Kooperativer Bibliotheksverbund

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ISBN: 9780063080874

Content: " HGTV meets Downton Abbey! A ready-for-TV story8212 with charm and humor in abundance8212 about a Los Angeles producer who moves to England to save his ancestral castle from ruin.A true delight...In this marvelous debut, film producer DePree leaves the Hollywood hills to resurrect his British ancestral home, a 50,000-square-foot estate in the English countryside. Readers are in for a treat.8212 Publishers Weekly (starred review) Hollywood producer Hopwood DePree had been told as a boy that an ancestor8212 who he was named for8212 had left his family's English castle in the 1700s to come to America. One night after some wine and a visit to Ancestry.com, Hopwood discovered a photograph of a magnificent English estate with a familiar name: Hopwood Hall, a 60-room, 600-year-old grand manor on 5,000 acres. And with that, Hopwood DePree's life took an almost fairytale turn. Hopwood Hall, in northwest England, was indeed his family's ancestral home. It had been occupied continuously by the Hopwood family for five centuries until the last remaining male heirs were killed in World War I. Since then, the Hall had fallen gradually into disrepair and was close to collapse. When Hopwood visited, he discovered trees growing in the chimneys, holes in the roof, and water sluicing down walls. It would take many millions to save the Hall8212 millions that Hopwood certainly didn't have8212 but despite the fact that he lived in Los Angeles and had no construction skills, Hopwood DePree came to a conclusion: He would save Hopwood Hall. Downton Shabby8212 the name Hopwood coined for the glorious ruin8212 traces Hopwood DePree's adventures as he gives up his life in Hollywood and moves permanently to England to save Hopwood Hall from ruin. But the task is far too big for one person, of course. Hopwood discovers that the Hall comes with an unforgettable cast of new neighbors he can call on for help8212 from the electrician whose mum had fond memories of working at the Hall to gruff caretaker Bob, and the local aristocrats who (sort of) come to accept Hopwood as one of their own. Together, as they navigate the trials and triumphs of trying to save an actual castle, Hopwood finds himself ever further from the security of his old life, but comes to realize that, actually, he's never been closer to home. "

Content: Biographisches: " Hopwood DePree was raised in suburban Michigan and graduated from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. A critically acclaimed writer-performer and independent filmmaker, he now works full-time on the restoration of Hopwood Hall, his ancestral estate. " Rezension(2): "Publishers Weekly (starred review) : A true delight...In this marvelous debut, film producer DePree leaves the Hollywood hills to resurrect his British ancestral home, a 50,000-square-foot estate in the English countryside. Readers are in for a treat. 8212" Rezension(3): "〈a href=http://lj.libraryjournal.com/ target=blank〉〈img src=https://images.contentreserve.com/libraryjournal_logo.png alt=Library Journal border=0 /〉〈/a〉: April 2, 2022 DePree has written a memoir of leaving Hollywood behind (where he produced, directed and wrote several films) and taking on the task of saving a massive 60-bedroom ancestral home. With a name like Hopwood DePree, readers might assume ancestral monies, but sadly that was not the case. However, time spent in Hollywood had left DePree with a great ability to bring people on board, including talented tradespeople, the odd celebrity, and the occasional aristocrat who not only helped, but became friends. A large part of the book is devoted to details about the various historical comings and goings of the occupants of the house, as well as the furnishings and architecture of the time. Perhaps it would have been more engaging if there was more of Depree and the other interesting and quirky characters, and a bit less of the house details. VERDICT An lightweight book for people interested in English period detail. --Jane KeenanCopyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission. " Rezension(4): "〈a href=https://www.booklistonline.com target=blank〉〈img src=https://images.contentreserve.com/booklist_logo.png alt=Booklist border=0 /〉〈/a〉: April 15, 2022 In this delightful memoir, a midlife crisis propels a madcap journey from Hollywood producer to unlikely champion of a crumbling fifteenth-century manor house near Manchester, England. DePree is ready for a change when he comes across a photograph online that confirms his grandfather's story of an ancestral castle. Soon, the clueless Yank embraces a new purpose: to save the once-grand Hopwood Hall. He can produce big projects, but he doesn't know anything about historic restoration and doesn't have the millions it will cost. Help comes his way from a memorable cast of characters--even, eventually, from a nearby neighbor carrying a 500-year-old grudge! DePree spins his tale with charm and self-deprecating humor, especially when recounting his run-ins with British manners and vocabulary. Sincere, thoughtful reflections on being comfortable in [one's] own skin balance the humor nicely. Well-crafted descriptions of architectural detail, family history, and famous visitors, notably Lord Byron, add depth and interest. By degrees (the family's heraldic motto), Hopwood Hall's fortunes turn around, and DePree realizes he has landed precisely where he should be. COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. " Rezension(5): "〈a href=http://www.publishersweekly.com target=blank〉〈img src=https://images.contentreserve.com/pw_logo.png alt=Publisher's Weekly border=0 /〉〈/a〉: Starred review from April 25, 2022 In this marvelous debut, film producer DePree leaves the Hollywood hills to resurrect his British ancestral home, a 50,000-square-foot estate in the English countryside. After losing his grandfather and father in the span of two years, DePree found solace in tracing his family genealogy. He was astonished when, in 2013, while perusing the internet, he stumbled upon Hopwood Hall, the real-life 600-year-old castle that often featured in his Pap’s childhood stories. During the inaugural pilgrimage with his mother and family to see it in person (“Even under clouds,” he writes of the lovingly dubbed “Downton Shabby,” “it was a magical sight”), DePree counted 2,710 small windows that needed repair. Determined to save the dilapidated and empty estate from ruin—despite having no construction experience—he sold his Los Angeles home and, over the next four years, dedicated his life to a daunting renovation (“It was like the hall and I had been dating, and now it was time for me to... put a ring on her finger”). While his self-deprecating humor about the challenges of navigating grants—and being somewhat clueless about English culture—entertain, it’s his wonderment following some unexpected help from the community that makes this DIY fairy tale a true delight. Readers are in for a treat."

Language: English

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