This is beautifully written. Heart-breaking in places. It has the feel of a saga. Really pleased to see it's the start of a trilogy. Will definitely be getting the next ones.

I loved this latest from Harriet. As always she never shys away from very sensitive themes. Her characters are always recognisable as parts of ourselves.
Thank you so much for access.

The story begins with Alice in America, and how her childhood was brought to an abrupt end. It then moves to Scotland where Tom's childhood is also brought to an end on his ninth birthday. The two strands are then pulled together as both our main characters try and unravel family secrets that have been buried but still affect the next generation. It is the house named Sevenstones for the seven standing stones that surround it that pull the stories together and connect all the characters.
I found I enjoyed Tom's side of the story more than Alice's until New York when Alice comes into her own. Both characters are well described and their many relationships are authentic and sympathetic. Essentially this is a love story, or several love stories, but it is also about joy, sorrow, loss, grief and it touches on many themes of the day like the Vietnam war and racism in England and America, the Windrush generation, flower power, anti war sentiment, and the assassination of Martin Luther King. And the music of the time. The background to Tom's story is very sad and quite hard to comprehend in this day and age.
The ending is quite understated and I had to go back to the prologue to reread it and understand what finally happened. A heart wrenching and beautiful read and I look forward to the next in the trilogy.
With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect as it took me a few chapters to get going but once I did, I couldn’t put it down! I liked the way that Alice’s story was told first, then Tom’s, before cleverly piecing them together. There was so much heartache and tragedy which I felt was handled well, and throughout, I felt the story fitted well into that era. There was a lot of drugs in NYC which I think fed back to Sevenstones. Teddy’s story was so very sad, but I liked the way it came back to her. I felt the epilogue dragged on far too long, by which point I found myself skimming, I think I felt it needed wrapped up sooner. However, a solid 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars for me. I am really looking forward to the next book and hope we don’t have to wait too long for it!

4.5 stars

As a huge Harriet Evans fan, I was delighted to dive into an advance copy of her new novel. This is a wonderfully rich, slow-burn family saga spanning the 1940s to the 1960s. I particularly enjoyed the nostalgic details, especially the prominent feature of China animals – a sweet blast from my own past!

Don't let the gentle pace fool you; Evans doesn't shy away from depicting life's harsher realities. The book explores hard-hitting themes such as racism, attempted rape, extortion, lesbianism (in the 1940s), drug use, all rendered with a brutal honesty that is somehow still beautifully written. Harriet Evans' prose is as captivating as ever, and I'm eagerly anticipating the continuation of this compelling series.

I loved this. A wonderful and clever family drama. Right up there with the Cazalet series.

I loved the split countries and time line. The shattered and damaged people and the people doing their best. The way things were left in the air and left mysteriously absent.

I am so pleased I have discovered Harriet Evans and am thrilled to discover she has written 13 other novels. Not only that, I can see from her website this is the first of a trilogy of novels. Bliss.

Wow! I’ve only read one book by Harriett Evans before (The Wildflowers) I enjoyed it but this is so completely different you’d think it was by a different author. Absolutely loved it. It is not often a book moves me to tears but this one did several times - mainly when Tom and his father were separated- but also with Alice and Bob. The characters are all so very real and the book is very very hard to put down. My only slight criticism is that I felt the last third was slightly too angst-ridden & that part all went on rather too long, becoming a little too muddled and druggy. I guess that was realistic of the area and the times though so I’m not going to be too picky- 5* it is because it’s a brilliant read and beautifully written. Thank you Harriet Evans and thank you Net Galley.

I loved this book and can’t wait for the next two books in the trilogy. The characters are well described and grow with the book. The story, based around an English house starts in America and covers an interesting period in history with Civil Rights, Vietnam and hippies. Very well written by a new-to-me author whose back catalogue I’m looking forward to exploring.

A story about two young people who have an unexpected connection in the UK and NYC. It was beautifully told and a compelling read.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. The character were well developed and I actually really cared about what would happen to them. The writing is beautiful and draws you in. I believe this is the first in a trilogy and I really glad as I think ‘Sevenstones’ has more stories to tell!

A lovely story taking the reader through the Second World War to the swinging sixties. The story begins in America and we are introduced to Alice and her troubled father on the eve of her sixteenth birthday. Her father has always given her little figurines - her treasures which she hold dear and when she receives a phone calls from a young man called Tom Raven all the way from Scotland, making enquiries about someone she holds dear they both realise they have a connection. Her father has died in tragic circumstances and Tom is running away from a lost love. They eventually find each other in New York where flower power rules but the course of true love never runs smooth and this story is full of unexpected twists and turns but certainly keeps the reader entertained right until the end. I was worried for a while but so relieved when the author didn’t let me down! Beautifully written and I look forward to reading more please!

Oh how I do love a new Harriet Evans book.

This was a hefty book and I was worried it would feel that as well reading it, but it flew by. I was immediately absorbed and I absolutely loved it and read it way into the night. In fact I read it in less than 24 hours because I was just so engrossed.

It does have long chapters though which is my big bug bear, but I managed to by pass that, the story being so good.

For someone who is allergic to apples, I did appreciate in a morbid way that they kept cropping up throughout this book.

It is a slow burn and yet doesn't feel slow. It gives you everything you need and everything you want, but gives you time and doesn't overwhelm you.

You've sort of got two stories going on: one in America with Alice, and the other in the UK with Tom. But they do overlap. Harriet's done it very cleverly. She's given us Alice's story, we get to know her, what she wants, what she's been through. And then we get to know Tom in the same way, so that when the stories start to mix, you know enough about them to get really invested.

