I am happy to be taking part in this tour to celebrate Sarah Clutton's emotional read, The Daughter's Promise, which is published today on January 8th.
Family is everything to Willa. Adopted
at birth, her loving husband and son are her safe haven, and the ones she has
clung to while numbed by the pain of a recent loss. When a letter arrives, it
opens a path for Willa to re-engage with life: she has inherited a house
halfway across the world, in a town she’s never heard of, from a woman she
doesn’t know. Her only guess is that Lillian Brooks could have been her birth
mother.
Travelling to the inviting shores of Sisters
Cove, Willa in entranced by the dilapidated old house she now owns, perched
high on a windy cliff within the Merrivale Estate. But as she begins to look
amongst the dusty photos and sealed boxes of papers left to her, it becomes
clear that the truth about who Lillian really was is not at all
what Willa expected.
At Merrivale, social butterfly Annabelle is
intrigued by Willa’s arrival. Unable to have children herself, she feels drawn
to this fragile, younger woman and is inspired to help her mend the cracks in
her heart. But as a friendship grows between the two, the dark truth
that connects them is exposed, and both are forced to make choices about
the risks they’ll take for family, love and forgiveness.
An emotional, powerful novel full of dark
secrets and family drama. Perfect for fans of The Silent Wife,
Amanda Prowse and Sally Hepworth.
My Thoughts
This was a great read to start the new year. It is poignant and emotional but never depressing. Written over two timelines, in the 1970's and present day, we follow the story through the eyes of three women: Sylvia, Annabelle and Willa. Willa finds herself facing issues over her early adoption and there is much to say about the mother/ daughter bond and the pull of past secrets on the present.
I was kept guessing throughout as parts of the past gradually became clearer. It was Willa's story which I found the most affecting as she tried to learn to live with a recent tragedy in her life. There is also an interesting tension between the sisters, Annabelle and Sylvia which has a few surprises. This is a heart-warming read nevertheless and I would love to find out what happens next for the three women.
In short: Family secrets
About the Author
Sarah Clutton is an Australian author and former
lawyer whose debut novel, Good Little Liars, mixes suspense and domestic drama
with nuanced characters. Having majored in psychology in her original degree,
Sarah is fascinated by people. How does the past shape us? Can we can learn
empathy? What determines the outcomes when moral and legal boundaries collide?
Sarah's work earned her the Dymocks/Fiona
McIntosh Commercial Fiction Scholarship in 2018, a coveted national award run
by one of Australia's most successful commercial fiction authors and sponsored
by Australia's largest book chain. An alumna of the Australian Writers' Centre
novel writing course, and with a mostly-finished Master of Arts (Writing) that
she has no interest in finishing because she prefers making stuff up, Sarah
lives with her family in the very pretty tourist town of Bowral, near Sydney.
She has lived all over Australia, and if she didn't live in Bowral, she would
live in Hobart, the most beautiful city she knows.
Thanks to Sarah Clutton and Bookoutre for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Follow the rest of the tour!
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