Ellie and the harpmaker (by Hazel Prior)

(Amazon UK link)

I met Hazel Prior briefly, over ten years ago, at an annual writing conference which we were both attending for the first time. I haven't been back, and my writing has mainly been limited to blogging in the past decade. But she has published several novels. When I saw some of them available inexpensively for the Kindle, I bought them, and decided to read one of them on recent travels.

I had thought, based on the cover, that ‘Ellie and the Harpmaker’ would be a children’s book. But it was clear, early in the story, that I was mistaken. While it’s suitable for adults or teens - as far as I recall, there’s no bad language, and nothing explicit - it’s a book about adults, a growing friendship and a budding romance. 

It’s also about a quirky harpmaker called Dan. The chapters are told alternately from his point of view, and Ellie’s. It works extremely well. Dan is evidently on the autistic spectrum. He describes minutely what he does, he counts everything compulsively, and he explains that he has learned correct responses in some social situations. He lives on sandwiches, he makes coffee for its aroma and then pours it down the sink. He is somewhat hopeless with finances. And he is a brilliantly gifted maker of harps. 

Ellie is an interesting character, too. She is married to Clive, whom she loves very much. But it’s rather an unbalanced marriage. He makes a lot of money in his work, and travels a fair bit, while she is a full-time housewife. She’s happy to do this, and she also drives around and visits friends. But she sometimes feels that something is lacking. There are hints that Clive drinks too much and then becomes aggressive, possibly violent. He’s also rather controlling. But Ellie relies on him and loves doing things for him. She is apparently blind to his failings. 

Dan has a sister who has made him a website, and who deals with harp orders, ensuring payments are made on time, and ensuring his work is widely known. But Dan would really rather give his harps away. And that’s what happens in the first chapter of the book: Ellie happens to find Dan’s studio, and is intrigued by him, and by his harps. He makes her some sandwiches, and then wants to give her a harp. She tries to refuse; she has no idea how to play it. But she mentions that she had made a list of things to do before she turns forty, and that harp-playing is one of them. 

It’s an unusual and interesting start to a book which I enjoyed very much. The main characters are well-developed, even though some of the minor ones are a bit caricatured. Dan in particular is sympathetically drawn in his unusual, often naive, always well-meaning personality. He has a girlfriend whom he mentions to Ellie, and she talks about her husband. But Clive does not want her to have a harp. Gradually she moves away from him emotionally as she starts to take harp lessons, but doesn’t tell him what she is doing.

There’s another whole subplot too, involving Dan’s girlfriend. I could see where that was going, and guessed some of the situation quite quickly. But it was nicely handled, and I loved the way Dan dealt with what transpired. 

There’s a dramatic climax to the book, and an encouraging ending. I wasn’t surprised by the outcome, but had no idea how it was going to come about. It was perhaps a tad too quickly ended - I’d like to have seen a bit more of what was going to happen - but I suppose it’s better to leave the reader wanting more than to drag on too much.

Apparently Hazel Prior is herself a talented harpist, which is why the details about harps and harp-playing feel authentic rather than researched. 

All in all, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading others by the same author. Recommended if you would like something rather different from most women's fiction. 

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews