This is a dual timeline story, following the lives of two women living a quincentenary apart, but with a thread of shared experience that somehow binds them across the centuries. In the early sixteenth century, Eleanor is a young girl, reluctantly married but making a go of her new life at her husband’s grand house in Norfolk, growing saffron to increase his fortunes. It is a time of great upheaval in the country, as Henry VIII enacts the Act of Supremacy and begins to dissolve the monasteries. In current times, Amber has suffered an earth-shattering upheaval of her own, and goes off to hide at her family’s long-time home, Saffron Hall, where her future becomes inextricably linked with Eleanor’s past.

The author handles the dual timeline brilliantly, expertly weaving the two stories together, so it is easy to follow whose story we are in, and how the one is feeding in to the other. She gives both women a strong, defined character and an equally important and well-developed storyline, so the novel feels well balanced and satisfying in both timelines. I was equally invested in the fates of both women, and completely sold on the idea that Amber’s future happiness, in her head at least, depended on her resolving the puzzle of Eleanor’s past.

This novel deals with a very difficult subject matter and, as someone who has been through this experience herself, I found the author dealt with it sensitively and with great understanding and tenderness and honesty. Whilst it did bring back some difficult memories, it left me moved and comforted, rather than distraught, and I would not have wanted to be put off reading it, although I suppose some who have been through the experience more recently and for whom the issue is more raw, may want to proceed with caution.

The author brings the life of the sixteenth century vividly to life in this book, and I became completely lost in the daily existence of Eleanor’s household and her duties and cares. It is a historical period that is rich in happenings and excitement and Clare mines them expertly and cleverly to provide the tension in the book. If you know any of the history of this period, the introduction of one character to the narrative will set alarm bells ringing, and you will be waiting for the fallout to ripple through the narrative. Clare has been very clever with the way she has woven real historical figures with fiction in the text, and I was almost reading the last part of the book from behind a metaphorical cushion, waiting for the inevitable. It is hard to get someone on tenterhooks when they almost feel like they know what is coming, so I take my hat off to this author that she managed it.

This is a vivid, moving, evocative story with a hint of the supernatural, and I absolutely loved it. It is a must-read for fans of the time period, and for a great, dual timeline story. Excellent work.

What a brilliant book! I'm already debating re-listening to this as the story pulls on your heart strings! I loved the historical factor of this book, the backwards and forwards between Eleanor and Greville, Amber and Jonathan. Both becoming mum's at completely different times in time, lives are moving at different paces. I love the book of ours, the time Amber took to translate and the heartbreak behind the words from Eleanor.

This book will stick with me for a while and I really enjoyed the audiobook aspect. Feeling really part of both lives.

Mary and Saffron were huge parts also as they were both lost in time, Mary's secret was uncovered with the translation of Eleanor's book and Saffron's loss was emotional.

Would recommend this highly! Thank you!

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

I was given a audio copy of this book to listen to by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. This is a dual time novel. Eleanor lives in 1538 after her father dies she is forced to marry and move to Norfolk. Amber lives in 2019 and moves to live with her grandfather. When she finds a diary she begins to investigate a hidden secret. This is told from both time periods. A very enjoyable story to either listen to or read.

A historical fiction story that joined Eleanor, 1538 and Amber, 2017 through the pains and trials that women often go through in life. The sense and hope that Eleanor sought to one day put her tragic loss to rest was finally answered. Destiny fell to Amber in the present day and in turn she found release with her own grieve.

Something a little different to my normal reads, however, I really enjoyed this book and how the author connected the two main characters with dual timelines. The historical element embellished the story too and held my interest well.

This review is of the audiobook. Not the story itself. I found the audiobook unlistenable because I prefer to listen between 2-3x the speed. When I changed the speed, it would get really distorted. This could be because the Netgalley shelf app or the audiobook itself. I cannot tell.

I listened to this on audiobook for the most part whilst up and about, although I did swap to reading it on ebook in the evening whilst curled up on the sofa.

Oh how I do love a historical fiction story with a dual timeline involved, although I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t usually go for stories that are as far back in history as the sixteenth century, but alas sometimes change can be good and it certainly was in this case.

It didn't take me long to be drawn into the stories of that of Eleanor in 1538 and that of Amber in present day 2017, I was captivated right from the first few chapters. I loved how the story went back and forth from past to present day which was done so seamlessly.

