An interesting read and a sad mystery. generational trauma from WWII is described beautifully by Morris. it was also a welcomed change to read about Jewish persons from Italy instead of Germany in the forefront of this story. it truly helped to show the magnitude of this time frame.

thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to listen to an ARC of this book.

4.5🌟

The Red House by Mary Morris is a historical fiction story primarily set in Italy. It features Laura, who is searching for her mother, Viola, who just left the family home one day and disappeared without a trace. The book travels back to WWII Italy, featuring Viola as a child, then to the US with Viola as a mother/Laura as a child, and back to Italy with Laura as an adult, trying to find out what happened to her mom.

I finished this in less than a day. I was pulled in by the story and had to know more. I enjoyed the many layers of the mystery. The characters were complex and dealt with many painful challenges. The writing kept me engaged throughout, empathizing with their struggles. I've always loved Italy; the vivid descriptions brought the different regions to life. It was like taking a journey through the country without leaving home.

I could see some readers finding the meandering timelines/POVs confusing. Therefore, it's not an audiobook you can get distracted from and still understand what's happening.

Alyssa Bresnahan narrates the audiobook. Her voice is fantastic and works well for all sorts of characters - young, old, male, female, etc. I would gladly listen to another book she narrates.

It's interesting that just the other day, I was complaining about an audiobook that had dialogue mixing French and English and how annoying that was. But the Italian and English mix here was enjoyable to me. Granted, I have a vested interest in learning Italian, so that's probably why.

Recommended for historical fiction & mystery lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the ALC.

Mary Morris has written an incredibly powerful, sad, and yet also beautiful novel of a generational family broken by the physical, mental, and emotional atrocities of war. There are glimpses of the innate kindness in human nature at times, and an underlying current of hope in the characters, despite the dire circumstances. I loved the sense of the puzzle pieces coming together to create a finished picture and while the image may not be the desired result, it is something to have it complete. The audiobook is narrated perfectly and hearing the story touched me in a profound thought-provoking way that will stick with me for a long time.

I was really looking forward to this historical novel. I struggle with audiobooks when there are multiple POV and storylines. I think I would have enjoyed a print version of this story as the characters and plot were really lovable.

The Red House is a wonderful combo of history and mystery. I love the use of multiple perspectives and dual timelines when done well and I thought Morris pulled both off nicely. The narration was well done and added an extra layer of enjoyment.

The Red House is a story about trauma and a child's search to learn about her mother's experiences during WWII in Mussolini's Italy. Laura was born in post-WWII Italy to Viola, an Italian woman and her American father. The family eventually moved to New Jersey. Viola was an artist, who frequently painted a red house from different angles, writing on the back, "I will not be here forever." Since her parents never spoke about the war and Viola never discussed her childhood or her family, Laura has no context to understand why Viola left them. Viola suddenly disappeared thirty years earlier and never came back. When her father dies, Laura finds the red house paintings stored and finds herself wondering, once more, about her mother's past and what clues it might offer about her disappearance. Her parents had a close, loving marriage. Her mother loved Laura and her sister. Why did she never tell them where she was? Laura spontaneously decides to go to Italy to try to find out more about her mother's family. She starts at the town where they lived as a family in an apartment near the sea. Little by little Laura finds small hints about her mother, her grandparents and an uncle. She lucks into encounters with people who can give her a lot of information. And with each lead, she travels to another place looking for more.

This novel is told via two timelines, Viola at ages 13 to her late teens. It takes us through her experience of being in the wrong place at the wrong time at such a vulnerable age, going from an very comfortable upper middle class life with close friends and her grandparents living upstairs to a period of extreme deprivation that continues for several years and fundamentally changes her forever. Although Laura is in her forties as she searches for her mother, this is a coming of age story about both Viola and Laura. We learn that each of them suffered from more than one devastating experience that was traumatic and unforgettable. And we learn what carried them forward despite this. It is a fascinating and unputdownable account. I am not one to include spoilers in a review and saying anything more would result in spoilers, but I was really interested to learn about some of Mussolini's policies that were different from Hitler's around some issues and also about the post-war intense deprivation experienced by at least Southern Italian families.

