A memorable historical fiction novel set at the dawn of the Great War (WWI), the Goldbaum family is clearly inspired by the Rothschild family, the most famous Jewish famly in Europe, whose fortune was considered to be the greatest private fortune in the world during the 19th Century. A family saga that focuses on the challenges of being Jewish, even if wealthy, in this era, House of Gold allows the readers to see the Goldbaums as a powerful family whose wealth was their shield against the antisemitism that was pervasive in Europe well before WWII.

Fabulous saga - my favorite kind of read. Thoroughly enjoyed! It was easy to get "involved" with this book.

The Goldbaum family is known the world over in the banking industry. Their wealth is astounding. Greta is from the Austrian Goldbaums. She has an arranged marriage to her cousin, Albert Goldbaum. This is not exactly what she wants out of life and the marriage has a terrible start. These two eventually learn to love each other and create a nice life. Then WWI enters their world and their lives change forever.

Greta is a strong-willed woman! And if you follow this blog, you know those are my favorite characters. The start of her marriage is just about her undoing. However, she is determined to overcome and make her life better. I love her resilience and her intelligence. She is the character this novel could not do without.

This first part of this book has a lot of gardening and a large amount of business dealings. The last half of the book is much more enjoyable, in my opinion. It is full of action and emotion. This story is full of historical detail and rich with information. I enjoyed this time period. I am usually a WWII reader so, I relished reading about WWI.

And isn’t this cover fantastic!

I received this novel from G.P. Putnam’s Sons via Netgalley for a honest review

Published May 3rd 2018 by Cornerstone Digital

I wasn’t quite sure what I was expecting with this book but suffice it to say, I really enjoyed it! At first I was in concert with Greta’s dilemma of having no say in who she married as it was decreed by her family - but like a good daughter Greta went thru with the marriage even though the groom didn’t put in an appearance. However, when he did arrive while Greta was kind of bashing the ‘poor husband’ he attempted to inject a bit of levity into the situation. I did get a chuckle out of that!

Greta’s family branch was from Austria, and Albert (her husband) was from the even wealthier Goldbaum family of London. Having understood right from the beginning how wealthy the Goldbaum dynasty was it was a real eye opener to see just how the wealthy and mighty lived as opposed to the folks who lived in the sewers and fed on their scraps.

Greta and Albert’s marriage had started out with two individuals who tolerated one another and after a few years, they even became friends. Finally as Greta finally seemed to find happiness the political upheavals started to make themselves known and all the wealth of the Goldbaums had no way of altering history as the Great War began. The Goldbaums found their dynasty about to crack as they found themselves on separate sides.

An excellent read and historically interesting - giving this reader pause to digest the madness of power and persecution.

Marilyn Rondeau

We meet Greta Goldbaum in Vienna in 1911. Born to the "royalty" of banking, this wealthy family is similar to the Rothchilds. Greta is outgoing and unconventional, both traits that always get her in trouble. Her parents have arranged for a marriage between her and Albert Goldbaum, her first cousin twice removed. Albert is quite the opposite, he is a serious young man with a particular hobby, collecting butterflies along with other insects.
Leaving Vienna she will be living in England where she feels she will at last be in control of her own life, an independent woman. Before the wedding night she writes to her intended asking if he would like to call the wedding off. The answer was no and set both of them on an uneasy path. Sensing there is a problem she is given one hundred acres by her mother-in-law to start a garden and not just any garden, they will be elaborate and include greenhouses. Greta now has something to fill her days and something that fits her independent nature. Will Greta and Albert resolve their differences and come together? Or will the upcoming war not only tear them apart, but the family as well?
The book is filled with the history that led up to WWI wherein the Goldbaums will be needed by the main players in what will eventually become the war, needed for their money. They are the bankers, financiers and confidants of the most influential politicians and land owners.
The writing style and the detail Ms. Solomons uses draws you into the story. She adds enough family drama and interest of the era to keep you reading. For those readers who enjoy historical fiction as I do, this book is truly a gift.
My thanks to Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

In a gilded Vienna of 1911, Greta, marries Albert, a distant cousin from within the Goldbaums, a European banking family. Greta feels lonely, disconnected from the vibrant life she dreamed of having. Albert is cool and remote, resigned to what could remain a loveless marriage of convenience and duty. Time and understanding takes this relationship down an unexpected path, and forges an solid, committed bond.

