I'm not one for history (except when it comes to war). That being said, this is the first non-fiction piece I've ever read that managed to fuse what seems like nonsensical history together with an overall theme of meaning. I wasn't simply reading a book stating how tall the chimney of Red House is and what color it is, I was reading a book describing a house as though it was the main character. Indeed, Red House is the main character in this story. The reader starts out becoming familiar with the dad of the family more than even the narrator, but that slowly transitions when the narrator begins her research and begins to understand what the house really means to her, her family, and the Hatch families who came before. I'll admit, for me, even though the book was better than expected, it was still painful at times, and it almost felt like I had completed a huge challenge when I finished the book. That doesn't mean I didn't like the writing style: I enjoyed the plot, the grammar was spot-on perfect, ...but, it just wasn't my personal favorite of the year. When it comes to non-fiction, I enjoy novels more along the lines of memoirs. Yes, this book does a good job of letting you understand who the narrator is through the house, but I wanted to know more. And I think it was intentional on the author's part to not deliver that since, duh, the book is about Red House, not the author