, a place where Trudy and Will can heal and feel safe, at a difficult time in their lives. It also begins to reveal secrets to Trudy about her favourite author Emily Bronte, that put her on a treasure hunt that also reveals more of the houses history with the help of it’s ghosts.

The Girl at the Window combines historical fiction, contemporary fiction with a ghost story seamlessly. I found this to be a haunting and spine tingling read with beautifully descriptive writing, that brings both the past and present to life. This is a book about family, hope, love and home, values that cross the centuries of those who have lived in and visited Ponden Hall. The Girl at the Window is a gripping, beautiful and addictive read and another one to add to your ever growing book shelves; stunningly sublime.

An unputdownable book wherein Trudy returns to her home with her son Will. Here they wait amongst ghosts for Will’s father to come back as they do not believe he is dead.

Really enjoyed this novel. The writing flowed and the characters were depicted very well. Couldn't wait to find out what happens next.

I love Rowan Coleman's books, particularly The Summer of Impossible Things, which is one of my all-time favourites! I particularly enjoy that each of her stories are slightly different to each other, so I never know quite what to expect!

The Girl at the Window is one of those novels with several timelines cleverly woven together. In the present day, Trudy Heaton returns to her family home, Ponden Hall, after several years away. Running alongside this is a glimpse into Ponden Hall's past, plus the story of how Trudy met her husband - he's been missing a year, presumed dead. There are also mentions of Emily Bronte, who visited Ponden Hall, which is a real place in Yorkshire and allegedly the inspiration for Wuthering Heights.

I love history, so I particularly enjoyed the story of the Hall's past (I'd have liked to have known more about the lady balloonist!) and the ghosts that live there still. I loved the developing relationship between Trudy and her blunt, eccentric mother (they had not previously got on). There is also a mystery involving a lost library of valuable books and Emily Bronte's missing manuscript - one of my favourite bits is where Trudy decides to go 'digging for treasure' in the mud! Ironically, as much as I love old houses, another favourite scene was where Trudy visits an ultra-modern house and her son becomes lost - heart-stopping!

I really enjoyed The Girl at the Window and can't wait to read what Rowan writes next! I'd thoroughly recommend this to anyone who loves stories about spooky old houses where the former residents haven't quite moved out, and gothic mysteries.


Thank you to Rowan Coleman and Ebury for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

This was a beautifully written, enthralling story which I thoroughly enjoyed and will be recommending to everyone!

I love books set in old houses as they always create a wonderful atmosphere that makes you wonder what you are going to discover. This house was no different with lots of ghosts and secrets hiding around every corner. Ponden Hall is a real house, as Brontë fans will know, and I’d love to visit it in the future.

There are some great characters in this book whom I loved to read about. Normally I can easily choose a favourite but there are so many fabulous characters, both past and present, that I can’t. The author has skillfully managed to blend fiction with history to make a fascinating story of love, mystery and ghost stories to make a enthralling story which is difficult to put down. The fact that the story features Emily Brontë was a great surprise and helped increase my enjoyment of this book as I’ve always been very intrigued by the Brontë family.

The author does a great job of setting the scene in this book with some vivid descriptions of the Moors and the house. I felt I could really picture the remote but beautiful countryside in my mind and image the characters being there. The ghostly encounters that Trudy experiences in the house were also brilliantly described and seemed so real at times that I felt a chill whilst reading.

There are lots of different storylines running alongside each other which are all pulled together nicely towards the end. There is lots to keep the reader interested and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens next. There are a few slower moments but do keep reading as it’s so worth it!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Tess from Ebury for my copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I wanted to say it was ghost story, but that would be wrong as it’s so much more than that. It’s about love, and the relationship between mother and child, and about the evil in the world.

I struggled to put this book down if I’m honest. I didn’t know where it was going to take me at any point. It frightened me in places as a good ghost story should, but it melted my heart in other places.

A wonderful book that will stay with me.

