Today I am happy to be featuring The House on Rockaway Beach by Emma Burstall. It was published on September 1st by Aria.
Sisters Sophie and Celia haven't been on speaking terms for
years. So it's a huge shock when they discover their grandmother has left them
her quirky old house on Rockaway Beach, New York.
Just a stone's throw from the
bright lights of Manhattan, they spent many idyllic summers there as children,
swimming in the Atlantic ocean, playing in the sand and watching day trippers
come and go. Then suddenly, the visits stopped. Sophie knows her mother and
grandmother fell out, but has never found out why.
Together, the sisters return
to Rockaway, and can't agree on anything. Sophie wants to keep the house,
Celia's determined to sell. It seems they'll never see eye to eye, until Sophie
makes a shattering discovery that forces her to question everything...
Why do
she and Celia have such different memories of their grandmother? What caused
the rift with their mother? Can Sophie trust the handsome stranger who seems to
take such an interest in her? And who is the mysterious old woman watching them
from afar?
My Thoughts
This is a gentle, captivating read about two sisters and how the past has impacted on their lives. It is clear from early on that Celia and Sophie have a difficult relationship and live quite separate lives. At first, it appears that they have quite different values but as the story evolves, you come to understand the two women more, and can see that Celia, in particular, has many vulnerabilities and self-destructive behaviours.
The setting in Rockaway Beach is always present in the story, especially the beach and the coastline. You can totally understand why Sophie loves the area so much. All the characters who Sophie and Celia meet add something to the story. There is also a sense that people from the past have something to say and that secrets from the past which have been so destructive, cannot stay hidden for ever and will emerge into the daylight. This is an enjoyable story with complicated central characters and a gorgeous setting.
In short: Secrets from the past are uncovered
About the Author
Emma Burstall was a newspaper journalist in Devon and
Cornwall before becoming a full time author. Tremarnock, the first novel in her
series set in a delightful Cornish village, was published in 2015 and became a
top-ten bestseller.
You can follow Emma here: Twitter
Thanks to Emma Burstall, Aria and Head of Zeus and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Check out the rest of the tour!
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