Summary
Matthew Colburn is heir to his father’s vast plantation. It’s a prison for hundreds of slaves, but this ugly truth doesn’t keep him from being deeply attracted to Sarah who grew up in the Colburn family as a slave. He tries his best to keep his feelings to himself, but an incident pushes him to follow his heart and pursue her. Since Matthew and Sarah live in a world where the law doesn’t consider slaves as human beings, and interracial relationships are forbidden, their lives are at stake. Matthew is aware of the dangerous path he chose, but oblivious to the secrets that would shock him in the midst of a crisis.
Review
Book of Matthew: House of Whispers by Catalina Dubois is a romantic historical thriller about slavery, prejudice, and the dangerous truth about being a slave in the 1950s. The story started light, focusing on Matthew’s desire for Sarah, and it quickly intensified to horrifying events of slave girls being murdered and raped. However, despite the dreadful world that the author created, this book couldn’t stop me from reading.
Matthew and Sarah weren’t the only characters that stood out. There’s Matthew’s sister, Lillian, a 12-year old trouble maker who I think is adorable. Francesca, Matthew’s evil cousin, surprised me at how she turned out in the end. And I also like Seth, the Colburn’s adopted son.
There are too many things I love about this book apart from its well-developed characters: (1) the unusual ability of the men in the Colburn family, (2) the creepy feeling it gives knowing that a psycho killer is on the loose, (3) the forbidden relationships, and (4) the surprising twists.
Overall, I am giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a mix of many genres: romance, action, thriller, drama, and historical. It is thought-provoking and a page-turner; it is so many things. The author built a very fascinating story in a very ugly world, and I recommend it to ALL mature readers who want to be hooked from start to end.
Comments