Sujoya(theoverbookedbibliophile)'s Reviews > The Cliffs
The Cliffs
by
by
4.5⭐
Jane Flanagan grew up in the small coastal town of Awadapquit, Maine. Her home life wasn’t a happy one, being raised by an alcoholic mother and Jane’s sister getting into enough trouble on her own. Jane’s safe place was a deserted old Victorian house situated on a cliff, where she would spend her free time. Jane eventually moves away to college and goes on to become an archivist at Harvard. Over twenty years later, after her mother’s death triggers a downward spiral with Jane indulging in destructive old habits that jeopardize her marriage and her career, Jane returns to her hometown. As she clears her mother’s house before putting it up for sale, she struggles to get a grip on her life. Coincidentally, she meets Genevieve Richards, the wealthy woman whose family has purchased the house on the cliff and is in the process of giving it a massive makeover. A few strange occurrences lead Genevieve to believe that the house might be haunted and she requests Jane to research the history of the house. As Jane embarks on her quest to unearth the history of the house and the land on which it rests, she discovers much more than she had expected - the legacy of tragedy, loss, and heartbreak that upended the lives of its previous owners - compelling her to take stock of her own life and confront her own painful past.
The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan is an exceptionally well-written novel that blends family drama, historical fiction, gothic elements, spiritualism and an element of mystery into an immersive narrative shared from multiple perspectives across multiple timelines spanning centuries and featuring a cast of strong female characters.
Each of the characters is well fleshed out and what connects their stories is the house and the land on which it rests. The novel revolves around themes of generational trauma, alcoholism, family secrets, motherhood, loss, grief and healing, as well as Native American history and colonialism. With so many perspectives and themes, it is to be expected that some threads of the narrative are more deeply explored than others. Though I could sympathize with Jane and her struggles, I did question her choices and thought that occasionally her behavior was a tad immature for a thirty-nine-year-old. However, I appreciated how she was inspired to effect change in her life.
The novel emphasizes the importance of history and legacy and how crucial it is to preserve the stories of those who came before us. I loved the rich history of the house and wish that we had spent more time in the past timelines. The stories of the women who lived in the house were in turn inspiring, poignant and heartbreaking. The author incorporates in-depth segments on Native American culture and repatriation, the history of settler colonialism in Maine and the Wabanaki Nations, and the Shaker movement into the narrative. I found these sections extremely informative and I commend the author for the meticulous research that went into crafting this novel. I should mention that the inclusion of these segments did render the novel a tad lengthy and disjointed and slowed down the pace of the narrative, but this did not detract from my overall reading experience.
This is a complex novel meant to be read with time and patience. Overall, I found it to be a rewarding read and well worth the time and effort.
This was my first time reading J. Courtney Sullivan and I’m eager to explore more of the author’s work.
Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on July 2, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
Jane Flanagan grew up in the small coastal town of Awadapquit, Maine. Her home life wasn’t a happy one, being raised by an alcoholic mother and Jane’s sister getting into enough trouble on her own. Jane’s safe place was a deserted old Victorian house situated on a cliff, where she would spend her free time. Jane eventually moves away to college and goes on to become an archivist at Harvard. Over twenty years later, after her mother’s death triggers a downward spiral with Jane indulging in destructive old habits that jeopardize her marriage and her career, Jane returns to her hometown. As she clears her mother’s house before putting it up for sale, she struggles to get a grip on her life. Coincidentally, she meets Genevieve Richards, the wealthy woman whose family has purchased the house on the cliff and is in the process of giving it a massive makeover. A few strange occurrences lead Genevieve to believe that the house might be haunted and she requests Jane to research the history of the house. As Jane embarks on her quest to unearth the history of the house and the land on which it rests, she discovers much more than she had expected - the legacy of tragedy, loss, and heartbreak that upended the lives of its previous owners - compelling her to take stock of her own life and confront her own painful past.
The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan is an exceptionally well-written novel that blends family drama, historical fiction, gothic elements, spiritualism and an element of mystery into an immersive narrative shared from multiple perspectives across multiple timelines spanning centuries and featuring a cast of strong female characters.