I thought the story was brilliantly well written, it's clear from the details within as to just how much research the author Clare must have done, she really has done a magnificent job. As for the characters they were all so very well portrayed and believable, I really did just lose myself within all of their individual stories. I truly felt for Eleanor, everything she had to deal with/go through.

So last words, if you love books that tell a story in the present and in the past then I can highly recommend this beautiful tale which is heartbreaking, emotional, highly captivating, dramatic and will have you wanting to increase the narrator speed or turning the pages faster, so as to find out what happens next and as to how it will all end.

Oh before I go, just a quick mention as to the narrator of the book, Hattie Ledbury, I thought she read the story very well from start to finish, her voice flowed very nicely from one dual timeline story to the next and then back again. I certainly look forward to listening to books in the future that have been read by her.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the book being split between two timelines, and I think the author did a great job at making me fall in love with both of the main characters.

I was slightly let down by the ending though.

I found the narration to be quite slow for my liking, but after adjusting the speed it worked well for me. I think I would have preferred two different narrators to make it clearer when switching between settings.

I must admit that I have had difficulties to stay hooked by the story. The mystery aspect of the plot was not strong enough for me to stay interested. However, the two women are depicted as strong which was an asset to the story.

Thank you for providing me a copy of this to review. I love the fact this story blends with Tudor times as I have an interest in that era as well as blending with modern times was interesting. Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance
to complete the whole story as the audio book expired but what I did hear was engaging and I am likely to purchase a copy via audible so I can complete the story. I would recommend!

The Secrets of Saffron Hall takes on the popular idea of dual time novels and is based in the present day, and Tudor times. Amber is taking time out of her career to help archive her grandfather’s book collection and come to terms with the tragic loss of her first child. Eleanor lives in Tudor Times and after being unhappily married off at the age of 17, moves to a large Norfolk Estate to live while her husband spends most of his time at Court.
The book is well researched and as most of the story is based in the past, fans of historical novels will find this particularly enjoyable. I found the book to be interesting but the narrator’s style did detract from my overall enjoyment, especially her attempt at the voices of older men.

Audio books are trickier in my opinion than text as there is the added element of whether you engage with the narrator. I need not have worried in this case.
This book was amazing. Firstly, my favourite genre of a dual timeline, coupled with being set close to where I live. Add in an excellent story line and two characters that are instantly engaging and you have a winner for me. I loved the historical element set in the reign of Henry VIII, the insight into growing of Saffron and dissolution of the monasteries. I thoroughly recommend this book.

I couldn’t listen to this earlier because the app isn’t available yet in my country but luckily it was available in one of my audiobook subscription services.
This was a nice story to listen to, what stood out the most to me was setting! Very atmospheric and enjoyable to listen to.

3.75 stars for the story; 5 stars for the narration.


<I>While I hope, I breathe.</I>

Secrets of Saffron Hall is an interesting tale which chronicles the lives of two women who are born five centuries apart, but face the same tragedy. We have Eleanor, a saffron cultivator from 1538, married to a merchant who’s quickly rising in Henry VIII’s court, and Amber, a historian from 2019, who’s back at her ancestral home to recover from a personal tragedy.

Told from the point of view of these two women, we get to see how Eleanor’s life faces various ups and downs as she navigates getting married into the household of a man who is decades her senior, and Amber’s life as she heals and restores her granddad’s overflowing library. Amber discovers Eleanor’s old prayer book, and gets invested in the latter’s life.

Historical fiction is always interesting when well written, and Marchant did not disappoint. I enjoyed reading about the saffron harvest, and how Eleanor had to navigate the household she was forced into. Having a mother who’d died in childbirth, Eleanor is terrified of getting pregnant. She’s also devout in worshipping, and it was refreshing to read a historic fiction novel where someone is religious.

While Amber’s voice was unique, I did not care much for it. It did lend an air of mystery to Eleanor’s life, since Amber had to piece together the events little by little, but I was invested more in Eleanor’s narration. Switching back to present day only made me impatient to return to Eleanor’s life.

Eleanor’s story is set at a time when Henry VIII was on the throne. Thanks to a friend who’s a history buff who has taught me all I know of this period, I knew that Eleanor’s husband being a part of the king’s court would play an important role in the plot. To be precise, this is set during the time Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn.

