On Smuttynose Island, off the coast of New Hampshire, more than a century ago, two Norwegian immigrant women were brutally murdered. A third woman survived by hiding in a cave until dawn. In 1995, Jean, a photographer, is sent on an assignment to shoot a photo essay about the legendary crime. Taking her extended family with her, Jean stays in a sailboat anchored off the coast, and finds herself gradually becoming more and more engrossed in the bay’s mysterious and gruesome past. Wandering into a library one day, she unearths letters written by Maren, the sole survivor of the murder spree. Jean’s fear of losing all that she cares about is reflected in Maren’s poignant tale of love and loss, and her obsession with the ancient story drives her to wild impulsive action — with unrecoverable consequences.
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Reviews
'An accomplished and intense psychological thriller.' OPTIONS
'A cuticle-destroying thriller.' THE TIMES
'Anita Shreve writes with great sensitivity, describing events and landscapes so that one can see them. She has done scrupulous research into details of wartime life. This is a novel to admire.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
‘Compelling and beautifully written . . . the strength of the book lies in the exquisite handling of the metaphor of the sea - constant but shifting, all surface but all depth: and in particular the dangerous emotional currents that in both stories collide forcibly to make disaster inevitable’ Lynne Truss, THE TIMES
Shortlisted for the Orange Prize, this is a beautifully crafted novel that explores the way in which we tell stories to try and relieve the weight of the past.
Enthralling...an object lesson in how to unravel a complicated plot
'Shortlisted for the Orange Prize, this is a beautifully crafted novel that explores the way in which we tell stories to try and relieve the weight of the past.' SUNDAY TIMES
Rich, sensual prose...subtle and disturbing
'Her prose is controlled and luminous.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
'Rich, sensual prose…subtle and disturbing' - Rosellen Brown
'Enthralling…an object lesson in how to unravel a complicated plot' - Anita Brookner
'[An] eerie and haunting novel.' WOMAN AND HOME
'This is a beautifully-written portrayal of sexual jealousy and the endless ways in which past emotions continue to reverberate, as though feelings were ghosts.' NEW WOMAN
Compelling and beautifully written . . . the strength of the book lies in the exquisite handling of the metaphor of the sea - constant but shifting, all surface but all depth: and in particular the dangerous emotional currents that in both stories collide forcibly to make disaster inevitable