This was my first book by this author. The first thing that drew me to it was the beautiful cover design, it was so attractive and vivid that I couldn’t help but take a second look at it. The blurb also sounded hauntingly beautiful featuring Ponden Hall, a crumbling old house on the Yorkshire Moors and its literary visitor of Emily Bronte. My heart broke for Trudy, the main character, by the end of the first chapter when Trudy’s husband, Abe is missing, presumed dead, after a plane crash in Peru. Trudy and her young son Will, return to Trudy’s childhood home, Ponden Hall on the wild Yorkshire Moors. It’s the first time Trudy has returned home in 16 years due to a family disagreement with her mother. Ponden House drew Trudy straight back into its spell like it has done for her whole life, and to be perfectly honest it drew me into its spell as well!!

The whole story was a mixture of a haunting ghost story and a traditional love story. The writing was beautifully done with such feeling, yet it was spooky enough to send shivers down my spine and had me looking over my shoulder on more than one occasion. The characters were perfect written and suited the aspects of the book. Despite her not being a very likeable character, I really felt for Trudy’s mother character, living on her own in Ponden Hall and I loved how she was able to make me feel more uncomfortable than any of the ghostly writings did.

I have to admit, I’ve never been a big fan of the Bronte books (hangs head in shame), but reading this story has made me reconsider my opinions! This book felt more like a work of non-fiction than simply a story, with so many factual details and obvious research going into it. It held my attention from the outset and I loved the literary connections running alongside the storyline of Trudy’s loss. This is a book filled with so many different elements. The story is full of love, family, secrets, loss and history. It was completely different to what I expected, but it was a much enjoyed read even though most of it was read from behind a cushion as it was a little bit scary!! Thank you to the Publisher, Anne Cater for organising the Blog Tour and of course the author.

This is the first Rowan Coleman book I have read. I enjoyed the style of writing and the story (essentially a love story) itself. Set over several time scales it weaves together a story not just set in the current day but back to the 17th century with a link to the Bronte's. In between. With an atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story it is an intriguing novel.

This is my first Coleman book, but definitely won't be the last. I adored this book. It had all the content for me to read it first of all. The Yorkshire setting, Bronte link, ghost aspect. I LOVED it!
Coleman's talent for character development took me by surprise. How I rooted for them and wanted to read more and more was remarkable. I loved the writing that takes you in from the first page and just wraps you with this wonderful story.
Shortly, the daughter of the family returns home with her young son, after the event of her husband's disappearance. at this home, past and presence entangle, and becomes a tale that also combines fact and fiction.

I personally enjoyed Coleman's style massively, and would definitely recommend this book.

Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I normally love books by Rowan but I really struggled with this and didn’t finish it., despite the Bronte link and Yorkshire setting. I may try to read it again at some point

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

I always look forward to reading Rowan Coleman books. I read The Memory Book and We are all made of stars which I loved. So, when I heard of a new one, I jumped at the chance to read it.
The Girl in the window is slightly different from her other books and Set in Ponden Hall, where Emily Bronte visited. I must confess I have not read any of her books. So, I am a newbie to her works.
Trudy Heaton returns to her old ancestral home with her son Will after her doctor husband has been lost, feared dead in a plane crash in the forest of Peru. She meets her mother who she hasn’t spoken to in 16 years. Since she has been gone the house has gone into disrepair. Most of the valuables have been stolen and there is a hole in the roof. Trudy organises the building to be restored with help of a neighbour. Trudy an archivist starts sorting through junk that has accumulated in a spare room to find letters from an Agnes Heaton, who fell in love but was wronged and left with a child. But was accused of being a witch and killing her husband.
This is another beautiful written novel by Rowan Coleman. This story transforms you to in the time on the Bronte’s on the Yorkshire moors in shape of the letters of Agnes Heaton and her ghost helping Trudy finding answers to what happened to her. This was quite spooky. But, for me I just thought the story went on too long for me and unnecessarily written. 3.5 stars from me.

