Sarah Moriarty’s stunning debut is a portrait of the family scars and faults passed along the generations, brilliantly capturing life on the Maine coastline, where time seems to stand still even as the waters never stop moving.
On an island in Maine, four siblings arrive at their sprawling, old summer place for the Fourth of July. It’s the Willoughbys’ first summer without their parents, and their beloved house is falling apart. When a substantial offer is made on the estate, the two brothers and two sisters are forced to confront issues they had hoped to keep hidden.
An homage to the layers and limits of the family bond, North Haven explores the shifting allegiances between siblings as they contend with their inheritance, the truth of family lore, and even the veracity of their own memories. This lyrical and moving novel delves into the secret world that exists between parents, one their children don’t fully understand, much as they may think they do.
Unnecessary language With book reviews I tend to write from a feelings standpoint, I leave the mini-synopsis to others.
~~Life/Love/Betrayal/Marriage and some Hidden Secrets~~ Near the beginning of this book, mud season was still creating havoc and immediately thought this one was for me!. Remy, the caretaker for the Willoughby’s was ‘opening’ up the camp for the oncoming season. The water was turned on, and the doors opened up to let the fresh air in for the first time in months. Spring has arrived in Maine.
Reads like a creative writing assignment This novel is chock full of beautiful language and imagery, but thereâs also so much angst and unhappiness that it feels forced. It feels as if a college student with decent writing skills was asked to encapsulate all the misery possible in a personâs life and shove it into one story.