I listened to the audio version of the Red House, supremely narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan, complete with accents and good choices regarding voices used. I highly recommend this.

There are multiple timelines, multiple POVs, kinda jumping all over the place, but unfolds in order of importance. That might drive some readers crazy. Despite the gravity of the plot, I lost interest many times and it moved so slowly that I wanted to fast forward through it. If I'd had the physical book, I'd have skipped ahead. What saved the book for me was the ending. I absolutely loved how it ended.

Thank you to Mary Morris, RBmedia and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. ♡

₊˚⊹⋆ genres: historical fiction, fiction, mystery

₊˚⊹⋆ first thoughts: now a handful of chapters in, i am very intrigued to find out what the heck is going on. as a mother it is hard to imagine just up and leaving my family, but the way viola left laura and her family almost seems purposeful. the fact it became a cold case, and the family never got closure as to what happened would be heartbreaking. i couldn't imagine being laura and carrying that uncertainly for over a decade.

+˚⊹⋆ final thoughts: the flow between laura's pov and viola's pov was done really well, although i would have preferred for the chapters to be titled with which is which - selfishly because sometimes my brain will wander and by the time i'm trying to scramble what i just read, it is easy for me to differentiate quickly.
my favorite part of this story was learning viola's life through her pov, showing wwii and the generational trauma it had on this family over time. it made it more interesting to see how this all played into laura's life and her choices over time.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had the audio version of this and absolutely loved it. It's beautifully written, weaving modern day with the story of Laura's mother during the second world war in Italy.

While I loved the story, I found the implicit theme of the impact of lost parents on how we develop and grow to be especially captivating. The experiences of a daughter growing up without her mother, never knowing what had happened to her, is poignant and beautifully handled. There is so much sadness in the story and yet it is also about hope and how we carry on despite the most terrible experiences. It's about missed opportunities and what if moments. I'd definitely recommend this, it's a brilliant read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7565416978

Viola’s story was the standout for me—richly drawn, emotionally resonant, and the true heart of the novel. In contrast, I found Laura’s sections less engaging, and the dual timeline structure ultimately diluted the narrative rather than deepening it. The mystery element weirdly felt extraneous and undermined the book’s more compelling themes. This had the potential to be a powerful, character-driven novel, and I wish the author had trusted that strength without the added distractions.

The Red House is a perfect blend of history and mystery - and I loved it.

The audio narration was very enjoyable to listen to. The characters are captured so well across genders and accents, whilst transporting the listener to the Italian landscapes.

This story portrays how wartime events and family circumstances resulted in a lasting trauma that Viola never recovered from. This in turn impacted and shaped Laura’s life. Laura’s journey enables her to find answers and discover the heartbreaking truth that has been hidden for years.

The Red House is beautifully crafted and captivating story that reflects trauma and its consequences through the generations.

I received an audio copy of this book from the publisher, RBmedia. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Red House is a family mystery that explores WWII's impact on Italy. Laura's mother, Viola, went missing 30 years ago, and Laura is committed to finding answers. Told in alternating perspectives, Viola's and Laura's, we learn more about Viola, things that Laura never knew. Viola kept her past hidden from her family, and her disappearance leaves her family reeling. They are unsure if she left willingly, if she was the victim of a terrible crime. What Laura soon discovers is that her mother experienced the horrors of WWII in ways she never knew. This story is heavy, but I was enthralled for the first two-thirds. The last third took a turn that didn't work for me, but I still enjoyed the book. I didn't love how the narrative wrapped up, and the ending felt a little stilted because of how it was told.

I will say -- the narration isn't labeled very well, and there were times when I got a little lost about which perspective was happening. In any event, I enjoyed the writing. It was vivid and emotional. I'm conflicted about this one, but ultimately, I hoped for more from the ending.