It didn’t matter whether the chapter was about Eleanor’s daily life, or her saffron cultivation, or her religious views — I truly loved reading anything in Eleanor’s point of view. She was grounded and highly rational, and she was a character I genuinely liked.

My only criticism of this book is that Marchant at times alluded to a supernatural presence during Amber’s POV later in the book. I’m not opposed to having Eleanor’s spirit actually guiding Amber, but the ambivalent portrayal of the same, where one can’t make out whether it’s purely Amber’s imagination or whether her spirit really was there frustrated me a little bit.

That’s why I feel this is a 3.75 star read, as opposed to a 4. A 5 star read would have been a story completely from Eleanor’s point of view!

Now coming to the narration — this is the first time I’ve had the chance to get an audiobook as an ARC. Audiobooks are my preferred form of reading, and the narrator Hattie Ladbury does a fantastic job. Her narration is perfect — while her words do enact the dialogues and add emphases at the right places, she also doesn’t overpower the story with her interpretation. As noted at the beginning, 5 stars for the narration.

I’d like to thank HarperCollins Audio and Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book. It was my first historical fiction audiobook, and Marchant’s story and Ladbury’s narration transported me to the 16th century. I enjoyed the book, thank you!

TW: miscarriage, death of child during birth

I wanted to read The Secrets of Saffron Hall by Clare Marchant because I love books about secrets and the Tudor setting is one I can never bypass. So I’m glad to report that it delivered the goods on both those topics.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK for giving me for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.

MY THOUGHTS ON THE SECRETS OF SAFFRON HALL

This book covered two time periods – 1538 and 2019 – and I can’t deny that the one I was really invested in was 1538. The modern day timeline and plot was well handled but didn’t overly appeal to me, and I was always happier when in the 1538 storyline.

The Tudor setting felt very unique to me, as it dealt with the life of a woman whose husband lived at court. Any other book I’ve read during this setting has revolved around life at court. So it was really interesting to see it from another angle.

I enjoyed the detail of everyday life, and how the saffron fitted in to the picture. And there were heart-pounding and heart-rendering moments where I felt in the thick of the action. Knowing what we do about Henry the 8ths volatility, I felt nervous as Eleanor waited for updates for her husband. Especially when he was making all the wrong friends at court.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator had a very pleasant voice. Her voice fit well with both main characters and really brought them to life. Plus her delivery at tense moments increased the jittery atmosphere.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, however my rating would have been higher if I had enjoyed both timelines equally. But I loved the Tudor setting and the element to anxiety that had me listening as often as I could.

WHO SHOULD READ THE SECRETS OF SAFFRON HALL

If you enjoy Tudor settings, emotional storylines and books about long hidden secrets then I’d recommend this book to you. I also think fans of authors such as Philippa Gregory and Kathleen McGurl will also enjoy.

I had problems reviewing the title as I was having issues with the NetGalley app resetting playback and losing progress, but if it becomes available through Listening Books library I will review at a later date.

Beautiful Audiobook.

The story is a dual timeline, set in the present and 1500's in the same building.

Considering there are two timelines they are easy to follow and understand.

As far as it being a historical fiction novel - its loosely historical, it uses the time period as a basis of a story rather than teaching you much however I could be being harsh as I read a lot of historical fiction.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

The secrets of Saffron Hall

This is a moving tale told from 2 women living 500 years apart in the same location. Both having been through similar experiences of deep sadness and loss

It is beautifully written and narrated very well indeed.

I was however left with more questions than answers and wanted one last chapter...

Two women 500 years apart but joined in the grief of a lost baby. I loved this book. Historical fiction is my favourite genre and this linked the story of 16th century Eleanor with present day Amber. I read this book in 2 sittings as I found it hard to put down (I would have read it in 1 if I'd started earlier in the day). The historical detail, clearly well researched, intertwining real people with fictional characters is clever and Eleanor's story alone kept me interested and engaged. I hope there's a sequel. I can't wait to read it.

I love books like this. I really enjoyed the way the old and new merged together. I like the change in tone and pace from one timeline to the next and having the audio version really made this story come to life.
A fabulous read (or should I say, listen).