The Infamous Gilberts

Tomaski debuts with a fresh story of an eccentric English family and its crumbling manor. It begins in 2002, when the Gilberts hand over Thornwalk House to a hotelier, and then rewinds to unfurl the life stories of the five Gilbert siblings, who were raised by their mother and their late father’s sister. At age 15 in 1928, Lydia, the eldest child, was routinely locked in her room to stop her from seeing the tutor with whom she had fallen in love. A burn mark remains on the library rug from an incident in 1921, when five-year-old Annabel quietly watched a blaze spread from the fireplace. Readers may initially struggle with the multiple story lines and crowded cast of characters, but the narrative coheres as Tomaski reveals the backstabbing, mental illness, and other problems that brought about the estate’s decline, showing how imperious Hugo, the oldest of two brothers, takes over the family’s mercantile business, while his restless younger brother, Jeremy, and their troubled youngest sibling, Rosalind, each take off in search of greener pastures. Along the way, Tomaski imbues the narrative with pathos and wit (“A woman scorned is nothing compared to the girl whose lover suddenly has a reputation for bad breath”). Patient readers will find much to enjoy. Agent: David Forrer, InkWell Management. (Jan.)