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The House at the End of Hope Street
The House at the End of Hope Street: A Novel | Menna van Praag
43 posts | 33 read | 67 to read
A magical debut about an enchanted house that offers refuge to women in their time of needDistraught that her academic career has stalled, Alba is walking through her hometown of Cambridge, England, when she finds herself in front of a house shes never seen before, 11 Hope Street. A beautiful older woman named Peggy greets her and invites her to stay, on the houses usual conditions: she has ninety-nine nights to turn her life around. With nothing left to lose, Alba takes a chance and moves in.She soon discovers that this is no ordinary house. Past residents have included Virginia Woolf and Dorothy Parker, who, after receiving the assistance they needed, hung around to help newcomersliterally, in talking portraits on the wall. As she escapes into this new world, Alba begins a journey that will heal her woundsand maybe even save her life.Filled with a colorful and unforgettable cast of literary figures, The House at the End of Hope Street is a charming, whimsical novel of hope and feminine wisdom that is sure to appeal to fans of Jasper Fforde and especially Sarah Addison Allen.
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Bits
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Pickpick

I liked this quirky little book! It's like feminist-Hermione-booknerd magic for adults. Fun!

@suvata - heading back to you today!

suvata I‘m glad you liked it. I wasn‘t quite sure about it but ended up liking it too. 3y
HeathHof 🤩 🤩 🤩 3y
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sprainedbrain
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Pickpick

Loved this book from @suvata for #LMPBC!

I had never heard of the book or the author before this, but it‘s such a well-written celebration of women, music, and literature that I will most definitely be looking for more by Van Praag.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

suvata Great! Glad you liked it. 4y
Gissy Love the cover!😍 4y
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suvata
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#LMPBC Round 11 - #GroupS
@sprainedbrain @Bits

@suvata has mailed a book to @HOTPock3tt

Enjoy!

HOTPock3tt Yay!! 😃excited!! 🎉 @suvata (edited) 4y
Bits The Immortalists is heading your way, @suvata ! Should arrive Friday. 4y
suvata @Bits That‘s perfect. I‘m getting a new couch on Friday. Something nice and comfy to sit down and read on. 4y
Bits @suvata Oooo! Sounds lovely! 4y
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suvata
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Pickpick

• Read in March 2021 for Litsy Markup Postal Book Club #LMPBC Round 11 - #GroupS

A magical but realistic look into the women who pioneered the feminist movement. I learned so much about these amazing women through the power of fiction. This book will always have a special place in my heart. I am so glad that I shared it with the Litsy group.

HOTPock3tt Looking forward to this one!!!😃 @suvata 4y
55 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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suvata
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Litsy Markup Postal Book Club

#LMPBC Round 11 - #GroupS
@suvata @HOTPock3tt @sprainedbrain

Hey, Group S, is this where we stand right now? @Bits Do you have any books in mind? Y‘all let me know if the graphic ⬆️ is correct.

HOTPock3tt Yes mine is correct! ☺️ 4y
sprainedbrain Mine is correct! 🥳 4y
Bits The Immortalists for my pick! Looking forward to these! 😁 4y
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Elizabeth2
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#two4tuesday

1. Tagged. Was a book club book, so I wanted a physical copy for my bookshelf. Loved this book!

2. No gifts or purchases in the last week. Maybe I need to rectify that. 🤔

@TheSpineView

Thanks for the tag @Eggs ❤️

If you see this and you haven‘t played along, consider yourself tagged. 🙂❤️📚

TheSpineView A week without a book purchased! You're willpower is impressive! Thanks for playing! 4y
kspenmoll I loved this book too! 4y
Elizabeth2 @kspenmoll ❤️ The four of us in our little book club all liked it! We decided we want to go stay in the House at the end of Hope Street for 99 days. 😂 4y
35 likes3 comments
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emz711
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Pickpick

So cute, kind of like a less spooky ocean at the end of the lane.

#magicalrealism

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emz711
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Library book haul!
This is what happens when I put things on hold and can't go inside the library!
What should be my next read?

