Peregrine Hill by Nina de Gramont
Peregrine Hill is a Gilded Age novel that reads like a work by Edith Wharton, navigating the complexities of the age; it has drama, it has an arranged (dare I say forced?) marriage, it has family secrets, and above all, it is a well-written work of fiction.
The Bishop family has suffered their fair share of hardship; Isabelle, the young matriarch, has lost her husband and three children in a tragic shipwreck while traveling for a holiday. She was spared because she stayed home, along with her eldest, to care for her. Now she is left to forge ahead with just herself, 18-year-old Mariah, and her own mother.
Salvation presents itself in the form of John Whitten, a very wealthy New York City bachelor. At 62 years old, he has survived two wives, but neither has produced an heir to his business and fortune. Isabelle has caught the eye of the wealthy bachelor, and a review of her family’s background reveals… secrets. Secrets that the bishops want to remain hidden. Using these secrets, John coerces a marriage with Mariah, despite the significant age difference.
A Marriage Shrouded in Secrets
In marrying Whitten, Isabelle and Granny are afforded a life of luxury and are frequent visitors at Peregrine Hill, John and Mariah’s home. However, Mariah’s life at Peregrine Hill is not what it seems. Mr. Smythe, John’s personal assistant, keeps a close eye on Mariah. She has very little freedom, and what little she does is spent doing approved activities, to the point where she takes no joy in her life.
The only bright side in Mariah’s life is her friendship with Hetty, her maid. They become fast friends, as Mariah finds her a beacon in the house that does not feel like a home and feels more like a cage.
A Story of Strength and Friendship
As a fan of historical fiction and having never read one of Nina de Gramont’s novels, Peregrine Hill was an absolute treat. There are twists and turns that I couldn’t predict. If you are someone who likes historical fiction with a touch of suspense, I highly suggest this book.
I particularly loved the friendship between Mariah and Hetty, as it showed no boundaries between classes. Though both characters had moments of weakness, they are strong female characters, and there is nothing I love more in a novel than a strong female character.
Nina de Gramont is no stranger to historical fiction; she wrote The Christie Affair, which was a Reese’s Book Club pick and a New York Times bestseller. She is the author of The Last September and Gossip of the Starlings, as well as various YA novels. She has also written another novel, The Distance From Me to You, under the pen name Marina Gessner.
In addition to being a successful novelist, Nina teaches creative writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. In an interview with Thin Air Magazine, Nina gives the following advice to aspiring writers and novelists: “Work on the draft until you absolutely can’t work on it anymore; make sure it’s as strong as you can make it on your own. Read extensively, and research the authors whose work you think is similar to yours — the editors and agents who like their writing might like yours, too.”
Though not a true story, Peregrine Hill is modeled on Nina de Gramont’s own family history. She writes, “My great-grandmother married my great-grandfather when she was nineteen. He was fifty-seven, twice widowed, with four adult children.” de Gramont notes that her great-grandmother played the dutiful wife early on in her marriage, giving birth to two sons, but rebelled in ways that drove her husband mad. The marriage lasted 18 years until her husband died.
At a time when women didn’t have a voice, Mariah was expected to marry a man 45 years her senior — and did. Peregrine Hill is her story.
About Nina de Gramont:
Nina de Gramont was born in Englewood N.J. on September 3rd, 1966. Her novel The Christie Affair was an international and New York Times bestseller, and the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick for February 2022. The Christie Affair has been translated into more than twenty languages. Nina is also the author of a collection of short stories, as well as the novels Gossip of the Starlings and The Last September. She has written several YA novels (Every Little Thing in the World, Meet Me at the River, The Boy I Love, and — under the pen name Marina Gessner — The Distance from Me to You). Her next novel, Peregrine Hill, is forthcoming in November 2026. Nina teaches creative writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