I don't know what she's planning on putting in books two and three, as this is an epic in itself. And I'm quite said that I have to wait for the next installment. Having said that, if you just read this as a standalone, it would be just as fabulous I'm sure.

It's a mixture of historical, family drama, with a bit of romance, thrills and spills, fear, and the hangover of WW2. It's got everything you want.

I think this is my fourth book of hers and it is by far the best. It's unbelievable storytelling, fantastically flawed but beautiful characters, such deep love and hope and joy amongst the sadness. It is so thorough, with such depth, as individual stories and the book as a whole, it's such an impressive feat and I applaud her.

I read a lot of books - we're talking 350+ a year - and so most books have to leave my head pretty quickly, otherwise I can't focus on the next one, but this is one that I'll definitely carry around for me for a long time.

Harriet's story creation, the language she uses, it's just so - and I feel there should be a more impressive word than this but sometimes the simplest is the best - it's just so very, very good.

This is the work of an author who is so sure of herself, of her talent, is experienced. Someone who is at the peak of their creativeness and storytelling abilities.

Alice and Tom live on different continents, thousands of miles apart. Neither are happy with their lives. What is the link between them and the house, Sevenstones? A n enthralling read, I can't wait for the sequel.

A very character driven, multigenerational story that will tug at your heartstrings. I will admit that it took me a while to get into the book and I did find myself putting it down for a breather every now and then, but I was invested in both Alice and Tom's stories and to find out how they were linked.

It's quite a heavy read which is probably what contributed to my lower rating due to reading it whilst on holiday (it's definitely not a holiday kind of book!), and therefore feel I should mention some potential trigger warnings. Themes of trauma, grief, sexual assault, depression and suicide are prevalent throughout the book in considerable detail.

Overall, it's a beautifully written book that is the start of an exciting trilogy. The second half definitely drew me in more than the first, and I do plan to pick up the next books in the future.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for my e-ARC!

The first book in the Sevenstones Trilogy, and told in four parts.

Part One of this book introduces us to Alice Jansen who lives with her parents in the small town of Orchard, in the Hudson Valley, New York. We slowly get to know about the Jansen family and their landlord and employer the wealthy Wilder Kynaston, some time writer who hasn’t had anything published in some years, but still thinks of himself as a person of note. As the story progresses the Kynaston hold on the Jansens tightens until Alice decides enough is enough.

Part Two brings us Tom Raven, a young boy who lives in the wilds of Scotland with his father. After the death of his wife Irene, Edward Raven decides to leave London and its memories and make a new life for him and his son somewhere totally different. The arrangement is that once Tom reaches nine years old, he will return to his mother’s family in London, the once affluent Caldicotts. Sadly Edwards omits to fill Tom in with this small detail.

As the story evolves, the lives of Alice and Tom become ever more complicated and interconnected, with secrets and lies revealed.

I really liked this book and was fully invested from the start. It is a slow burn, but very well written. Although the arc I received was far from perfect - wrong names, timelines dodgy - it was well worth persevering and still worthy of 5*. I’m sure the finished book will be perfect.

Already looking forward to book two of the trilogy.


Thank you NetGalley and Penguin General UK.

A saga going back generations and linking separate stories with one house. It's just right for those who love a family saga spanning the decades after the war to the present day and it's the first of a trilogy.

What an unusual story. Incredibly well crafted, it links generations over different locations so well. At the heart is a house and the connections are at first unclear, but but by bit, the reader is drawn into what are almost novellas. New York, wartime London, Dumfries and Galloway and the 60s hippy scene. I was mesmerised by the characters and the plotting,, keen to know how they all fitted together. It’s very clever and a delightful read. Takes you with it and it’s excellent escapist reading. Relaxing and intriguing. I’m really looking forward to more in this series. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley fir a review copy.

A treasure trove of words 📖📚

This was a beautifully worded, slow burn of a story. Initially hard to get into but worth persevering with.

A book of four parts, introducing young Alice Jansen living in the 1960s, along the Hudson River in Orchard, outside New York. Alice lived with her family and was beholden to her father’s employer, Wilder Kynaston, who held a toxic relationship with his own and their family.

We also followed young Tom Raven, starting in Scotland in the 1950s and continue his story as he moved to London to live with his strange Aunt and Uncle.

There is also a house called Sevenstones, surrounded by magical stones, which was a haven and a link for all, from past to present.

This novel has a lot of back story with family and friends, but builds with a subtle intensity, plus includes much post war history. When the two main characters’ lives collide, we learn how the past has irrevocably linked them together.

This story is both magical and thought provoking and is worth the time and effort spent, but not a quick read. The phrasing was stunning and weaved a web around the reader, leaving a warm glow. I am looking forward to reading the second in the trilogy and would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin General UK – Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business and Harriett Evans for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Due to be published on 12 June 2025.

4.5
This is an epic story with exquisite writing that delves deep into the main characters and their psyches.

The story is divided into different sections: the first part tells the heartbreaking coming of age story of Alice in upper state New York in the 1960s, the breaking of her family and their toxic friendship with the Kynaston Family.
The second part tells the story of Tom, beginning in the 1950s and following him as he grows up in Scotland, then London. Both of their stories are full of trauma, family secrets, grief and longing. The massive social changes of the post war years and swinging sixties were wrought beautifully and reflects the changes that Alice and Tom go through in their teen years. The last part of the novel saw them meet and unravel the complicated way that they’re connected and find out the truths they’ve been kept from.

A beautiful, evocative novel full of love, longing, betrayal and change. This is a slow burn novel that delves deep, so only read if you enjoy a slow story (very well told).
I’m really looking forward to the next book in the saga!
Thank you to NetGalley & Viking Books for the copy to review.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc. I absolutely loved the first half but found the second harder going. Overall a good book though!