Talk about a birthday ending in zero, this is it! Lisa
Trumpeton Katz knows at breakfast that her hubby, Jake, has
forgotten it is her special day. She decides to have her
own private birthday, doing all the things she never gets to
do. A visit to a museum, lunch, shopping, nails and a
pedicure, she returns home exhausted. A terrific surprise
awaits her as her son, Ted, flew in from Australia, her
daughter, Portia, from Venice Beach, California and her
sister Maxine and her husband, Gordon, also from Australia,
all there. Corks pop and Jake is starting a testimonial to
his wife of over 20 years when someone knocks on the door.
Ted answers it and returns with a magnificent basket
overflowing with red, long stemmed roses. Lisa reaches for
the card as Jake tries to grab it first. "To my darling,
Belle, cannot wait until we are together forever so I can
bury my head in your thighs every night. All my love,
Jake. " All hell breaks loose as Lisa throws the flowers in
his face and orders him "out." So much for a happy
birthday, Lisa.
Alone in her New York apartment, her children gone, divorce
proceedings near, Lisa needs to finish her second book about
the Bronte sisters. She makes the decision to return to
Australia where she was born. Her son and sister are there.
Perhaps she can finish her book and start a new chapter in
her life. TUMBLEDOWN MANOR is a sweet tale of coming home,
discovering her roots, fortifying her relationships with
her family and perhaps finding a new love? Discovering the
dilapidated ancestral manor that belonged long ago to her
grandfather is for sale, she buys it and begins to restore
it to its former beauty. Despite a flood, fire, dark family
secrets, Lisa continues rebuilding the former Trumpeton
Manor trading her City clothes to jeans and sturdy work
boots.
I enjoyed the appearance of a feral one eyed cat, MOJO,
that sneaked into Lisa's heart and mine too. Not to be
excluded in the action is KIWI, the injured cockatoo that
learns to fly after hurting his wing. Also sneaking into
Lisa's heart, slowly but surely, is the handsome,
landscape/designer Scott who is sweet, patient with a
irresistible grin and a sense of humor that I find very
appealing.
TUMBLEDOWN MANOR is truly a lovely story that has it all. It
unfolds with lots of humor, present day social issues, and a
description of a country I need to visit and needs to go to
the top of my Bucket List. Well written, you have a new
fan, Ms. Helen Brown. Thank you for such a sweet treat. It
is delicious!
From New York Times bestselling author Helen Brown comes a
witty, uplifting novel about a woman who discovers that it's
never too late to build the home--and the life--you've
always longed for…
The windows rattle. The roof leaks. Every surface cries out
to be stripped, painted, or polished. But for writer Lisa
Trumperton, the dilapidated manor house that once belonged
to her great-grandfather is far more than the sum of its
battered parts. It's the chance for a new start on her own
terms.
The fact that it's in the Melbourne countryside of her
Australian homeland, far from the deceitful ex-husband she
just left behind in New York…well, that's a bonus.
Lisa sets to work refurbishing Trumperton Manor, assisted by
her son, his friends, and a "Gray Army" of retired handymen.
But it's not just her ancestral home that's being
transformed. As she trades her chic Manhattan clothes for
jeans and work boots, Lisa is changing and fortifying her
relationships with her family and her sense of self.
There are floods, fires, and catastrophes, but there are new
allies too, including a one-eyed cat, a stubborn cockatoo,
and a rugged landscaper with an irresistible grin. Piece by
piece, the house is pushing Lisa beyond her old limits,
daring her to embrace something bigger, braver, and more
rewarding than she ever dreamed.
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