The Hudson Collection

Starred review from May 15, 2024
Elsa Reisner, introduced in The Metropolitan Affair (2023), takes center stage in this inspirational romance set in 1926 New York, where she works in the ornithology department of the American Museum of Natural History. Elsa is assigned to catalog the bird collection of explorer Linus Van Tessel, who's settled in a gothic country mansion outside the city. His nephew, Mr. Spalding, asks her to be on the lookout for a priceless aviary that has been willed to Danielle, the young daughter of the estate's gardener, by Van Tassel's wife. Spalding doesn't believe the child should be allowed to inherit such a gift. Elsa meets architectural salvage dealers Luke and Tom, WWI vets still recovering from the physical and emotional scars they sustained. Elsa, who still struggles with the aftereffects of childhood polio, forms bonds with them and Danielle and her mother. As they race against time to find the aviary before the house is demolished, a sweet romance develops between Luke and Elsa. Green brings her well-developed characters and the time period to life and even works in a nod to Flaco, the escaped, now deceased Central Park Zoo owl. There's a lot to unpack here, and readers will enjoy the detailed settings while learning about darker historical events.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.