The House of Gold is an epic family saga that takes place from 1911 and ends towards the end of WWI. We start by meeting Greta who is about to be married off to a distant cousin she has never met and quickly meet various members of the family and a few outliers. It's not a page turner of a story but it's more of a meandering path through a garden.

Overall I enjoyed my time with the Goldbaums and I liked getting to know all of them, most of all Otto. I really felt like the characters were well drawn and thought out. If I didn't know any better I'd say their homes actually existed in Europe.

The story is quite slow and never really goes quickly, while I did not I can see this being a good book to pick up and put down while you read a thriller or another book that's a bit heavy. While Gold has a few heavy moments, for the most part it's pretty easy going despite dealing with difficult matters from time to time.

This is a great book for anyone that likes historical fiction, especially WWI era books.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I received this book as an ARC book and I loved it. It did start out a little slow and it took a bit of time to come to appreciate the people in the book. The people are wealthy beyond most of our dreams but they are likeable people. Maybe because it was set in the 1920/1930's and historical fiction, the problems were serious unlike some of the books today that are filled with petty little first world problems. Many books are about WWII right now. This had an interesting historical perspective from a Jewish point of view and leading up to and through WWI. Enjoy this book and learn a bit of history along the way.

House of Gold by Natasha Solomons // 📘📘📘📘 // You guys know I love sweeping family sagas! In this one, we dive into the early 1900s when Europe was ruled by the wealthy Goldbaum family (loosely based on the real life Rothschilds family). The Goldbaum men were expected to work in the family banks, spread across the capitals of Europe. The Goldbaum daughters were expected to marry their cousins to keep the dynasty intact. Greta, the rebellious daughter of the Viennese Goldbaums, lives in a rarefied world along with her bookish brother Otto, who is her foil in all her adventures. She doesn’t want to marry someone she’s never met but eventually agrees and marries Albert of the London Goldbaums. She and Albert get off to a rough start as she tries to become the dutiful British wife Albert expects. It’s only when her mother-in-law gifts her a garden that their relationship begins to turn around. Otto, meanwhile, must abandon astronomy, his first love, and become the financier his father expects. Then there’s the dramas of cousin Henri and his love affair with the French actress and Clement and his chess. War is looming though and the Goldbaum bankers must decide whether to support their nations or their brothers. Greta’s garden distracts her while Albert is sent to fight for the Allies and Otto is sent to fight with Austria and Germany. Will the Goldbaum dynasty survive? // This was a fantastic story about loyalty and love and family obligation. I loved all the characters especially headstrong Greta. As far as structure goes, the story line of the orphan Karl was a pesky distraction until the last part of the book where he becomes a principal character. I almost would have preferred to have him appear without the prior backstory. It didn’t fit with the other stories. My only other critique was that the ending was very abrupt and I wanted a bit more closure. Overall, I found the book absorbing and Solomon’s portrayal of the history interesting. If you like historical fiction, you’ll enjoy this one! It will be released in October 2018. 📘📘📘📘 4/5 books

House of Gold
By Natasha Solomons
Starting in 1911 through WW1, this book follows the saga of Greta Goldbaum. Goldbaum is not just her surname but a financial empire of Jewish Bankers across Europe. Greta is not quite the Austrian debutant that her family wishes her to be but she dutifully marries her distant cousin in England. Marriage alone is challenging but combined with the lack of love, even like in their marriage Albert and Greta struggle. As their relationship develops talk of war stresses their budding relationship. War is pending and the family grows into the focus of drama putting the different houses of Goldbaum on different sides of the conflict.
I want to say that I liked House of Gold, but there were so many things that were maddening about this book that I cannot. This book started out slow for me, however, I was willing to oblige. Midway I wondered what point was going to be made to make this book. The characters were developing and their personal dynamics were changing leaving many valid options for the outcome. Instead a bit further in reading there is a black hole from 1914-1917 that apparently the characters have a turning point that is significant but not worthy of making it into the book. I had to go back twice to make sure I did not miss a section. Let’s skip to the end where I felt the author just stopped writing and nothing seemed to come to closure. I liked the historical aspects as well as the cultural dynamics but this book was more frustrating than enjoyable.

