The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves

A Novel

By: Christine Nolfi

Narrated by: Megan Tusing

An antiques dealer and an enigmatic heiress embark on a revelatory friendship in a haunting and hopeful novel about family ties, secrets, and belonging by the bestselling author of A Heart Like Home.

Cautious Claire Shelton, employee at a Maine antique shop, is surprised when she’s recruited to catalog the treasures of reclusive Hanna Reeves, sole descendant of the state’s most colorful shipbuilders and industrialists. Hanna’s retreat from society years ago is just one of many mysteries behind the walls of Rose Hill, her fabled estate.

Settling into Rose Hill’s carriage house, Claire finds Hanna, nearing eighty, to be a still-formidable woman. She’s demanding, judgmental, and protective of a mansion that is a veritable shrine to her ancestors. Then, diving into her work, Claire discovers a hidden library that is the stuff of legend among locals. An avid booklover, Claire is in heaven. More enthralling are Hanna’s leather-bound family journals that open Claire up to the past—and soon forge a rich and unexpected bond between two very different women.

A legacy is coming to light. All of Maine is talking. Because the revelations in the journals are enlightening enough to unite old friends, lovers, and families. And shocking enough to tear them apart forever.

©2025 by Christine Nolfi. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Lost loves, generations-old secrets, and an unlikely friendship all unfold in Christine Nolfi’s deliciously immersive novel The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves. Readers will fall headlong into this wonderfully layered gem about writing your own story and the beauty of a life—and a fortune—well spent. I was not ready for this story to end.”—Barbara Davis, bestselling author of The Echo of Old Books

“Christine Nolfi has done it again. The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves is a tantalizing and magical tale of how one woman’s tragic beginnings put her on the journey she was always destined for. This story intertwines the complexities of friendship between the mysterious heiress Hanna Reeves and the raw, fiercely independent Claire Shelton—a young woman pioneering her identity in the early 1970s. Pour a steaming cup of tea, grab a blanket, and lose yourself in the pages of this beautiful story. A must-read.”—C. I. Jerez, author of At the Island’s Edge

“If you love books about books, love Maine and rambling old houses, love family secrets, or just plain love a ripping good story beautifully told, you must read Christine Nolfi’s The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves. Nolfi’s gifts shine as she weaves together not only a memorable main character’s past and present but also various strands of family stories, each with pain and loss, as well as beauty and strength. With her signature compassion and insight, Nolfi gives us a story that draws us in—into individual lives, into a beguiling New England estate and a philanthropist’s mysterious decisions, and into a journey of finding purpose and belonging where we’d least expect it.”—Joy Jordan-Lake, bestselling author of Echoes of Us

A deep story told from the heart, an excellent performance.

Moving story through a heartfelt performance. A story of a woman's life lived to the full during the twentieth century in America. From the early years of that century when a woman could be required to have pregnancy after pregnancy until the toll took her life, through to the slow emancipation of women through the troubled years of that long century.
The book opens in the early 1970s when women had freedoms that were unheard of and unexpected just 7 decades earlier.
Full, rich characters who truly care for one another and are well-developed.

A compelling story

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this sweet story. It swept me in each time I listened again.

Great Performance, Good Story

I really enjoyed this story, a lot to unfold the more you read! I did wish there was more resolve on some of the storylines but all in all it kept my attention and I grew fond of Hanna Reeves and the different characters you come across.

Interesting characters

I enjoyed the cast of characters and the time setting, and the general story itself.

Characters were interesting

There were times I was intrigued and times that I was bored. I didn’t like the ending but don’t want to spoil anything. A fine listen on a road trip or while cooking or gardening. Not great for straight listening.