Review: The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe

I just finished The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe.  I was intrigued when I first read about this book.  I knew she was a good writer after I had read her first book The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.  I had high expectations for her follow-up.  I was not let down.

In House of Velvet and Glass we are transported between a few different eras.  Primarily we are in Boston 3 yrs after the Titanic sank.  The Allston’s were greatly effected by this event.  Especially that of our main character Sybil.  Sybil becomes intrenched  in the new Spiritualist movement of mediums and seances that her mother before her was enamoured with. We follow Sybil as her beliefs are questioned and her grasp on reality is tenuous as she deals with her grief.   The book jumps between this primary time period to following Sybil’s mother and sister onboard of the Titanic to her father in the mid 1800’s as a young boy whose ship docks in Shanghai.  You may wonder how the three things are interlocked, but Katherine Howe weaves the story so fluidly that it is easy to find yourself easily transitioning between stories.  You will question at times where is she heading with this or why is that significant, but it does all connect in the end.

This historical fiction has everything you want in a book.  It has intrigue, romance, suspense and tragedy.  As a follow-up, Katherine Howe out does herself.  Katherine Howe brings enough paranormal into her writing that you can believe that these things can happen without them seeming so far-fetched.  I cannot wait for her next book.

You can find out more about Katherine Howe’s books at katherinehowe.com.  Her books can be found at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and all other book retailers.