Cuando la familia Templeton, oriunda de Inlagerra, se muda a una mansión colonial en Australia, despierta la curiosidad y las habladurías de los lugareños..., y con razón. A simple vista, los siete Templeton parecen algo excéntricos, y nadie siente más curiosidad por ellos que su vecina, Nina Donovan, una madre soltera, y su hijo, Tom. A lo largo de los siguientes años, la relación entre los Templeton y los Donovan tomarán rumbos imprevisibles, hasta que un hecho trágico hará que sus caminos se separen, quizá para siempre.

I have read one other book by this author. It was some years ago, and whilst it was okay it didn't make me run out and buy more books by her. This one was given to me by a dear friend. My friend often gives me books, but this is the only one she has ever pointed to and said "you have to read that one, it's brilliant". I've known my friend for over 30 years, so that comment made me put the book on my reading list.

When I first started reading, I didn't think I would get into it. But the characters drew me in. And before I knew it, I was hooked. I wanted to know what was going to happen and the pages turned quickly.

Part two of the book didn't hold me as much, but just as I started to pull away from the story, part three commenced and I was hooked again. If you like books about family, friendship, lies and love, then give this a try. I think you'll like it. ( )

Kolonialstilmuseum, Führungen in zeitgenössischen Kostümen

Cuando la familia Templeton, oriunda de Inglaterra, se muda a una mansión colonial en Australia, despierta la curiosidad y las habladurías de los lugareños..., y con razón. A simple vista, los siete Templeton parecen algo excéntricos, y nadie siente más curiosidad por ellos que su vecina, Nina Donovan, una madre soltera, y su hijo, Tom. A lo largo de los siguientes años, la relación entre los Templeton y los Donovan tomarán rumbos imprevisibles, hasta que un hecho trágico hará que sus caminos se separen, quizá para siempre. ( )

There’s something about family sagas that brings out the soap opera queen in all of us and McInerney’s At Home with the Templetons is a classic example of such an epic familial tale. It has it all … secrets, lies, love, hate, jealousy, you name it and the Templetons live it, through all the near 600 pages!

In a contemporary setting, the Templetons inherit and move into an historical mansion near Castlemaine in the Australian goldfields. The upper crust English family is not exactly welcomed by the locals and is eyed even more suspiciously when they open the mansion up to tourists, spouting stories of aristocratic relations and legendary romantic deeds. We meet all the children … snooty Charlotte, vague Audrey, precocious Gracie and wild Spencer … and for just a moment I expected Mary Poppins to come floating through the trees and plant herself on the steps of Templeton Hall ready to sort them all out!

Mostly the Templetons are left to their own crazy ways until their closest neighbour, widow Nina Donovan and her son Tom become involved with the Templetons. Against her better judgement Nina becomes a friend and confidant, as Tom gets closer and more embroiled in life at the Hall. And so the scene is set for a love/hate tale of deceit with long term devastating effects.

How can you not read on!

I won’t pretend this is ground breaking fiction, it’s not. The pure size of the book puts me in mind of ever-churning soapie prattle that tends to fill pages such as these and there were plenty of times during the read that I thought I could not take one more person ‘knowing without a doubt …’ or ‘know for absolute certain that …’ or ‘from that very moment …’. How many moments of such clarity does a person have in one life time?

It all became very melodramatic and at times threatened to sail off into the land of cliché, then McInerney would pull back and start you up again into yet another masterful dilemma that needed years to sort out.

And sorry, but there is no way you can bail out! You are trapped to the very (unbelievably happy) end. ( )