Wednesday, August 16, 2017

The Salt House by Lisa Duffy

The Salt House by Lisa Duffy   is part of the SheReads Fall book selections.     She Reads is a community of bloggers that as a group help promote specific books.   We share reviews, thoughts, and our feelings after reading books suggested to us by the wonderful people who run the She Reads Organization. 


Paperback, 304 pages
Published June 13th 2017 by Touchstone

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. 

My Thoughts…

The Kelly Family is suffering from grief.    The problem is that they don’t suffer together.   Each member is suffering in their own way and trying to come to terms accepting the loss of their baby sister/daughter.    

I felt that Lisa Duffy was able to portray the grief in realistic ways that made the family true to life.  I cannot imagine dealing with the loss of a daughter, much less a baby.   Hope tugged at my heart while watching her try to keep her family together.   She worked hard just to keep her head above water and keep her family “normal” especially for the other daughters.     While Jack, the father, kept his grief quiet, inside himself.     He struggled just like the rest of the family yet he kept it bundled up inside.     Add to this grief the return of an old rival and he is just set to implode.  

This is a debut author for Lisa Duffy and I am excited to read more from her.     The characters came to life, the emotions were realistic, and the story was beautiful.
I recommend finding a quiet place and sitting back to enjoy The Salt House.  Once you start you won’t be able to put it down.

Thank you to the She Reads Organization and Leah Morse at Touchstone Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Links
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