This historical fiction is loosely styled after the Rothschild family, a powerful banking netword of relatives who ruled European financial markets for decades, if not centuries. The story arc of Greta and Albert is interesting, as is her independence, which is a novel characteristic given the time and her circumstances. A host of other characters (big family) are introduced and the lives of several of the cousins are followed closely as well. Very enjoyable, and led me to follow up with internet reading on the Rothschild family.

3.5, rounded up. World War I isn't a historical time period I've read extensively about, so I always am interested when I come across a book in this setting. House of Gold was a really interesting take on the period, as told through through the lens of a family that had a lot to lose on all sides. While the first half or so of the story does a great job setting the stage for who the characters are, the family relationships and the family's influence on governments across Europe, and the time period, it felt a bit overly long, as the second half felt like it often changed perspective at a rapid fire rate to tell the rest of the story (and there were some devastating stories in that second part). The Goodreads description says this book is set against "a nuanced portrait of World War I", and I do think that's a perfect description as the family faces personal and professional choices on all sides of the war. There's a lot going on in this story, but the author has pulled it all together into a thoughtful story.

An in depth look at the banking family the Goldbaums, a fictional family based on the Rothschilds, sweeping many European countries prior to and through World War I. Greta is at the center of the novel, a woman who wants more than an arranged marriage with a British distant cousin, Albert. Prior to the war, the various branches of the family enjoyed wealth but not true acceptance as Jews. At times the book dragged a little with too much gardening detail, but all in all it was an absorbing piece of historical fiction.

This book started out slow, but I'm glad I kept reading. "House of Gold" is a wonderful historical fiction book filled with detail. I loved it.

A solid 4star read. It definitely felt like a very long read but very worth it. The detail was extraordinary and I highly recommend this the any historical fiction bluffs out there!

The description of this book intrigued me. As I first started to read it was a little slow going and I was unclear about the purpose of some of the characters being introduced. Once invested in the characters and the plot, I found the "House of Gold" to be interesting and keeping my attention. The war-time details were on point.

I really enjoyed this book, however, it's a long one and at times seemed to drag on. The Goldbaum family stretches throughout Europe and is a family built on fortune. Generally, the family marriages are arranged with other distant relatives to keep the Goldbaum name strong and in control. The main character in this book, Greta, is sent from her home in Austria to marry cousin Albert in England. She is not open to this marriage and so begins the family drama. To top it off, the Goldbaum family begins to discuss the possibility of war and how their finances will be utilized to support the war effort. Once the story took off into WWI, I became more interested and intrigued by Greta, her husband Albert, and her brothers Otto and Henri. There was a lot going on in the second half of the book which kept me more interested, however, again the book was just too long for me to rate it higher. I think focusing the story at the start of WWI and really diving into the characters and their journeys from that point may have been more interesting to me.

In Natasha Solomon’s engaging family epic, House of Gold, we are introduced to the Goldbaum family, who are loosely based on the Rothschild family. The Goldbaums are a rich and powerful Jewish family with four European empires in Vienna, Berlin, London and Paris. This is a sweeping family saga set in the years preceding and during WWI. As the novel opens Greta Goldbaum of Vienna is set to marry her cousin Albert of London. The two barely know one another, yet they are destined to forge a relationship and begin a family. The story and characters are set against the backdrop of a world that is headed toward unavoidable global change. Issues of anti-Semitism, economic revolution, socialism and feminism all come into play as the world hurtles toward WWI. The families are divided because of the war and must find a way to balance family loyalty with patriotism.

House of Gold is a beautifully crafted novel that has been skillfully researched. Solomon’s characters are well-developed, and she weaves a story that is both sweeping and somehow intimate. There is a strong sense of both time and place, whether it is the lavish gardens and ballrooms of the Goldbaums or the horrors of war in the trenches. This saga is worth the time!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It was a privilege to read this novel as I adored Natasha Solomons’ The House of Tyneford, and once again Solomons does not disappoint. This sweeping historical epic was engrossing, and I relished in not only the time period and history illustrated, but also the exploration of familial relations and how they are influenced by locations, generations, expectations, and traditions.