House of Gold
by Natasha Solomons

I truly loved this book. I felt as if I were on a zipline flying overhead watching all the activity below. It was that smooth and quick a ride. The story flowed beautifully.

In her story, which is rooted in World War I, Ms Solomons includes the important topic of prejudice against Jews. This multi generational, multi cultural family, though very affluent, suffers from this religious bias.

While some may have issues with the wealth and lifestyles of the story’s characters, I found them to be endearing. Their riches do not shield them from the experiences, good and bad, that we all face: family obligations before personal happiness, failure, sadness, death, loneliness, success and joy.

The author’s knowledge of botany and entomology is astounding. I felt as though I stood in every garden she described.

The only weak point, as I see
it, is the ending of this fantastic family saga. I don’t object to what happened, but rather, how it came about. It left me wondering if the protagonist was dreaming or facing reality, which is not a conclusion I can appreciate after such a well written novel. I prefer something more concrete, but other readers may find this finale very satisfying.

Ah, the Goldbaums. Based loosely, no doubt, on the Rothschild family. Money, houses, gardens with cherries in mid-winter because they can. I love this sort of thing.
Characters from all stages of society and lots of history just hooked me from the very beginning of this one. The wealth confronted by the ravages of war. Heartbreaking and so very well done.
More, more!

I would like to write a more comprehensive review soon. However, I’d like to share my thoughts about this story while it’s fresh in my mind.

This is the kind of historical saga that allows you to get lost within a period of time and empathize with many different characters. I was also able to learn so much about this time period, especially as it pertained to Jewish people during this time period. Their experiences in Europe show why our country was, and should still be, a beacon of hope and opportunity for so many people.

I loved the relationship between the main protagonists. They were both so intriguing to read about and I loved the development of their relationship. Yet, I couldn’t help wanting their interactions to be a little more developed during most scenes throughout this story. I found myself a bit frustrated by this feeling again and again,

Yet that parts that where their storyline was included had that tension and chemistry that made me reread several passages just to enjoy them again. I loved that they were both headstrong people who didn’t just give in to the dictates of society in every way. I think the challenges they presented to one another made them stronger people and more interesting to one another (and to ther reader, as well).

A more in-depth review will be posted on justjane1813.com.

I love the way multiple storylines were developed throughout the book too. I thought the sibling relationship between Greta and Otto was so beautiful, as well as the various disappointments faced by certain characters. They were very thought-provoking. I wish Greta’s relationship with her mother would have been developed more, because it felt like it kind of faded away and I think it was an important relationship to explore, especially as the war affected it.

Like another reader suggested, I’d love a sequel too, based on Greta’s daughter or even Greta’s life. Although the story had some areas that I would have liked to have seen crafted differently, this was the type of story that will stay with me because I loved these characters!! For me, that’s a great recommendation for a book!!

This is a great saga!! It is about the Goldbaum family and is loosely based on the Rothschild family. The Goldbaums are a wealthy Jewish family. The book is based around Greta Goldbaum and opens with her impending marriage to Albert - a distant cousin she has never met. Following Greta throughout this story is wonderful. Her character has spunk and independence and is easy to like.

Greta's marriage starts at odds and continues as the family faces political and financial distress as the Great War begins. It is beautifully written - the descriptions are such that you feel as if you are there. The change in the story as the Goldbaum's head into the Great War and a new reality is well-done and real.

Everything about this book is worth reading! You will think about it after you are done.

Fabulous read! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

Loved this book. Interesting characters, in a dangerous time period. A family of Jewish bankers, before and during World War I, caught up not only in the politics of the time, but also the economics of it. As well as an intriguing protagonist, a member of the Austrian branch of the family, who marries into the British branch. I can only hope that it’s the first book of a series so we can follow these characters into the future.

