Crown Hill
- Christina Francine
- Jun 9
- 2 min read
A Novel of Love, Life and the Afterlife
Christina M. Abt
298 pages
Aug. 2, 2014
ISBN # 978-0-9905518-6-7
Amazon: https://a.co/d/09SpPlkO
Kindle: $4.99
Print: 15.95
Genre: Historical Fiction and Ghost Story / Paranormal Romance.
Review by Christina Francine
Crown Hill is one of those books that touches something within us because a profound point about being human is brought up. That point circulates and brings reflection about the homes we’ve lived in, life’s events, and the people who’ve touched us. Readers may find themselves emotionally entangled and need to read “Just one more page, well, maybe 5 more.” A page-turner for sure.
The central premise of the novel is both simple and deeply evocative: while we typically think of people as the ones who shape their homes, Abt asks what would happen if a house could shape those who enter it. The story revolves around a 150-year-old farmhouse named Crown Hill, which serves as the narrator, chronicling the lives, secrets, and transformations of its residents across generations.
The House as Narrator: The choice of the house as the storyteller is the book’s most distinctive feature. Much like the narrator in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, Crown Hill provides an omniscient, deeply connected perspective that allows the reader to observe the intimacy of the characters' lives while remaining aware of the history embedded in its walls.
The narrative weaves together the stories of a diverse group of people, including a suspected murderer, an abused wife, a lawyer-turned-spiritualist, and a newly divorced woman. By centering these varied experiences within the same space, Abt creates a tapestry of human emotion—covering love, redemption, loss, and the "afterlife" mentioned in the title.
Abt effectively connects the 19th and 21st centuries, grounding the story in historical details that make the setting feel authentic and lived in.
The imagery is a standout element. The author succeeds in making the house feel like a character with its own personality, atmosphere, and "caring essence."
Crown Hill is a labor of love that feels deeply personal, likely because it was inspired by the author’s own experience renovating a hilltop farmhouse over the course of two decades. It is a thoughtful exploration of how our environment reflects and influences our personal growth. For readers who enjoy stories that blend history with a touch of the ethereal, and if they’re interested in how physical spaces can hold the resonance of the lives lived within them, this novel offers a unique and touching perspective. Poignant.
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