Natasha Solomons has captured the glitz and glitter of the Continent prior to World War I in her historical novel based loosely on the Rothchilds, once the richest family in Europe. The Goldbaums of this novel are Jewish bankers, with houses in Vienna, Paris, London, Berlin and Zurich. The Goldbaum men control both money and political influence in Europe. The Goldbaum women’s function is to marry Goldbaum men and birth Goldbaum children, ensuring the continuation of the dynasty. Thus Greta, of the house of Vienna, was to marry her cousin Albert from the British side of the family.
Greta’s move to London separated her from her brother Otto, whose main mission thus far had been to keep Greta out of trouble. Otto’s lot now was to learn the family business and eventually take over the Austrian branch of the business. In the meantime, anti-Semitism was rising in Europe and WWI was looming. Solomons paints the lives of Greta and Otto in this setting. Otto eventually goes to war, and Greta grows in her role of wife and mother.
As Solomons is detailing the lead-up to WWI, she is also showing the disparity between the rich and the poor in this time. A young boy living in the sewers beneath the Goldbaum’s mansion in Vienna gives voice to this vast divide. He later becomes an integral part of Otto’s story and gives real texture to Otto’s compassion and loyalty.
I loved the lush descriptions that Natasha Solomons employed in the House of Gold. The title itself refers to both the family business and the family name. I had vivid images of the grandeur of the family’s mansions, of Greta’s wild and natural gardens, and Lady Goldbaum’s glasshouses for year-round fruit and flowers. I had not read this author before but look forward to reading more of her works.
The last book that I read was a story of Alva Vanderbilt, written in the same time frame (A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler). This work resembles that one in many ways—both portray wealth and position in a pre-WWI era and highlight the conspicuous consumption of the wealthy.
My thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and the author for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

I have found myself loving more and more of historical fiction! It’s 1911 and Greta Goldbaum is having an arranged marriage to her distant cousin, Albert who is part of the Goldbaum family in England. Will Greta ever truly love t Albert when they have nothing in common plus with World War One tear the Goldbaum family apart. This is definitely a family drama and part European historical fiction. I did feel like this author tried fitting way to much information in the book at times.

When I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to be in the perspective of the leading lady, Greta. However, the views did change throughout the story—from Greta herself to members of her family to a beggar named Karl—giving it more color.

House of Gold is my first Natasha Solomons novel, and her style is one that I love. She paints a picture through her words. The book started slightly slow, but it picked up the pace towards the middle. Natasha Solomons’ writing style brings the story to life through the description to the point where I can envision every scene like a movie.

Quite frankly, it took me a while to get into the book because of the beginning pace, but I loved every description Natasha provided. I could hear the music, taste the food, and feel the anxiety Greta felt when she was forced to marry her distant cousin, Albert Goldbaum, a custom that the Goldbaum family practiced to keep the family line pure.

While there were a lot of powerful quotes in House of Gold, there was a quote that stood out to me, especially at the beginning of Greta’s and Albert’s rocky marriage. Greta grew up in a fabulous, colorful home, filled with lights. However, when she first arrived at Albert’s family estate, this was one of the main things she noticed:

"My god, thought Greta, everything in this house is precious and fragile and damaged by light. I couldn’t love anything that had to be swaddled in darkness. I can’t bear it. If I had a passion, it must thrive in sunlight. Grow fat in it, not wither."

This quote stuck with me throughout the book. At first, Greta is perceived to be a very sheltered, spoiled and entitled young woman, but through the love of gardening, thanks to Albert’s mother, she thrives in the light of the newly found passion of gardening.

All in all, I found the book to be very satisfying, all the way to the end. Other than a slightly slow beginning, there was nothing about the book I would’ve changed. Though House of Gold is a work of fiction, it still took place during World War I. The language was naturally fluid and Natasha did a great deal of research throughout the novel.

The Goldbaum Palace, as it is known in Venice, is a palatial home built with white Austrian stone. The source of the Goldbaum family’s wealth is from the House of Gold which is the Austrian branch of the family bank. The Goldbaums are bankers and marry only other Goldbaums, thus keeping the money in the family. With their wealth, they are also collectors of art and other expensive items.

