Loved this book. I want to read more by this author. I put off reading this book and when I did read it I was so glad I picked it out to read. Thank you for a great read.

I'm a huge historical fiction fan, and this book ticked all the boxes for me. However, it was a little too long in the middle, and in my opinion too much discussion about gardening details. By the end of the book, I was more invested in the characters and I felt it ended suddenly just when I wanted to find out more. However, I enjoyed it very much and recommend it. I'm not going to recap the plot.

Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This seems to be based loosely based on the Rothschild Family. It is about the WW1 era and the lines between the haves and the have-nots. Men and women had to accept their place in society. The supporting characters help to keep your interest to a point. But it jumps around and you think you missed something. I felt it was just too long and what was left out was important,

A sprawling family saga taking place just before and during WW1 revolving around the Goldbaums, an elite dynasty of bankers. Lots of historical detail centering around Greta, an Austrian heiress who finds herself transplanted by marriage to England...her difficult adjustment and how she wrestles with her new life and what is gained and lost in war. I found it a bit overly long and there’s some choppiness in timeline (suddenly skipping forward in time with no indication), but I liked it overall.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #GPPutnamsSons for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

Not terribly engaged. So wanted to really like.

The setting: "an epic family saga about a headstrong [Jewish] Austrian heiress [Greta Goldbaum] who will be forced to choose between the family she's made and the family that made her at the outbreak of World War I."

Starts in Vienna in 1911, when Greta is 21 and confronted with an arranged marriage to her British cousin, Albert. All about family --hers, his, and eventually, theirs. Supposedly based in part on the Rothschilds.

What I liked: learning about some of the finite details of the trappings of wealth and privilege--private railway cars, orchestras, and so on.

What detracted--none of the characters were terribly compelling, too many subplots. I just didn't care enough. Otto and Karl were sort of interesting; I figured early on that Karl was gong to have a larger role than when initially presented [points off for telegraphing the obvious]. Same with Clement--though for all his faults [eating and gambling most prominent, I liked him].

Some descriptions--a very few humorous. "..ostrich plume on Greta's picture hat, which moved as though it were trying to conduct the room each time she turned her head." "...Otto found himself transfixed by the drip on the end of Lord Goldbaum's nose, wondering precisely when it would fall."

What I learned: --what a calendar house is--very interesting--look it up--as I did. How banking intersected with financing war. Herbs and medicinal uses [knew some].

So, I plowed through it because it was written well enough. BUT.

This was a good story that shows how war can come in and take over lives and connect people that otherwise wouldn't have a connection. It can bring people together and tear them apart. It was a little hard to get into the very beginning of the book, but once I got into it I didn't want to put it down. I really enjoyed the characters in the book and the plot kept me going along until the very end. I wanted to know what happened and when the book was over, I wished there was more because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters.

Based loosely on the famous Rothschild family, showing their power and ties with all the European countries and royal families, it is now the Goldsteins as the family members get pulled into WWI with their Austrian and British families on opposite side of a conflict that neither support. On one hand, I was pulled into the characters of Otto and Greta, the Austrian siblings, and Albert, the son and heir of the British banking side. The slow love story of Greta and Albert is compelling, and Otto's wartime friendship with a Jewish orphan is powerful. Yet the story moves too slowly for me, as the war slowly begins; I found the second half more powerful once the war finally begins. Admittedly, I am also not a lover of gardening so the pages and pages of garden description and yard work is a bit too much for me. This book was full of interesting historical detail, focused on an extremely privileged family at a traumatic moment in 19th century history, yet also drew in at times how this war impacted people of poverty. Overall, I enjoyed the book but do wish it had been a bit shorter. Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Cornerstone Digital for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel for an honest review.

Pre World War 1 Europe and the Goldbaum family are an extremely wealthy banking dynasty. Greta Goldbaum from Vienna does not really want to marry her English cousin Albert she does it anyway as that is what is expected and though Greta is a defiant girl she also knows that the sometimes you have to do what is expected. Greta is a fun, gregarious girl while Albert is a serious and quiet man.

This novel takes us up through most of World War 1 and we follow the family through it all. With the war brewing we see how anti semitism began to take control of certain parts of Europe.

A sweeping tale with Greta at the center this was a novel that I could not put down and though it was a bit long I managed to read it in 24 hours. There were a few slower parts but the characters and storylines were enough to keep me hanging in there.

This is the first Natasha Solomons novel that I have read and I enjoyed it immensely. I will be reading more books by her!

