An unexpected adventure

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In 1939, as World War II threatens the city of London, steps are being taken throughout the city in an attempt to safeguard and evacuate what scientific, historical and cultural collections they can. Hetty Cartwright is assigned the task of escorting and watching over the mammals from the natural history museum in their new home: Lockwood Manor. Hetty, viewing this as an opportunity to prove her worth, as well as the worth of women in general, soon discovers that this assignment will not be an easy one. Soon after her arrival, Hetty discovers that the atmosphere in Lockwood Manor is not only unconducive to the preservation of her mammals, but to the preservation of her mental heath as well, especially when specimens begin to move and disappear. The only solace Hetty seems to find is in her friendship with Lucy Lockwood, Lord Lockwood’s daughter. As the war progresses, and tensions rise, Hetty finds herself in a battle that threatens everything that she, and Lucy, holds dear.

This book surprised me in a lot of ways. While I don’t wish to spoil anything, the plot had some twists and turns that I did not see coming, and others I did see coming but not the circumstances surrounding them. I really like that the main character is not only a strong female, but she is a strong female during a time when women really were viewed as the weaker sex, throwing out the expectations placed on her by society. The descriptive language used by Healey throughout the novel is splendid, especially the descriptions of the animals and Hetty’s feelings towards them, as well as the emotions brought about by the house.

There are so many things about The Animals at Lockwood Manor that make me recommend it; go find it March 10th.

Thank you to Bookish and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for an ARC of The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healey, given in exchange for an honest review.