#knitting #library #bookhaul #3books

Beatlefan129 I love that color yarn, so pretty for fall 4y
emz711 @Beatlefan129 right! And I don't even like orange. Bought 3 skeins on sale, making pumpkins 🎃🎃 4y
57 likes2 comments
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Elizabeth2
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Pickpick

What a charming book! Women find themselves at the house at the end of Hope Street, when they‘ve done just that - come to the end of their hope. The house, with its magical ways, and equally magical caretaker help these women find themselves, in spite of themselves. Sweet, fun, romantic...I enjoyed my time with these women. Literary references abound, with many famous women - past residents of the house - adorning the walls. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

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Elizabeth2
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Pumpkin Spice in my cup, a good book in my lap, the sun on my face....perfect way to begin the day. ❤️📚☕️

Sace Love this post. I can feel the zen! 4y
Elizabeth2 @Sace Definitely finding peace out here today. ❤️📚❤️☕️ 4y
BookNAround This was a lovely book. 4y
Elizabeth2 @BookNAround I am reading it with my book club and really enjoying it. The review on the front sold me - Sarah Addison Allen is a must read author for me! 4y
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sleepy.ash87
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Pickpick

This book helped me fall back in love with fiction novels after being swamped with graduate studies and motherhood for far too long. Whimsy, wisdom, a celebration of women, life, family, and personal growth, a feel-good read. Love!

Nute Welcome to Litsy! It‘s a warm and friendly community. I know that you will enjoy yourself here. I‘m looking forward to getting to know you!🙂 4y
sleepy.ash87 Nute, you are so kind! Thank you for the warm greeting. I look forward to getting to know you as well! 4y
4 likes2 comments
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Elizabeth2
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Reading this little thing next. It‘s my book club‘s next pick. ❤️📚 I love Sarah Addison Allen, so I am really looking forward to reading this!

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MaureenMc
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Pickpick

A tale of three women, at the end of their ropes, who magically arrive at the titular house. They have 99 days to turn their lives around & are aided on their journeys by the house itself, its landlady, and the spirits of other women who lived in the house in the past. (The latter includes Virginia Woolf, Emmeline Pankhurst & Agatha Christie.) This was a sweet story about sorrow, love, dreams, & learning to trust yourself & others. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Linsy Cute cover! 🧡 4y
MaureenMc @Linsy Yep, this was a total “purchased it for the cover” book. 😊 4y
Linsy @MaureenMc Totally get it! Would've done the same thing. 💚 4y
31 likes1 stack add3 comments
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MaureenMc
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Fun Book Outlet haul for me & my daughter! We finished our first week of homeschooling, & so far, so good. But it‘s cutting into my reading time, when I can focus. Hang in there, Litsy friends!

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KarenUK
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#manicmonday #joscho
📚The House at the end of Hope Street
🎥House Party 😂🤦‍♀️
🎶Home by Phillip Phillips

sudi I thought of the same song 😊🙌 6y
JoScho 💙🏡💙 6y
36 likes2 comments
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readingjedi
Mehso-so

Intriguing premise, fantastical & imaginative, but sadly it didn't realise it's promise. Whimsical and then some to the point of being twee and, well, drippy. The function of the house wasn't clear - this aspect, if fully developed, could've set this novel apart but ultimately just felt superfluous to the story. Literary references seemed shoe-horned in and lacked authenticity. Twist was blindingly obvious and resolution of MC's family issues ☟☟☟

readingjedi ....came too easily. All that said, it was an entertaining, lightweight read and fun too, if you don't analyse it too much. Ending was neatly rounded off but kinda frustratingly unsatisfying. 7y
LeafingThroughLife I wanted to like this one more than I did. I agree that it had a great premise, but the execution just wasn‘t satisfying. 7y
63 likes2 comments
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mcipher
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She is SO happy that it's not hot today. She just stopped kneading and/or licking me for three seconds so I could snap her picture but she's still purring like mad. We love this book, btw.