This book started off interesting and created some intriguing characters to explore. The audiobook narration is good but things start to get confusing when the story switches to other characters without any distinct delineation within the story like using different chapters or different narrators. We go back in time to world war 2 but I wasn’t exactly sure what point in time the present day story is taking place. I would say this book is probably better to read in print. Couldn’t quit follow it on audiobook and for that I lost interest.

Two POVs carefully woven together tell the story of The Red House. Laura, whose mother disappeared a lifetime ago, and Viola, that same mother, tell their versions of the story that set each life off.

When Viola disappears, all she leaves behind is a painting, which Laura uses as the jumping off point to try to figure out what happened to her mother. She travels to Italy, where her parents met during the war, and begins to piece together a big family secret.

Gorgeous prose, evocative story-telling, Mary Morris has crafted a gem of a book. I adored the audio production and highly recommend listening to this one.

Laura’s mother, Viola, disappeared 30 years ago. Now Laura has decided to go Italy and see if she can unravel some of her mother’s past.

Laura is a character that I wanted to help. She is just a bit lost and is at loose ends. Her marriage is on the brink and this has led her to make a few decisions. And these decisions lead her on a quest for the truth. She soon discovered more than she ever bargained for.

This is told in 2 different timelines, Laura’s and her mother’s. I enjoyed both. These are woven together nicely to create a tale of secrets and hidden truths.

I have never read this author. I found her writing style to be very blunt. This is just an observation. I enjoyed it more than I expected. The narrator, Alyssa Bresnahan, did a very good job with this style of writing.

Need a family mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This one broke my heart but I loved it. It’s an incredible mix of mystery, historical fiction, family drama and more. I loved being along for Laura’s journey as she uncovered her mother’s past to try to figure out why she left and where she could be. Laura seemed like such a real character as she dealt with the painful discoveries of her mother’s past. And Viola will be an unforgettable character for me. The narrator was spot on - - absolutely wonderful.

I absolutely loved this book so much. The writing style made me feel like I was in a movie and I absolutely will recommend this to anyone who will listen. Unfortunately, I was approved for the this book one day before it got archived so I didn't get to finish it completely. So I will have to buy a copy today since it is the release day today.

Morris is a new author for me, and really enjoyed this novel.
When Laura’s mother went missing thirty years ago she did not leave much behind except beautiful paintings of a red house. Viola’s body was never found, could this painting hold the key to her disappearance or her past. Laura kept her mothers paintings and her mother left a mysterious message in Italian on her work. The message said “I will not be here forever”. How profound!!
Laura decides to dig into her mothers past and finds herself in Italy.
What will she discover?

This was kind of an odd story. I thought it was mostly going to be about Laura going searching for her mother, Viola, who disappeared so many years ago. New evidence has come up and renewed Laura's desire to travel back to Italy and search for the Red House that was in all of Viola's paintings. But then it switches to Viola and her childhood and the atrocities from WW2 that happened to her and her family. I did end up liking Viola's viewpoint best and how strong she was to live through all the awful things that happened which also explained why she did what she did when she disappeared. Laura was not as likable, even if her mother's disappearance shaped her life and how some of the bad choices she made she linked back to her mother. Though it ends on a more positive note as Laura is able to find closure about the mystery of her mother and is willing to work through her own issues now.

Since most of this book seems to be stream of consciousness, I did have issues figuring out who the narrator was, as it switched, with no notification between Laura present day, Laura childhood, then Viola just before she disappears and her own childhood. It was a meandering story and left me thinking about all that happened after finishing the book.

The narrator did a good job of making the story real, even if it was hard to tell when the characters changed and the story jumped to a different time. The narrator had a nice, soothing voice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this audiobook.

Very atmospheric and captivating. I really enjoyed the cadence and voice of the narrator. Her inflection leant a spirit to the story that I would have missed had I read it physically. I found the writing to be poetic. The author gently guides you through the main character’s life in glimpses that are equal parts remarkable and relatable.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this!