Each of the characters is well fleshed out and what connects their stories is the house and the land on which it rests. The novel revolves around themes of generational trauma, alcoholism, family secrets, motherhood, loss, grief and healing, as well as Native American history and colonialism. With so many perspectives and themes, it is to be expected that some threads of the narrative are more deeply explored than others. Though I could sympathize with Jane and her struggles, I did question her choices and thought that occasionally her behavior was a tad immature for a thirty-nine-year-old. However, I appreciated how she was inspired to effect change in her life.
The novel emphasizes the importance of history and legacy and how crucial it is to preserve the stories of those who came before us. I loved the rich history of the house and wish that we had spent more time in the past timelines. The stories of the women who lived in the house were in turn inspiring, poignant and heartbreaking. The author incorporates in-depth segments on Native American culture and repatriation, the history of settler colonialism in Maine and the Wabanaki Nations, and the Shaker movement into the narrative. I found these sections extremely informative and I commend the author for the meticulous research that went into crafting this novel. I should mention that the inclusion of these segments did render the novel a tad lengthy and disjointed and slowed down the pace of the narrative, but this did not detract from my overall reading experience.
This is a complex novel meant to be read with time and patience. Overall, I found it to be a rewarding read and well worth the time and effort.
This was my first time reading J. Courtney Sullivan and I’m eager to explore more of the author’s work.
Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on July 2, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
July 6, 2024
– Shelved
July 6, 2024
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 58 (58 new)
message 1:
by
Darla
(new)
Jul 07, 2024 01:02PM
You've had quite a string of good reads in July. This one looks intriguing. Glad you enjoyed this Reece read.🥰
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I have the book and plan on reading it soon. Pleased to see that you enjoyed the author's writing. I loved her book, "Saints for all Occasions!"
Fantastic review, Sujoya! 💗 I do have this book on my list, but I still wasn’t too sure about it. After your amazing review, I know I want to read this book and I am looking forward to getting to it sooner rather than later. Thank you!
Lovely review, Sujoya! Though I enjoyed several of this author’s books, this one just didn’t resonate with me. I’m glad to see that it was a winner for you. 💖
Sounds like it became a bit too sincere about the message along the way. The premise is compelling though. Glad it worked well for you, Sujoya. As always, a wonderful review! ❤️
"The novel emphasizes the importance of history and legacy and how crucial it is to preserve the stories of those who came before us."
I almost brushed this novel aside, and your statement above has made me reconsider it. I am not averse to doing the work for a read if it resonates with me. Thank you for you articulate review.
I almost brushed this novel aside, and your statement above has made me reconsider it. I am not averse to doing the work for a read if it resonates with me. Thank you for you articulate review.
message 19:
by
Sujoya(theoverbookedbibliophile)
(last edited Jul 13, 2024 02:03PM)
(new)
-
rated it 4 stars
Darla wrote: "You've had quite a string of good reads in July. This one looks intriguing. Glad you enjoyed this Reece read.🥰"
Thank you, Darla!😊 I've been lucky (touchwood!🤞🏻) but I've also become very picky. Reese's selections seldom work for me. I'm glad this was an exception.
Thank you, Darla!😊 I've been lucky (touchwood!🤞🏻) but I've also become very picky. Reese's selections seldom work for me. I'm glad this was an exception.
Holly R W wrote: "I have the book and plan on reading it soon. Pleased to see that you enjoyed the author's writing. I loved her book, "Saints for all Occasions!""
Thank you, Holly!😊 I hope you enjoy this one too. This was my first time reading this author and I'm eager to read more of her work. Will add your recommendation to my list!
Thank you, Holly!😊 I hope you enjoy this one too. This was my first time reading this author and I'm eager to read more of her work. Will add your recommendation to my list!
Jaidee wrote: "Your alluring review made me add this one pronto !"
Thank you and Happy Reading, Jaidee!���
Thank you and Happy Reading, Jaidee!���
Cassie wrote: "Great review, Sujoya! I’m reading this right now and enjoying it 😊"
Thank you, Cassie!🧡 I look forward to your thoughts!
Thank you, Cassie!🧡 I look forward to your thoughts!
Canadian Jen wrote: "I'm not sure I have that much patience, Sujoya, but did enjoy your review!"
Many thanks, Jen!😊
Many thanks, Jen!😊
Rachel wrote: "Fantastic review, Sujoya! 💗 I do have this book on my list, but I still wasn’t too sure about it. After your amazing review, I know I want to read this book and I am looking forward to getting to i..."
