Albion 🌍💫
- The_Secret_Bookreview
- May 3
- 2 min read
By Anna Hope.
Albion is a beautifully crafted and deeply engaging book that shakes the country house genre to its core. Set in the grand eighteenth-century home of the Brookes family, this multigenerational story deftly explores themes of inheritance, family dynamics, and accountability in the face of a changing world.
The Brookes family is gathered to bury Philip, the patriarch, whose life and influence have shaped the very fabric of their existence. Philip’s legacy looms large over the story, with each of his children wrestling with their visions for the future.
Frannie, the eldest daughter, dreams of rewilding the estate and turning it into a sanctuary against the coming climate crisis. Her brother Milo, with his grand ideas of a psychedelic utopia for the wealthy, hopes to create a new elite to save the world.
Meanwhile, Isa, the youngest, seeks only to reconnect with her past and with the love
she left behind, while Grace, Philip’s long-suffering wife, wonders if she can finally choose freedom over duty.
The arrival of Clara, a mysterious figure from America, brings secrets and revelations that threaten to unravel everything the family has built. The book weaves these characters’ complex relationships against a backdrop of environmental destruction, colonial legacies, and the harsh realities of class.
The characters are well-drawn, flawed yet sympathetic, and the narrative explores their inner conflicts with sensitivity and depth. At its heart, the book is a timely exploration of the uncertainties facing our future, offering a message of hope amidst the chaos.
Albion is a remarkable read that tackles difficult questions without offering simple answers, providing readers with a thought-provoking and poignant experience. It is a book that stays with you long after the final page.
Thank you so much to the team at Viking Books for sending me an early copy of the book. The book is out now and available to purchase now.
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