This is a wonderfully engrossing story that showcases a lifestyle that most of us cannot even imagine. It is the story of Greta Goldbaum who was born to the Vienna branch of the family, the Goldbaum's who were the bankers of Europe. She grew up in an ultra privileged home, along with her beloved brother Otto. The Goldbaum's were the world's most preeminent Jewish family and they only married within the branches of the family and so Greta was sent to England to marry Albert Goldbaum. The descriptions of their home, their gardens, their servants and everything about their way of life are utterly amazing, but despite all their wealth and influence they always remembered that as Jews they were never entirely accepted. Then the war came and destroyed their way of life, pitting the Austrian side of the family against the English side, leaving Greta torn between them. Their fortune could not protect them from the horrors of the war and especially for Greta who was considered by many to still be the enemy. This book gave me a glimpse of what life was life for the rich and famous in pre-World War I Europe and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Highly recommended book for lovers of historical fiction. It is loosely based on the Rothschild family before WWI.
It shows us a side of life from a feminine point of view and Greta's lack of choice and then making her own way. I could not put it down and look forward to a sequel about her daughter. .

House of Gold by Natasha Solomons is a beautifully told, engrossing family saga. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction!

This was an interesting novel of the Jewish aristocracy during wartime. I liked the main character, Greta, but the book was pretty heavy and dark overall. When Greta agrees to an arranged marriage, she does not expect to still be a virgin a year after her wedding. She and her husband are not getting along, but her favorite brother is determined to help save the marriage. Just as they are coming to terms with their differences, the war steals him away. I did not expect to spend so much time with the soldiers which is difficult for my taste. Greta's garden is a microcosm of freedom and love, and she learns how to live through the gardening process. The book was sometimes difficult to read as this early copy had formatting and typo problems, but it was well written. If you like seeing the home side of the war, this will be right up your alley. Not my favorite.except for Greta and her garden.

The Goldbaums in this story are loosely based on the Rothschilds, once the wealthiest family in Europe and the world.

The story starts in Vienna, 1911, with the most influential family of its time.

Greta Goldbaum is told she is to be married to her cousin Albert in England.

While on her way to London, she stops in Paris. There she meets Emilie Floge, an Austrian fashion designer and a life companion of the painter Gustav Klimt. Emilie’s designs are bold and way ahead of her time. But this is what gives Greta wings. She realizes that she didn’t have a say in her marriage, but she wants to take control of her decisions.

Once in England, her marriage has a rocky start. What gives her consolation is designing a 100 acre garden.

All this is set against brewing antisemitism in Russia.

1914, Austrian crown prince is shot by Serbian rebel group, which leads to WWI.

As war shows its priorities even in hospitals, wounded soldiers over unmarried mothers, Greta sees the limited options for unmarried mothers and tries to find a way to help them by extending gardening program to them.

The story starts fairly interesting. But it is too drawn out and as a result half way through I slowly started losing interest in the story. At 70% of the book, I just couldn’t wait to be over with it.

What made the story interesting for me was injection of such facts as the background of rising antisemitism and the fate of unmarried women, and introduction of such fashion icon as Emilie even if for a brief moment. But all those facts made the story progressing forward.

What made the story disengaging was the family drama. At those points the story was still.

How long do we have to wait for the sequel?

You'll love it from start to finish. "House of Gold" is loosely based on the Rothschild family of banking fame, highlighting the family's effort to halt the first world war. The Goldbaums have a similar story--the sons of one baking family settling in major centers of Europe and launching banks. Greta Goldbaum is part of the Viennese branch, and she is to marry Albert of the British branch. The Goldbaums marry other Goldbaums, keeping the cousins as distant as possible but still part of the family. They're all Jews, of course, and even though the British are more open minded than the Austrians, Jews still walk a tightrope between being invited to tea and being run out of the country on the next train.