Tanzy13 🐱 7y
LauraBrook What a sweet girl! 😍😽😍😽😍 7y
MyNamesParadise Such a beautiful cat!!! 7y
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Lmstraubie Sweet 😻 7y
JanuarieTimewalker13 She's so cute!! What is her name? 7y
mcipher @JanuarieTimewalker13 Thanks! Her name is Edith. @MyNamesParadise @LauraBrook @Tanzy13 😊 She's cute but she's a pain! Such a VOCAL girl! 7y
JanuarieTimewalker13 So cute!! Oh ok, so she's likes to sing...Edith Piaf!!! Non, je ne regrette rien 🙂 7y
JanuarieTimewalker13 Edith is such a cute name!!! 7y
mcipher @JanuarieTimewalker13 Maybe that's it! She's just taking after her namesake. 😂 7y
MyNamesParadise @mcipher awww I can just here the meows! 7y
75 likes2 stack adds10 comments
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OffTheBeatenShelf.com
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#hipsterabook It was actually kind of challenging to get the classes sticker to be that small, lol.

Also, I bought this book just based on the cover, but how could I note?! I want that design as an 11x14 print in my living room!

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mcipher
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How fun is this? So far such a charming book, in loving it (and this is just page 10!)

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AliBG
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Pickpick

Charming little story with a whiff of magical realism.

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AliBG
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This was the first book I added to my TBR from Litsy --almost a year ago now. And I am loving it now that I finally have a chance to read it. Well done, Littens! Good recommendation! 😍

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readingjedi

"Alba exhales, suddenly realising she's been holding her breath".

Is it law that this heinous line (in varying forms) must be in every book ever published?

Seriously, it is tragic how many times I've read this! Puts me right off - the book, the author, living
...

Maybe I'm missing something...do people actually do this all the time? Am I the only weirdo in the entire world that doesn't spend hours of my life not knowing I'm not breathing!!

TobeyTheScavengerMonk That's almost as bad as when a character hears someone screaming... then realizes it is themselves. 8y
42 likes1 comment
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KarenUK
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4.6 #aprilamazingbooks #magical Maybe a little twee for some tastes but I loved this charming book with a Sarah Addison Allen vibe....Alba, a Ph.D student at Cambridge Uni, has 99 nights to turn her life around, with the help of the residents (past and present) of the magical No. 11. There are talking portraits of famous inspiring women, and a quirky cast of female residents. A whimsical story with a dash of magic, full of women supporting women.

Laura317 That was a sweet book. I'm not exactly sure what twee means, but was a cute book. 8y
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Moray_Reads
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Panpan

How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways:
1) Poor characterisation
2) Clichés abound
3) Muddled structure
4) Espousal of feminism alongside some very un-feminist tropes
5) Filling the mouths of significant women with trite clichés
And that's just a few! There are parts of this that read like the worst kind of high-school rom com (minus the "com"). #TacklingTheTBR

Hobbinol Ooo. Feel the burn!👏🏻 8y
Moray_Reads @Hobbinol It probably didn't help that my last three books were all 5-star reads but this really was poor 8y
KVanRead Tell us how you really feel!! 😂 Love a good rage review 👏👏👏 8y
See All 7 Comments
Moray_Reads @KVanRead 😶😠😳 8y
saresmoore Ha! Perfect sticker usage! 8y
Moray_Reads @saresmoore I enjoyed editing the picture more than reading the book 😈😅 8y
zsuzsanna_reads Best litsy picture I've seen so far! 8y
47 likes7 comments
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Bambolina_81
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Pickpick

A sweet story with a great deal of potential. While this was an enjoyable read of magical realism (I particularly enjoyed the love story of Elizabeth and Albert) I felt it dragged in places. I loved Peggy and the intriguing house which sighs and moves and the way Alba describes the world with such vivid colour but there was something missing that has left me a little disappointed. Recommended for anyone who enjoys light magical realism.

KarenUK My book club read this and we loved it pretty much all around 💕 8y
erzascarletbookgasm I have this on my TBR :) 8y
37 likes2 comments
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Bambolina_81
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Simple but helpful advice for everyone!

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Bambolina_81
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Sylvia Plath and Dorothy Parker giving writing advice to Alba...

