Review: The Salt House by Lisa Duffy @lisaduffywriter @touchstonebooks
Touchstone Books
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An impressive debut novel by Lisa Duffy. You won't regret this novel about marriage, grief and forgiveness. Get your feelings here. Bring your own tissues.
Goodreads Synopsis:
In the tradition of Jodi Picoult and Lisa Genova, this gorgeously written, heartbreaking, yet hopeful debut set during a Maine summer traces the lives of a young family in the aftermath of tragedy.
In the coastal town of Alden, Maine, Hope and Jack Kelly have settled down to a life of wedded bliss. They have a beautiful family, a growing lobster business, and the Salt House—the dilapidated oceanfront cottage they’re renovating into their dream home. But tragedy strikes when their young daughter doesn’t wake up from her afternoon nap, taking her last breath without making a sound.
A year later, each member of the Kelly family navigates the world on their own private island of grief. Hope spends hours staring at her daughter’s ashes, unable to let go. Jack works to the point of exhaustion in an attempt to avoid his crumbling marriage. Their daughters, Jess and Kat, struggle to come to terms with the loss of their younger sister while watching their parents fall apart.
When Jack’s old rival, Ryland Finn, threatens his fishing territory, he ignites emotions that propel the Kelly family toward circumstances that will either tear them apart—or be the path to their family’s future.
Told in alternating voices, The Salt House is a layered, emotional portrait of marriage, family, friendship, and the complex intersections of love, grief, and hope.
In the coastal town of Alden, Maine, Hope and Jack Kelly have settled down to a life of wedded bliss. They have a beautiful family, a growing lobster business, and the Salt House—the dilapidated oceanfront cottage they’re renovating into their dream home. But tragedy strikes when their young daughter doesn’t wake up from her afternoon nap, taking her last breath without making a sound.
A year later, each member of the Kelly family navigates the world on their own private island of grief. Hope spends hours staring at her daughter’s ashes, unable to let go. Jack works to the point of exhaustion in an attempt to avoid his crumbling marriage. Their daughters, Jess and Kat, struggle to come to terms with the loss of their younger sister while watching their parents fall apart.
When Jack’s old rival, Ryland Finn, threatens his fishing territory, he ignites emotions that propel the Kelly family toward circumstances that will either tear them apart—or be the path to their family’s future.
Told in alternating voices, The Salt House is a layered, emotional portrait of marriage, family, friendship, and the complex intersections of love, grief, and hope.
My Review:
LISA DUFFY! **shakes fist** how dare you make me feel so many feelings!
Uff, guys and gals.... debut novel, my ass. It feels like the author has been writing books since she came out of the womb. Lisa pulls us right into the Kelly family. A year after the unexpected death of their baby, Hope and Jack struggle to keep their marriage alive. They grieve in different ways and keep separate in how to move forward. Hope falls into a deep depression she's slowly coming out of and Jack works as much as he can to keep his mind off of anything and everything. When Jack's nemesis, Finn, comes back to town, Jack threatens to explode, affecting not only his health but his familial relationships as well. Jess and Finn's stepson getting involved does NOT help the situation. Not only does the author put us into Jack and Hope's mind space, she easily also puts us into their two other children's, Jess and Kat, thoughts and feelings. She voices every character with such conviction and warmth, you empathize and find yourself on a roller coaster of emotions from the first chapter to the last page.
I'm going to keep this short and sweet and just tell you to go out, or one-click, buy this novel NOW. An absolutely character driven novel about past grievances, new love, family and forgiveness, you won't regret taking a trip to Alden Maine.
5 buttery lobster rolls, all day long
Thank you to the author and Touchstone for this outstanding novel in return for my honest review.
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