The Girl at the Window created a whimsical atmosphere with it's ghosts, secrets and glimpses of Bronte family. It was heartbreaking, mesmerizing and so fulfilling to read Tru and her family's story.

My first book by this author and it certainly won't be my last.
Fantastic characterisation and wonderfully written, a gentle ghost story that grips you from the start.
A daughter returns to her ancestral home and her estranged Mother with her young son after the disappearance of her husband who is presumed dead. As always her family home is a place of comfort and safety, the past and present combine in an enthralling manner which had me gripped and eagerly turning the pages.
The author manages to combine fact and fiction in a believable and seamless way. I would highly recommend this book.

Okay gushy lovestruck review warning!! To start with I have to say that although each of Rowan Coleman’s books are very different to each other, they all have a common theme of making me FEEL! Her books always appear to reach out to me personally (yes I know this makes me sound incredibly narcissistic!!) and never fail to make me reach deep inside myself and face those emotional dilemmas that I usually try to suppress. Thankfully, The Girl at the Window continues this tradition. It’s a sumptuous book full of magical moments-a ghost story with a difference, leading the reader on a journey of discovery that delights but terrifies at the same time. As usual I read it in one sitting and then kicked myself several times at my stupidity because (ofcourse!) once I had read it I wanted to unread it so I could experience it all over again!

I’m an emotional reader and thankfully Rowan Coleman is an emotional writer, she makes her readers reclaim feelings from deep within and it is those emotional experiences that lift her books to another level for me. Having gone into the book blind, I was amazed to learn that the Brontes history was tied up within the storyline here! Now as a tortured teenage soul, I devoured Wuthering Heights feeling a such an intense connection to the wildness of the setting and the characters so that meant that this unexpected but immersive thread became a compelling storyline for me. TGATW is part ghost story, part historical fiction but mostly a love story. There is the love of a mother for her son but also a love of family and heritage and as these threads come together, ghostly tentacles reach out from the past trying to knit everything together into the perfect conclusion.

There were so many moments of joy for me throughout, including one “Beauty and the Beast” style moment that provided such a visual display of wonder, I truly felt as though I was there in that room with Trudy. The character definition was completely spot on for me but Pondon Hall was probably the standout character of them all. Set within the stunning setting of the Yorkshire Moors it was perfectly crafted to to fit in with this family’s history crossing the line between fiction and fact. The first thing I did when I finished reading TGATW was to Google the real life place and I immediately wanted to go and stay there (its a B&B). It looked just how I had imagined it would so Rowan Coleman had obviously done an amazing job of bringing it to life with her descriptions. It’s somewhere I would love to visit and I’m convinced you will feel the same after reading this.

One of my most favourite books of the year so far!

As a HUGE fan of Rowan’s books I was thrilled and delighted to be invited to take part in the #blogtour for her new novel The Girl in the Window. Rowan is one of my “go-to” authors that I read without bothering to read the blurb and therefore start her books with an open mind and absolutely no idea of the journey I am about to embark.

The Girl in The Window is a story about love, loss, ghosts, history and Emily Bronte. It’s a beautifully crafted novel bringing the past and present together. We follow the story of Agnes, a young girl sold to a horrible man hundreds of years ago and Trudy, a grieving wife whose husband goes missing in a plane crash in the present day.

Trudy has returned to her childhood home Ponden Hall with her young son Will, to seek solace with her estranged mother and uncovers something extraordinary about Emily Bronte and Ponden Hall’s past.

There is a constant feeling of goosebumps and chills throughout the book which gave an added layer to the chilling atmosphere created by the author. Ponden Hall becomes a character in it’s own right and Rowan brings it to life brick by brick.

If you are looking for a magical escape full of historical facts, wonderful characters, ghosts and legends plus a gigantic library, then I would definitely recommend The Girl in the Window.