I loved "The Song of Hartgrove Hall" and "House of Gold" delivers a similar level of satisfaction. "House of Gold" leave lots of characters' fates up in the air at the end with WWI not yet over. You will crave knowing what happens to them. The Goldbaum story must go on!

This is a wonderfully engrossing story that showcases a lifestyle that most of us cannot even imagine. It is the story of Greta Goldbaum who was born to the Vienna branch of the family, the Goldbaum's who were the bankers of Europe. She grew up in an ultra privileged home, along with her beloved brother Otto. The Goldbaum's were the world's most preeminent Jewish family and they only married within the branches of the family and so Greta was sent to England to marry Albert Goldbaum. The descriptions of their home, their gardens, their servants and everything about their way of life are utterly amazing, but despite all their wealth and influence they always remembered that as Jews they were never entirely accepted. Then the war came and destroyed their way of life. Their fortune could not protect them from the horrors of the war and especially for Greta who was considered by many to still be the enemy. This book gave me a glimpse of what life was life for the rich and famous in pre-World War I Europe and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Natasha Solomons' House of Gold has so much promise that's unfulfilled. It's a big sprawling story based on the real-life Rothschilds, who once controlled great swaths of the world's wealth and money markets. It sweeps through the early part of the twentieth century through WWI, taking the reader from Vienna to Paris, Switzerland, England, the U.S., the North Atlantic, and the German front. Solomons also offers considerable information about money - how it is made, traded, and used. While the story moves along at a nice clip for the first three-quarters of the book, ultimately Solomons fails to deliver. Several flaws keep the book from being all it could be. Although it is heavy on plot, it is very thin on character development. The reader is invested only in Greta, and even her motivations and deepest thoughts are elusive at times. The other characters are either stencil-like portrayals or flit in and out of the story without leaving much trace behind. The fates of many characters are also left unfinished; swept up and separated by WWI, several are never heard from again. I had to read the last chapter twice because I could not believe that such a soap opera-ish ending, presented without explanation, passed an editor's muster. One of the book's most prominent themes is fertility. Solomons sparkles when she describes flora and fauna, butterflies and insects, and gardening. The natural life is renewed beautifully time and again. And yet, even in 1910, Greta seems to be totally ignorant of birth control methods that were available by the end of the nineteenth century. She was a woman of means, a woman with access to doctors and others who might know of these methods. That she remained unaware of them is not credible. This book will appeal to readers looking for a family sage and will lend itself to book club discussions.

I loved Natasha Solomons earlier work, especially THE GALLERY OF MISSING HUSBANDS, but this book surpassed her prior novels. It even made me a fan of a genre I generally don't like. Yes, this is a sweeping novel of love and death during WWI, but her writing is lush and beautiful. She has managed to create several memorable characters within a large family.

This is the story of the wealthy Goldbaum clan, inspired by the history of the Rothchilds. The central character is Greta Goldbaum. She is forced into marriage with a cousin, forced to move away from her beloved home and family to England. Nothing about Greta is predictable including her marriage to the aloof Albert. The reader gets to watch the couple grow and see their children born.

From a young displaced woman, we see Greta's growth into a woman of passion and involvement in the life of unfortunate women. She is indeed a "woman of valor."

On the sad side is the war, again beautifully described (despite the fact that it is very disheartening) and the story of Greta's brother, Otto, an unfortunate soldier. When a family is scattered all over Europe, the war can quite literally pit brother against brother and cousin against cousin.

The role of the Goldbaum fortune is also described, including the influence of bankers on government. Solomons also manages to involve the reader in the never-ending strands of anti-Semitism which were strong in Europe, especially depicting the treatment of Jews by the Russians.

Though I generally hate sagas, I must say, that I hope Solomons will consider writing about Greta's daughter, Celia and her experience in England during the years of WWII. Yes, I did the math, she will be at a perfect age to enchant readers in the 1930s-40s. Forgive me for seeing this as Jewish Downton Abbey, but I could not help but see the similarities.

This is a great read and a fine choice for book clubs with so many aspects of social history to examine.