The Carriage House

Dec 4, 2025 5:39 AM

Author:Louisa Hall

The Carriage House

Jane Austen's Persuasion is brought into the twenty-first century by Louisa Hall in The Carriage House, a stunning novel of family and forgiveness, set in contemporary suburban America.

Elizabeth, Diana and Izzy, three sisters who have lived a privileged life in suburban America are the pride and joy of their father William. All three were tennis prodigies as children, popular, and successful at school: they seemed destined for greatness.

But the idyllic façade masks a family who is in turmoil - their mother is suffering with early onset Alzheimer's which is making Izzy spiral out of control, Diana is failing her career, Elizabeth feels trapped by her domesticity and their father is still in love with his old sweetheart, Adelia.

When William is suddenly taken ill, he reveals that he has lost faith in the things he had once held closest to his heart: the promise of his gifted daughters and his grandfather's beautiful carriage house, now lost to the family.

Devastated by his disappointment in them and desperate to make their father proud, the sisters band together to restore his beloved carriage house which is now dilapidated, unloved and under threat of demolition by the neighbourhood association, and to re-build a family in disarray.

Touching, intelligent and compassionate, The Carriage House is a drama about family, relationships and forgiveness - and, most importantly, that it is never too late to make amends.

'Louisa Hall writes about the wars waged between neighbours and family members with extraordinary sympathy and a keen sense of humour. Part Jane Austen, part John Cheever, this tale of upheaval in a suburban Philadelphia household marks the debut of a stunning new writer' Philipp Meyer, author of American Rust

'Every sentence in The Carriage House is full of clarity, attention, and grace. Louisa Hall is a writer to be admired' Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow Birds

'The Carriage House is gorgeously detailed and rife with betrayal, heartbreak, nostalgia, lost love, and possibilities for redemption. You will ache for the Adair family, cringe at their mistakes, and plead with them to make peace with each other before it's too late. In her smart and insightful debut, Louisa Hall examines the ways in which we fail and forgive others-and ourselves' Megan Mayhew Bergman, author of Birds of a Lesser Paradise

Louisa Hall was born in Philadelphia in 1982 and grew up in the nearby suburb of Haverford. She graduated from Harvard in 2004 and went on to play squash professionally for three years. She is now completing her Ph.D. in literature at the University of Texas at Austin, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Her poems have been published in journals such as The New Republic, The Southwest Review, and Ellipsis. The Carriage House is her first novel.

Reviews

A twisted family saga lodged in John Cheever and Wes Anderson

—— Vogue, USA

Kind-hearted and subtle . . . a tribute to Jane Austen's Persuasion

—— Vanora Bennett , The Times

Every sentence in The Carriage House is full of clarity, attention, and grace. Louisa Hall is a writer to be admired

—— Kevin Powers, author of , The Yellow Birds

Rich and enticing

—— Stylist

Not only cleverly conceived but genuinely, hauntingly, transgressive.

—— Sandra Newman , Guardian

Razor-sharp prose... Both Lucy and Lena dazzle in this hugely entertaining read.

—— Kevin Scott , List

Boisterous, exuberant.

—— Sunday Times

A compelling read.

—— Russell Leadbetter , Glasgow Sunday Herald

Proof [Welsh] can write convincingly about experiences suitably removed from his own.

—— David Pollock , Independent

A darkly funny novel with well-drawn characters.

—— UK Press Syndication

A compulsive read.

—— John Sunyer , Financial Times

Never has filth been such fun – Welsh at his wicked best.

—— Sebastian Shakespeare , Tatler

Welsh’s words fizz and burn with energy… It’s crude, hot, vulgar and irreverent, but not in a smut-for-smut’s sake way – this is intellectualized scatology, scatology made into high-art… Welsh’s grist is, and always has been, to show the ugly truth of exactly who we are, with breath-taking beauty. And in that, he remains peerless.

—— Bookmunch

Readers should not let the incessant onslaught of obscenity distract them from…Welsh’s poignant and well-meaning message.

—— Yorker

Irvine Welsh maintains a breakneck pace…engaging the reader completely.

—— Sarla Langdon , Bay

In her riveting debut novel, 25-year-old Shani Boianjiu gives a rare insider glimpse at what it’s like to be a girl coming of age in the famously fierce Israeli Defense Forces

—— Marie Claire

A dark, riveting window into the mind-state of Israel's younger generation, The People of Forever Are Not Afraid marks the arrival of a brilliant writer

—— Wall Street Journal

Honest...
Shani Bioanjiu has given us a valuable addition to our understanding of the Israel/Palestine conflict

—— New Internationalist

Tigerman manages ... that elusive combination of intelligent, beautiful writing with a story that is imaginative, fast-paced and really good fun. There's plenty to make you think as well as plenty to make you laugh … Harkaway writes with such dexterity and delight … That balance of proper storytelling with literary complexity is, for me, what makes a book really special and Tigerman does this with aplomb - it's a joy to read.

—— We Love This Book

Tigerman is a brilliant and unique novel which deserves to be read again and again ... dazzling display of creativity.

—— Upcoming4.me

I was dazzled … Characterisation is as ever top notch … this is a marvel … everyone will appreciate the sheer grace and artistry of it.

—— Liz Loves Books

Tigerman is a truly engaging and original book; for all the nail-biting tension, humour, superheroic deeds and a brilliant twist there is also a deep and honest heart to it ... This is easily one of the best books I've read this year.

—— Hair Past A Freckle

With intelligent, witty writing you cannot help but warm to the unlikely and slightly hapless hero in Lester Ferris.

—— Starburst

A virtuoso piece of entertainment which hurtles satisfyingly towards its conclusion after delivering a startling, didn’t-see-that-coming sucker-punch of a twist.

—— A Life in Books

Funny, moving and thought-provoking

—— Big Issue in the North

The key to Harkaway’s writing is the incredibly textured depth and imaginative characterisation. It is one of those books whose character are so rich that by the climax, you feel like they’ve penetrated your reality and you want to keep them close, even after the book is over.

—— Nudge

Original and exciting, full of humanity and comedy, Tigerman by Nick Harkaway is a beautiful piece of work

—— Morning Star

Original, exciting, full of humanity and comedy, Tigerman by Nick Harkaway is a beautiful piece of work.

—— Morning Star

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