Ellie and the Harpmaker

April 29, 2019
Prior’s debut resonates with a clear voice, depicting love evolving from a friendship based upon genuine acts of kindness. In September 2017, housewife Ellie Jacobs is taking her usual walk in the woods of Exmoor, England, when she turns down a lane and comes across the Harp Barn. Dan Hollis is the Exmoor Harpmaker, and once he hears that learning to play the harp is on Ellie’s do-before-age-40 list, he decides to give her one of his handcrafted harps as a gift. But Ellie’s domineering husband, Clive, insists that she return it because it would be too expensive to purchase, and they would be taking advantage of Dan to keep it as a gift. When Ellie returns it, Dan suggests that Ellie keep it at his barn so that she can practice the harp there. She agrees and starts taking lessons from Dan’s former girlfriend, Rhoda. Ellie enjoys taking harp lessons, but can’t bring herself to tell Clive, afraid that it will upset him. When Ellie discovers a secret that Rhoda has been keeping from Dan and decides to reveal it to him, Ellie’s carefully balanced life is thrown off kilter. Ellie and Dan, both delightful, down-to-earth characters, selflessly put each other’s needs ahead of their own, and fans of fast-paced romantic stories will enjoy watching them discover true happiness together. Agent: Darley Anderson, Darley Anderson Literary, TV, and Film (U.K.).

June 15, 2019
A lonely housewife in Exmoor, England, befriends an eccentric--yet supremely handsome--harp maker in this debut novel, told in the alternating voices of its two protagonists. Ellie, a few years shy of 40, writes poetry no one reads and keeps house for her loutish husband, Clive. She aspires to more. One day, strolling about the countryside, she comes upon the isolated lair of Dan, who makes beautiful wooden harps in his workshop/barn. Dan is immediately taken with Ellie--he especially likes her cherry-colored socks--and decides to give her a harp. Complications ensue. Clive insists she return the instrument--too generous a gift, he decrees. Instead, Ellie keeps it stashed at Dan's and steals away to practice there. She also takes harp lessons from Dan's erstwhile girlfriend, the glamorous Rhoda. Before long, Ellie uncovers a whopper of a secret about the two that will dramatically change everything. The author, a harpist herself, writes vividly about harp making as well as the natural world in which Dan thrives. And though the end of this fairy tale-like story is never in much doubt, there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. Yet too much of the plot is, well, preposterous--particularly where Dan is concerned. He's supposed to be a stubborn yet pure-hearted naif but just seems socially inept and clueless. Dan registers shock upon learning Rhoda no longer considers herself his girlfriend--though they haven't been intimate for years and rarely see one another. Similarly, Dan remains blithely oblivious to Clive's wrath when the latter shows up with Ellie at the barn after finding out what's been going on behind his back. There are moments of oddball charm here--a pheasant named Phineas figures in several of them--but this is a trifle that tries too hard to warm the heart.

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July 1, 2019

DEBUT When unhappy housewife Ellie comes across a barn near her home in Exmoor, England, she is surprised to find it full of harps. She meets Dan, the harp maker, and that will change both their lives forever. Dan is devoted to harps and harp making above all else, although nature comes in a close second for him. When he learns of Ellie's desire to play the harp, he regularly gives her one of his creations. Soon Ellie is visiting the harp barn to play. As her playing improves, she and Dan grow closer. The only hitch is Ellie's overbearing and borderline psychotic husband, Clive, from whom Ellie is concealing her harp playing. It's only a matter of time before Clive discovers Ellie's secret, and then there's no telling how bad the damage will be and what relationships, if any, will survive. VERDICT With the air of a fairy tale, this debut novel by a professional harpist transcends its contemporary setting and feels timeless. For fans of quirky romance à la Helen Hoang.--Karen Core, Detroit P.L.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019
Ellie Jacobs always finds that walking in the English countryside helps clear her head, but one hike ends differently. After stumbling across a Celtic harp workshop run by the eclectic and charming Dan Hollis, she can't get the idyllic setting or the quirky proprietor out of her head. Ellie's been happily married for years, but something about Dan and his passion for music speaks to her. She strikes up a friendship with him, and even learns how to play the harp herself, but can't figure out why she feels the need to keep her new friendship a secret from her husband. Tragically, Ellie's secret turns into the discovery of another secret, snowballing into a complete mess. With the character-driven charm of Lianne Moriarty's and Sara Baume's novels, and a pastoral English setting befitting Lucinda Riley and Judith Kinghorn, Prior's debut probes the inner workings of two very different minds. Empathetic to its core, it's a delightfully heart-warming glimpse inside a lushly imagined world. Tender, free-spirited, and guaranteed to tug at readers' heartstrings.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)