REVIEW: The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan

 

I have always been a fan of J. Courtney Sullivan. I've read all of her books and I was excited when she had a new one out - it's also a part of Reese's book club.

The main character of this novel is an old Victorian home on a cliff on Maine's coast and it serves as a repository of stories but also as a guide to a woman's story of self-discovery. It was built for a sea captain in 1846 for he and his wife, Hannah, to live in but turns hands many times - it ends up as an artist retreat and also as a home for a Boston power couple. The story itself takes place in the present, with detours to the past, including chapters that take place in the 1800's and 1960's. Jane, the protagonist, grew up hanging out in the abandoned home and as an adult is looking into its history after her life has seemingly fallen apart in one fell swoop. There are definitely times that ghosts are considered seriously throughout the novel (but are not the central part of the story - this is definitely not a ghost story - it's a story about women's history and lives that ghosts just happen to appear in occasionally). The ghosts, and an encounter with a medium, help Jane to explore different avenues and topics of research, including the Shakers and Indigenous stories. 

I loved this novel. I honestly couldn't put it down and couldn't wait to get back to reading about Jane, her life and the people and places she was researching.  The transitions between time periods was seamlessly smooth and the characters were wonderfully engaging. Her descriptions of the scenery and places that Jane and the rest of the characters encounter are amazing. The themes of loss and self discovery were also very well developed and touching. Sullivan handles it delicately and with sensitivity, although she certainly doesn't shy away from the topics.  The only thing that I wish that there was more of was more explanation of the theft of Indigenous art and its reclamation, which is a topic that needs to be discussed more but is often simply put by the wayside.

Definitely grab this book at your earliest convenienc.