Discover the haunting secrets of a century-old Victorian house in J. Courtney Sullivan's "The Cliffs," a captivating novel set on the seaside cliffs of Maine. Available now at Library Digital Pantheon.
 
Review: The Cliffs: A Novel by J. Courtney Sullivan
Plot Overview: REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK • A novel of family, secrets, ghosts, and homecoming set on the seaside cliffs of Maine, by the New York Times best-selling author of Friends and Strangers.
 
“A stunning achievement, and J. Courtney Sullivan’s best book yet. Sullivan weaves a narrative that’s fascinating and thought-provoking. I literally could not put this book down.” —Ann Napolitano, New York Times best-selling author of Hello Beautiful.
 
On a secluded bluff overlooking the ocean sits a Victorian house, lavender with gingerbread trim, a home that contains a century’s worth of secrets. By the time Jane Flanagan discovers the house as a teenager, it has long been abandoned. The place is an irresistible mystery to Jane. There are still clothes in the closets, marbles rolling across the floors, and dishes in the cupboards, even though no one has set foot there in decades. The house becomes a hideaway for Jane, a place to escape her volatile mother.
 
Twenty years later, now a Harvard archivist, she returns home to Maine following a terrible mistake that threatens both her career and her marriage. Jane is horrified to find the Victorian is now barely recognizable. The new owner, Genevieve, a summer person from Beacon Hill, has gutted it, transforming the house into a glossy white monstrosity straight out of a shelter magazine. Strangely, Genevieve is convinced that the house is haunted—perhaps the product of something troubling Genevieve herself has done. She hires Jane to research the history of the place and the women who lived there. The story Jane uncovers—of lovers lost at sea, romantic longing, shattering loss, artistic awakening, historical artifacts stolen and sold, and the long shadow of colonialism—is even older than Maine itself.
 
Why Read The Cliffs:
Richly Imagined Setting: The seaside cliffs of Maine and the century-old Victorian house create an atmospheric and immersive setting.
Complex Characters: Jane and Genevieve's personal struggles and evolving relationship add depth and intrigue.
Multi-Generational Mystery: The novel uncovers secrets spanning generations, blending historical and contemporary narratives.
Themes of Home and Identity: Explores themes of homecoming, the legacy of the past, and the search for identity.
 
What Readers Are Saying:
 
“Extraordinary . . . Reminds me of Donna Tartt’s 1992 debut, The Secret History . . . I was so thoroughly submerged in a rich fictional world, that for hours I barely came up for air.” —Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, NPR
 
“Riveting from page one to the last breathless word.” —Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions For You
 
Download The Cliffs in ePub format now at Library Digital Pantheon and uncover the haunting secrets of the Victorian house on the Maine cliffs!