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Bambolina_81
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I've been very twitchy and restless with my reading so far this year. Last night I thought I'd try this and I was charmed straight away...the perfect read when you can't sleep as it's magical with a hint of mystery.

KarenUK Loved this one 💕 8y
Bambolina_81 @KarenUK I've only read the first chapter but it's lovely. I thought it was going to be a bit twee but it isn't. 8y
LeahBergen I have this on my TBR. 8y
45 likes1 stack add3 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
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'We need diverse books because no one ever said "I want a box of 64 white crayons".'
These are some of the diverse reads that I have, a few I liked, the rest on my TBR.
#seasonsreadings2016 #weneeddiversebooks @RealLifeReading

DGRachel I love that quote! 8y
RealLifeReading Awesome quote! And such great reads. I'm addicted to Higashino's books! 8y
46 likes2 comments
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AmalinaTaib
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That one bookish fiction that caught my reading interest - which currently is heavily skewed towards non-fiction - just because it's bookish.

Oh well it's fine. Too many fictions await to be devoured once Year 3 starts. Which makes it a point to raise that 'Reader, I Married Him' ended up in the stack because I'll be elatedly stuck with Jane Eyre for the next year for dissertation !

#rm5Fiesta

MrBook You've got some mighty fine titles in this cache! And Welcome to @Litsy ! We hope you enjoy your stay, I think you'll like it here 😎👍🏻. 8y
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KarenUK
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Pickpick

#recommendsday A total feel good read...Alba, a young Ph.D student at Cambridge Uni, has hit rock bottom. She has ninety-nine nights to turn her life around, with the help of the residents (past and present) of the magical No. 11 Hope Street. With the talking portraits of famous inspiring women ....and the unforgettably quirky cast of female residents... This is a whimsical story with a dash of magic, full of women supporting women.... Love it :)

AliBG Yay!!! This sounds delightful. TBR! 8y
[DELETED] 2232195534 Love the sound of this one!! 8y
33 likes5 stack adds2 comments
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kspenmoll
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Book box arrived/ can't keep up; still working on old stack!

Laura317 I loved Quiet and the Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. Quiet made me feel vindicated. RoBWR was just sweet. 8y
kspenmoll Began Quiet - I seem to have more than one book going at once- want to get back to it. 8y
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BookishShelly
Mehso-so

The book had potential, but it was only ok. It would have been better if the focus was more strongly on Alba and Peggy, with much less of the book on the two other women staying at the house. The book dragged on in places only to have a rushed and sloppy ending. Disappointing.

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Laura317
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Pickpick

I really liked a lot about this book. It is sweet and magical. There are elements that might be off-putting to some more conservative or sensitive people. The story was good, and the main characters I found likeable. All in all, I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️.

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Laura317
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"And some people don't have what it takes to be happy. It isn't an easy thing, you know. It takes great courage and determination, to keep looking for light in all the darkness of life."

Laura317 This quote! 😍 8y
6 likes1 comment
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BookishShelly
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Currently reading

Bkwurm I really enjoyed this book. 9y
7 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Laura317
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"This house may not give you what you want, but it will give you what you need."

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Imagineannie
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Pickpick

Magical realism for fans of Alice Hoffman and Laura Esquivel. A ghost cat. A magical house that heals. The ghosts of Plath, Parker, Pankhurst, duMaurier and more powerful women. The magic of literature, music and chocolate to mend hearts and save lives. A well-written, satisfying, and light read.

Laura317 I just ordered this based on your post. It looks delightful. 9y
Imagineannie @Laura317 enjoy! This is when I get all nervous that I've oversold a book and you'll hate it. But I can't imagine hating it. 9y
Bookartbookmarks Ordering it as well! Thanks for the recommendation! It says any fans of Sarah Addison Allen who I love! Excited to read it. 9y
ramyasbookshelf Never heard of this until now but I definitely want to read it now!! 9y
Imagineannie @ramyasbookshelf I hope you like it. Maybe she can replace Sparks when you need something light. :-) 9y
8 likes4 stack adds5 comments
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Imagineannie
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I just started this, and it's making me really happy. Also I want to live in the cover picture. That's a great start to the weekend.

3 likes1 stack add