If you'd asked me to rate "House of Gold" while I was about halfway through, I'd have given it a solid four stars. But the second half felt rushed, kind of like when as a kid you're told to write a 10-page report, and when you're about 7 pages in you realize you still have a lot more to say, but there's no way you're going to write more than the minimum 10 pages, so you just cram in the rest of the facts without fussing about style or nuance. The characters, most of whom had been established as well-rounded figures, became paper dolls to be moved about as the plot dictated, and some of the denouements were implausible at best. The writing became sloppier too; characters previously shown to keep kosher served a dish mixing meat and cheese; a character is described as too tired to open her eyes, but a few sentences later, without any passing of time, she's said to insist on keeping her eyes on her son. All that said, the book did keep me reading and made my commute zip by.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam, for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Amazingly descriptive reminiscent of The Thornbirds or Scruples - a sweeping family saga, history and true love in a single novel

This was a great fictional story of what life was like for Jews, even wealthy ones, before & during World War I. It's about the Goldbaum family, who are wealthy Jewish bankers across Europe, that marry within their family (distant cousins) to keep the family united. This story focuses on Greta from Vienna, who doesn't like to maintain the normal life of a woman at this time, & her arranged marriage to Albert from London. It tells of her brother, another cousin, her parents, & Albert's parents as well as some side characters along the way. I highly recommend getting swept up in this fascinating tale of a different time & place than the 21st century for sure!

This book swept me away to a time and place I knew little about. It is epic in feel and scope although in looking back I realize it encompasses less than a lifetime. The story of the great Jewish banking families before the World War is interesting and presented here on a human, intimate level. I really became interested in the lives of the women and men who were part of this small segment of the world at this period in time. A good read which I thank #netgalley for giving me the opportunity to enjoy prepublication. #houseofgold is a winner!

I really enjoyed this book! It reminded me of how much I love reading historical fiction books. I read that this is kind of loosely based on the Rothschild family, which I have no interest in, so I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get into the story. I was very wrong. This story is riveting, and I had a hard time putting it down. I love the gardening passages and the chapters that take place during WWI. It's a fascinating novel and well worth reading. I'm definitely going to check out previous books by this author.


A special thank you to NetGalley and publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was an unusual book. I enjoyed it greatly and found myself unable to put it down. A book with a great view into the time in which it was set. Very appealing!

Set in pre World War I Vienna, House of Gold is the story of the Goldbaum banking dynasty and one Goldbaum in particular, Greta. Influencial in countries across Europe, there are English Goldbaums, Austrian Goldbaums, and potentially American Goldbaums, as they work to expand their empire. At the same time, they are an insular family, sticking with and marrying each other. When the time comes from Greta to marry she ends up with Albert, from the British side of the family. But Albert doesn't seem much interested in Greta, but more interested in his bugs and things that he collects. The political winds are beginning to change in Europe and the senior Goldbaum statesmen are doing their best to influence their future direction. But fissures are starting to appear between the different branches of the family, and Greta will be forced to make decisions that would once have been unthinkable.

House of Gold is very well written story, and one I had a hard time putting down. Watching the transformation of Greta from a spoiled aristocrat to a person who sees the value in others and has the spine to take a stand against evil and for doing whats right. While I didn't like her much at first, by the end I was so absorbed in her becoming a driver of change in her own right, that I was disappointed to find I had come to the end of the book. I hope there is a sequel and soon! Anyone who loves historical fiction should real this book; it's a winner!

An enterprising family becomes the bankers of Europe. Arranged marriages between branches of the family were expected. Part of the Austrian branch, Greta was expected to marry Albert from the English branch. It was not a love match. Uprooted from all that was familiar, Greta fell into a deep loneliness. Once she began planning her home decor and working in her garden, her life began to look up.

This novel covers a time of wealth and glamor descending into war in Europe. The author does a magnificent job describing people and situations. She manages to draw the reader into this turbulent time without getting mired in tedious details.

The story of Greta’s life is fascinating. This novel strikes just the right level when portraying life. The ending is unexpected and heart warming. You will enjoy each page of Greta’s story.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. House of Gold by Natasha Solomons is an emotional, captivating, and well-researched piece on money, influence, and how none of that matters in the midst of a deadly war.

We meet our protagonist, the playful rule-breaker Greta Goldbaum, as she prepares to go through with an arranged marriage to her cousin. Everyone in the Goldbaum clan must fulfill their duties to their owned banks, their countries, and families. It's what you have to do in order to continue your affluent excess. The Goldbaum's control most of Europe's bank and provide credit. This influences their power over multiple governments. However, they're not able to stop the impending war and financing it becomes their biggest challenge.

Natasha Solomons is able to take a heady subject, and infuse humor, wit, and love through the pages. I appreciated the real domestic challenges between our protagonist Greta and her husband Albert. Some of her sensual scenes take on an awkward "OH NO!" moment and it was refreshing to read in a historical fiction. She also gives glimpses of anti-Semitism that was building throughout all the countries (even the Allies).

