Review of The Hidden Letter at Bluebell Farm by Rebecca Alexander

Review of The Hidden Letter at Bluebell Farm by Rebecca Alexander

Release date: January 28th, 2025

Publisher: Bookouture

REVIEW

Rebecca Alexander’s passion for the Dartmoor farming community in Devon, England comes through vividly in The Hidden Letter at Bluebell Farm. This is such a moving and painful reminder of the difficulties and struggles of farming (both in the past and present) but also the reality of living with a violent and deranged alcoholic.  For characters Maud and her mother, the horrors they faced daily would break anyone’s heart. It is therefore astonishing with all we learn that Maud is still alive at ninety-five and dwelling on the same challenging property. There are so many sad pieces to Maud’s story. Financial struggles, death and forced abandonment of siblings, a cruel father, an ill mother, and a man Maud loved dearly but could not be with. And then there is the destructive rumours and lies.

This novel is a real tribute to the farmers of the moors who braved the elements to make a home and living but also faced deep psychological challenges. Rebecca’s background in psychology clearly gives her insight into the minds of those under such severe pressures. I believe she has relayed those details and responses in her characters with accuracy and believability.

This deeply layered psychological novel truly bruised my heart. I felt massive pain for Maud and all those she represents. The landscape is a character, too, and reflects very much the moods and events of the story. As Rebecca has stated in her Letter at the close of the novel: Dartmoor is ’sweeping and beautiful but can be terrifying and powerful.’ It is a land of extremes with weather that can turn in a blink of an eye. There are numerous ruins dotted along its terrain that were unable to withstand the forces of nature. But the Dartmoor people in contrast are ‘strong and resilient’. The Hidden Letter at Bluebell Farm demonstrates this in spades.

The novel is presented in two timelines. One in present day and the other 1940-1954 in telling Maud’s life story. And what a moving story it is, mostly full of heartbreak, struggle, confusion, longing, despair, regret and grief. But although relationships were less than ideal and young Maud had to carry some heavy burdens and responsibilities, her love for the land and animals carried and sustained her. Now in the late years of her life, she sells the farm to the Heritage Trust to pay some health bills. That opens the door to many skeletons in the closet (and ground).

Tasha, the historian and the Trust’s liaison, arrives in her van at Bluebell Farm to preserve the farm’s heritage and look after the historical contents. When Tasha encounters Maud for the first time, the experience is a strange one. She is a prickly character but Tasha likes her and manages to win Maud’s trust over in time and they become good friends. In fact, Tasha gets quite involved, protecting and caring for this elderly woman who she sees as a survivor. While living in her van on the premises, she works through the historical items and hears Maud’s story. Many events and secrets unfold. The descriptions are so vivid, I could picture every detail of this farm and Maud’s tragic past.

Tasha, herself, comes from a less than ideal situation. With a failed marriage, her home gone and her twins off to university, she is basically alone. She then takes this job because it sounds interesting.  Possibly it is also a way to give her life purpose, structure and a goal again. But she does not expect to start a new romantic relationship. And when Ryan, ‘a silver haired motorbike-riding archaeologist’ rides into her life while on the job, sparks fly. The two make a great team as they dig up all the secrets of the past. And then a letter is made known that Maud says must never be opened. It has remained sealed in its envelope for many years. We wonder, how she could have left it all this time as most of us would be mad with curiosity! When it eventually is opened, it becomes Maud’s saving grace.

This is one powerful, thought provoking and often sad, novel that left me shaken to the core. There is so much to analyse in this story due to its multi-layered plot and characterisation. I marvelled at the author’s bravery to display two kinds of love stories: one from the past and one in the present that are very different in their outcomes. One is free to embrace a new start, and the other, though willing, is unable due to circumstances. This is realistic and shows how loving someone does not guarantee a positive response. When decisions are made that involve sacrifice of one’s own happiness, it tests strength and selflessness. In Maud’s case, some of results were caused by the gossip of a small town. For Tasha in the present, circumstances are very different and she is free to embrace her new start.

The Hidden Letter at Bluebell Farm is a phenomenal dual timeline story that must be read. I guarantee it will bring you to tears as it breaks your heart, and then put you back together again. Although we mourn Maud’s past losses, we are uplifted in the present when she receives a revelation that sets her free. When the mysteries are solved, redemption comes and it ends on a glorious upbeat note. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a review copy.