Story summary
Samenvatting van Het vreemde huis
- 8 min. leestijd
- 8 parts
- Binnenkort te beluisteren
A governess meets a lonely house, a basket of tiny shoes and a secret that could end a mother's two years of searching.
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Het vreemde huis in het kort
Samenvatting: 8 min leestijd
- Leestijd
- Ongeveer 3 h 5 min2 h 25 min fast, 3 h 40 min slow
- Lengte
- 44.100 woorden
- Bibliotheekniveau
- Makkelijk short sentences, plain words
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). Hoelang het duurt om de klassiekers te lezen · Bijgewerkt
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Het vreemde huis in short
The Strange House moves between two worlds side by side. In one, Gertrude Ashlyn becomes governess in a busy London household and has to win over six children. In the other, a mysterious house stands next door, with a man who lies about living alone and a locked room at the top.
What Het vreemde huis is about
What would you do if a neighbor said he lived alone, yet a light moved through his window and went out? That is how this story begins, on a mild September night near Hampstead, with two boys at a bedroom window and a policeman shouting in the dark.
The Strange House is a Victorian tale by Catharine Shaw, a plain message of faith in a gripping family drama. Gertrude Ashlyn leaves her widowed mother and her seaside village to become governess to the six Shaddock children. She is homesick, she meets coolness, and she is soon drawn into the puzzle next door.
Voor wie is het?. Readers who love Victorian domestic fiction with a central mystery will enjoy this novel. It also suits those drawn to warm family scenes, gentle romance, and prayer.
The story in 8 parts
Key idea 1 · free to read
A night arrest raises a puzzle next door
The story opens on a still night at the end of September. Conway and Ned Shaddock have just gone to bed, and their window is open. They hear a voice say it has caught someone, then a scuffle and angry protests from the garden next door.
The boys dress and vault the hedge. A new policeman is holding down a crouching man beneath the front hedge. Conway and his father confirm that the man is their neighbor, and the constable lets go, grumbling. The man thanks them curtly and lets himself in with a latchkey.
Then the questions start. The man says he lives alone, yet the policeman is sure he saw a light in a ground-floor room. Mrs. Shaddock and her daughter Mollie saw a light move a few yards and go out. The children decide to keep watch on what they now call the Strange House.
The details pile up. No tradesmen call and no letters arrive. One rough man works in the garden day and night, and the children nickname him Mr. Eccentric. Marrows vanish from a trellis overnight.
In a quiet street, small oddities can point to a hidden story.
- 2Begin gratis met lezen
Gertrude leaves home when her mother's eyes fail
In a fishing village called Lanriffe, Mrs. Ashlyn sews fine cambric for a baby-clothing warehouse.
- 3Begin gratis met lezen
A new governess meets six children and cool manners
Gertrude arrives at the Shaddock home on a quiet afternoon.
- 4Begin gratis met lezen
Hugh stands by the truth over a burned banknote
One evening a five-pound note is left on the mantel.
- 5Begin gratis met lezen
A basket of children's shoes sends Rose searching
One morning Gertrude and her pupils meet Mr. Eccentric on the road.
- 6Begin gratis met lezen
A boy's last request and a stranger at a grave
Before Rose makes her visit, the book moves to a quieter place.
- 7Begin gratis met lezen
Trust and forgiveness are the story's two great themes
Everything in this book rests on trust in God when life is dark.
- 8Begin gratis met lezen
A plain, warm voice carries a story of small scenes
Catharine Shaw tells her story in short chapters with simple titles like Gone, A Champion, Marmalade and No Thoroughfare.
Read all 8 key ideas now
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Characters, plot and themes
Main characters
- Gertrude Ashlyn A young woman from a seaside village who becomes governess to the Shaddock children and wants to do right wherever she is placed.
- Otto A medical student lodging with the Ashlyns who loves Gertrude, but fears that poverty and unfinished studies leave him nothing to offer.
- Rose Leigh Gertrude's gentle sister, whose small son vanished two years ago, and who keeps searching and trusting.
- Randall Shaddock The youngest Shaddock boy, handsome and sharp-tongued, who enjoys teasing his brother and testing the new governess.
- Hugh Shaddock A frail, sensitive boy of nine, mocked as a crybaby, who tries hard to be honest and brave.
- Daisy Shaddock Hugh's solemn little sister, who protects him fiercely and quietly becomes Gertrude's first friend in the house.
- Mrs. Swift A grieving woman at the Strange House who hides a secret and is haunted by a promise she made to her son.
How it ends (spoiler)
Randall recovers from scarlet fever in the care of Gertrude and Mrs. Swift, and he comes to love Jesus and to confess his museum trick. Lester slowly begins to respond to his mother and to Randall. Gertrude returns to Hampstead, where she will stay until Otto comes home from his voyage, and the Ashlyns and Leighs plan to live together by the sea.
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Vragen over Het vreemde huis
What is The Strange House about?
It follows Gertrude Ashlyn, a governess in Hampstead, as she settles into a busy household and becomes drawn into the puzzle of a mysterious house next door, which connects to her family's lost child.
Who are Rose and Lester in The Strange House?
Rose is Gertrude's older sister, and Lester is her young son who vanished from a seaside lodging two years before the story begins. Their loss drives much of the plot.
Why is it called The Strange House?
The Shaddock children give that name to the old house next door, where a lone man works in the garden, no visitors call, and a light was seen moving where nobody should be.
Is The Strange House a true story?
No, it is a Victorian novel, written for readers who enjoy domestic drama with faith at its heart. Its streets and places are real, such as Hampstead and Highgate, but the characters are invented.
Is The Strange House easy to read?
Yes, in the sense that the chapters are brief and the language is plain. Most scenes are lively conversations, letters and walks, so the story is easy to follow aloud.
Verwijs naar deze uitgave
Shaw, Catharine. The Strange House. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-strange-house.
Shaw, C. (2026). The strange house. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-strange-house
Shaw, Catharine. The Strange House. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-strange-house.
@book{shaw2026strange,
author = {Shaw, Catharine},
title = {The Strange House},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-strange-house}
}
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