It is the autumn of 1942 and 7-year-old Peggy lives with her mother, her abusive father, and two older brothers. Soon Peggy grows older and learns more about the world around her as well as the lies and secrets surrounding her own life.

The story begins in 1943, we meet seven-year-old Peggy Wickman the youngest child of Colonel Charles Wickman, Esq. and his wife, Fanny. Peggy and her older brothers are constantly at the receiving end of their father’s short temper, overly strict discipline and emotional abuse. Their mother, nurse turned homemaker, tries to do her best for her children, but with her domineering husband’s neglect and frequent absences, there is only so much she can do. Peggy is a lonely child aware of how different her circumstances are compared to her more affluent school friends and though she makes a few friends and finds kindness in people around her, her miserable home life takes a toll on her life outside her home as well. Her brothers enlist in the Navy as soon as they come of age to escape their father and Peggy is left to fend for herself. Charles is a lawyer and claims to have a busy schedule, but his long absences, their constant moves between rooming houses, and financial struggles with never enough food on the table prove otherwise. When Peggy discovers the truth behind her father’s deception, it is a pivotal moment in her life. We follow Peggy through the decades as she tries to carve a life for herself different from the one she experienced as a child.

Rose-Coloured Houses by Cathy Lynn Brooks is a moving coming-of-age story. The characterizations are convincing and the narrative flows well. The larger part of the story is presented from the perspective of Peggy in the third person with segments devoted to her father’s backstory. My heart ached for Peggy and I was truly invested in her journey and would have loved it if the author had chosen to go into more detail about Peggy’s life as an adult instead of devoting so much space the narrative on her father’s backstory. While I appreciate the glimpse into his past indiscretions, I felt those segments could have been condensed. Yes, he is despicable and there is no redemption for him, which is established pretty early on. There is not much character development for him throughout the story - it is just more of the same. I would have liked it if we could have spent more time with Peggy’s brothers in their adult years getting to know how they coped with having lived through their miserable childhood instead of the brief mention toward the end. The ending felt a tad rushed and there was much more telling than showing. This is a short novel and I really loved the premise and Peggy, but overall, I can’t help feeling a tad disappointed with the execution.

Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The descriptive language in this book was so enjoyable. I enjoyed following Peggy through life. I did feel that the book was a bit long winded at times though

I liked the cover design, and the description interested me.

This was a short book so didn't take long to read, but I enjoyed it. I thought the author brought the characters to life very well, and the book had a lovely nostalgic feel, it was almost like reading a memoir. I felt emotionally involved with the characters and the journey they were on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.