The Austrian branch of the Goldbaum family is headed up by the Baron and Baroness Goldbaum. Young Otto Goldbaum was enthralled when his baby sister, Greta, was born. She was a mischievous like girl whose misdemeanors simply got worse as she grew up. Otto was an obedient son who knew he would always work to keep Greta out of trouble.

When it comes time to marry, Greta is not given a choice of her husband, but is only able to make her own decisions on some of the wedding preparations. She is betrothed to marry her cousin, Albert Goldbaum, move to England, and that was that. There, she would join the English branch of the Goldbaum family. Albert is a nice looking man but the two of them do not hit it off well. Their wedding is delayed because he had a cold and is unable to travel to Austria. When they finally marry, their relations are nil. Along with his banking business, Albert is a big collector of insects and butterflies which Greta does not care for. In order to entertain herself, Greta joins Albert’s mother in constructing a massive garden which soon becomes her love.

The story follows the other branches of the Goldbaum family in Germany and France. They all are enmeshed together which controls a lot of the wealth in Europe. All of the family members live lavish lives and spend time together.

As World War I approaches, the men realize that they must do their part in the war. For some it is not a bad time but for others it is devastating. For those who leave for the war, no one knows who will come back. That is when Albert’s family insists that he leave for America to search out opening a Goldbaum banking branch there. Greta’s and Albert’s marriage is up and down so maybe his being gone will be a good thing.

There are a number of major characters in this book that the story follows. The history is certainly well-researched and it is a good story. As with any large family, the members stick together and are loyal to and cover for one another. I understand that this book is based on the Rothschild family and as I have not read any books about them, I cannot comment on how well the Goldbaums compare to the Rothschilds.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is the first book of Ms. Solomons' that I have read. House of Gold is a historical fiction that surrounds that Goldbaum Family and takes place in pre-WW1 Europe and through the war. Greta and Otto Goldbaum are siblings that are very close to each other. Greta is the youngest and likes to be a bit mischievous at times, but she also knows when to act the part of Lady Goldbaum. Otto is the eldest, and he's more in to science than finance. As Greta moves from Austria to England in order to marry her distant cousin Albert, whose interest is in entomology. Greta is spoiled and sometimes oblivious to those around her. She lives and believes that she can do anything even though she is a female. Albert is a serious young man who has to have control and order in his life. When things go awry, Albert gets upset and pouts. Greta and Albert must learn to put their issues and selfishness aside in order to have a happy marriage and be able to co-exist. When war looms overhead, Greta must choose between her family in Austria or her family in England. The growing Antisemitism in Europe places the reader in the positions of the Jews and the workers in WW1.

I enjoyed House of Gold. It is full of some tidbits of history that I did not know. I was annoyed and liked Greta and Albert. I felt that they're very selfish and childish in some ways, but as they grew together and apart, their characters also blossomed. The House of Gold brought to light the elitism, and racial profiling that occurred in WW1. Ms. Solomons weaved a tale that drew me in and held me captive. If you like historical fiction, I highly recommend House of Gold.

As a huge fan of historical fiction, I couldn't pass this one up when I saw it available on NetGalley. I had seen this book around the community and the murmurings about how great it was. I can tell you for a FACT that I was not disappointed. 

Solomons does a superb job at putting together a vivid picture of the early 1900's in Europe, that you scarcely have to imagine anything. Her descriptions of the time period and the surrounding are just enough to give you the clearest picture of where you are without boring you to sleep with over descriptions (which I have seen plenty of in books).

I was worried that I would have a hard time relating with such wealthy characters and the life they live as part of a top-tier banking family, but everyone feels insecurity, love and loss in the same foundational ways. Regardless of whether you were raised with lots of money or very little. Solomons also does an amazing job at getting to the core emotional attachments of her characters and pulling you right inside of their experience.

You'll find yourself laughing at many instances and sobbing at others. Being able to observe this family in the beginning, a high point in their family history, to War breaking out across Europe and destroying the simple family dynamics they had all come to rely on was moving and disrobing all at the same time. There was a point where I hadn't started to realize how much each one of these characters meant to me until they started to experience heartbreak and loss, then I was experiencing it right alongside them.

A poignant and moving novel for those who get swept away by historical fiction. Solomons does not disappoint and you will enjoy each and every character in this story as they all have their own unique story and experience to share with you.