Unfortunately, there felt to be a few too many subplots that were intended to give the characters more depth but some left a sour taste in my mouth (ie. a character's response to a suicide) that didn't feel necessary or even part of that character's development. I think it would be a good opportunity for a book club to discuss though due to its controversial nature.

I appreciated learning about WWI from Europe's viewpoint (shocking, right?) and this novel helps to realize how unnecessary the whole thing was. It also made me learn how America gained power through loans and interest during the war which bolstered its image as a 1st tier power country.

I recommend this novel to those who want to learn about a lesser known war and with beautiful scenes of parties, dresses, and exuberance. Also recommending for fans of Downton Abbey and that whole time period.

I give House of Gold by Natasha Solomons 3 stars. I found it to be somewhat confusing, because I found that the subplots were more obvious and interesting than the actual main plot itself. I enjoyed the fact that it was WWI era and the history behind it, and I can tell that lots of research was done to write this book. I always warn for content that could be upsetting/unsettling, and in this case is why I gave it a 3 instead of 4 star rating, is that there are quite a few sex scenes that I skipped. I lost count. There is some mild language, and some gore pertaining to war.

Natasha Solomons’s House of Gold the gripping saga of the Goldbaum family, loosely based on the Rothschilds, a powerhouse family, once the wealthiest family in the world. The Goldbaum banking dynasty covers most of Europe in the 1800s and early 1900s. Their influence reaches far and wide even to kings, emperors, and czars.

The story is beautifully told as it examines not only history, bigotry, and the ways in which wealthy families dictate to governments, but how they once imitated royalty by forcing cousins to marry cousins to protect their dynasties. With Goldbaum families in Austria, England, and France, it was deemed necessary that the families be tied together through marriages. Enter Greta Goldbaum and her cousin Albert.

When Greta, of the Vienna Goldbaums is told that she must marry her cousin Albert of the English Goldbaums, she rebels, not wanting to marry a total stranger. The author points out that while Albert has received a photo of Greta, Greta has not received a photo of him. It seems Albert has a choice in the marriage but she does not.

Gender discrimination is noted throughout the book in many ways. Greta is told that she must suffer her marriage, and distract herself with a garden. Pregnant women are refused physicians at the time of delivery because the men on the battlefield. Albert attends a lecture presented by a man about the findings of a “lady scientist”, Mary Putnam Jacobi, M.D. The presenter refers to Dr. Jacobi as “Mrs. Jacobi”.

Meanwhile the Great War has begun, and the governments of several countries are asking for more and more loans from the Goldbaums. The Goldbaum men are officers in the armies of their respective countries, but high military office and governmental appointments are withheld because they are Jewish. The coffers of the belligerent countries are running low, and money is borrowed from America at exorbitant prices. While Europe is bleeding money, America profits. America finally enters the war, but the reason (the bombing of the Lusitania) is not mentioned.

While House of Gold may, as first, appear to be another story of a wealthy young woman’s romance, I assure it is not. Shortly after beginning to read, I was hooked. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially that with a lot of truth thrown in, will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

What makes this viewer Grumpy?
• Misused words;
• misplacement of the word “only” within sentences;
• mistakenly using further for farther;
• split infinitives;
• beginning sentences with conjunctions;
• using “come” in place of “go”, and “bring” in place of “take”, common mistakes today that would not have happened even 40 years ago, much less in the time in which this book is set.

4 stars
This is an interesting family saga, though centered very heavily on the singular character of Greta Goldbaum, a young bride. It was not only a very intriguing tapestry of family drama and history, but a look at World War I from a perspective I hadn't seen before.

It's difficult to know where to start unpacking my thoughts about it, there were a number of things about the book I very much enjoyed. All of the characters were engaging and seeing the way the fortunes of their banking houses interwove with the fates of their respective countries was a very interesting device. I liked 'seeing' things from a Jewish perspective as well. The added trouble their religion caused for them even from a position of great wealth and privilege is saddening, which I think makes it all the more important to consider.

I also loved the gardening. Greta's garden was an almost ever present part of the story, the descriptions of and complications relating to it woven in with the plot. It was beautifully done, little hints of beauty twined into the story, but there was never so much of the garden that it overshadowed the rest of the story, nor so much gardening trivia that it was boring.

I enjoyed the main character, Greta. Early on there were points when her choices were frustrating, but she was still likeable and I loved seeing her grow and mature throughout the story. Albert starts off as opaque and foreign to the reader as he is to Greta and I particularly liked the way their relationship was written so that as she came to know and love him the reader came to understand him better. It made for a romance that felt very deep and believable to me.

It is a beautiful book, full of excess and privilege, but also heartbreak and ugliness. It was also exceptionally well written.

I would definitely be interested to read a sequel, to see how the fictional (but historically based) House of Goldbaum endured the aftermath of the first World War and the one to come.