Thank you so much, Rachel!🧡 It's a slow meandering read but I loved it. I hope it proves to be a good read for you too!
Thank you so much, Rachel!🧡 It's a slow meandering read but I loved it. I hope it proves to be a good read for you too!
Sharon wrote: "I agree a great book. But, the unconventional structure makes it a challenging read."
I agree! I thought much of what the author incorporated in the narrative could have added as a Historical Note. Glad you enjoyed this book!😊
I agree! I thought much of what the author incorporated in the narrative could have added as a Historical Note. Glad you enjoyed this book!😊
message 30:
by
Sujoya(theoverbookedbibliophile)
(last edited Jul 13, 2024 03:47PM)
(new)
-
rated it 4 stars
Sandysbookaday wrote: "Great review Sujoya. I'm glad it was a rewarding read. 💕📚"
Thank you kindly, Sandy!😊💙
Thank you kindly, Sandy!😊💙
Debbie wrote: "Lovely review, Sujoya! Though I enjoyed several of this author’s books, this one just didn’t resonate with me. I’m glad to see that it was a winner for you. 💖"
Thank you kindly, Debbie!🧡 I hope you're enjoying your current read!
Thank you kindly, Debbie!🧡 I hope you're enjoying your current read!
Rosh wrote: "Sounds like it became a bit too sincere about the message along the way. The premise is compelling though. Glad it worked well for you, Sujoya. As always, a wonderful review! ❤️"
Many thanks, Rosh!💜 This book does feature a meandering narrative and it won't appeal to everyone. Perhaps including a historical note instead of including the history lesson within the narrative would rendered the structure of the novel more approachable.
Many thanks, Rosh!💜 This book does feature a meandering narrative and it won't appeal to everyone. Perhaps including a historical note instead of including the history lesson within the narrative would rendered the structure of the novel more approachable.
Brandice wrote: "Great review, Sujoya! I’m reading this now and enjoying it. Sullivan is one of my favorite authors."
Thank you, Brandice!😊 I look forward to your thoughts!
Thank you, Brandice!😊 I look forward to your thoughts!
Lisa wrote: ""The novel emphasizes the importance of history and legacy and how crucial it is to preserve the stories of those who came before us."
I almost brushed this novel aside, and your statement above h..."
Thank you for your kind words, Lisa!😊 The book is slow paced but I always appreciate fiction with a strong premise and competent execution.I hope you are not disappointed.
I almost brushed this novel aside, and your statement above h..."
Thank you for your kind words, Lisa!😊 The book is slow paced but I always appreciate fiction with a strong premise and competent execution.I hope you are not disappointed.
Ankita wrote: "Fabulous review Sujoya! I'll try this book."
Thank you, Ankita!😊 I hope you like it too!
Thank you, Ankita!😊 I hope you like it too!
Cheri wrote: "Fabulous review, Sujoya, and a very tempting one, as well!"
Thank you, Cheri!😊 It's a slow paced but complex story and I really liked the writing.
Thank you, Cheri!😊 It's a slow paced but complex story and I really liked the writing.
Liz wrote: "Lovely review and a reminder I need to read some of her more recent books."
Thank you, Liz!😊 This was my first time reading this author and I'd love to read more of her work.
Thank you, Liz!😊 This was my first time reading this author and I'd love to read more of her work.
Christy wrote: "Wonderful review. I like the sound of this one- I’ll check it out"
Thank you, Christy!😊 Happy Reading!
Thank you, Christy!😊 Happy Reading!
Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader wrote: "Lovely review, Sujoya. I just finished this one and agree about the patience being worth it."
Many thanks, Jennifer!😊 I'm eager to read your review!
Many thanks, Jennifer!😊 I'm eager to read your review!
It sounds like the elements of this one were all well written and came together to make a wonderful read. So glad you enjoyed it, and excellent review!
A wrote: "It sounds like the elements of this one were all well written and came together to make a wonderful read. So glad you enjoyed it, and excellent review!"
Thank you kindly, A! 😊 This was a good read despite the disjointed structure of the narrative.
Thank you kindly, A! 😊 This was a good read despite the disjointed structure of the narrative.