Wow. And an exhalation upon finishing this book. The House Girl was an incredible read, well worth hanging in at the beginning when it was WAY too slow. I almost gave up several times and then everything picked up and I could not stop reading. The intertwining of Lena and Josephine’s stories was powerful and perfect. I loved the research element and the way the past came together in the present. It left me wanting more – the ending was too abrupt. But, I can live with that because everything else about the middle and ending sections was so compelling. While there were parts of the book that bothered me, on the whole, I really enjoyed the story and would definitely recommend it.