My Thoughts:
The Things We Knew, by Catherine West, is a compelling family drama/mystery with intriguing flashbacks from the past scattered throughout. The Carlisle siblings- Lynette, Gray, Liz, David and Ryan grew up on the island of Nantucket in rambling Wyldewood Manor. Summers were filled with sailing, beach time and family until the night that their mother died. Questions remain unanswered as to the events of that evening. The tragedy spurred the scattering of the siblings and all but Lynette and her father, Drake, leave Nantucket in search of a new path. As the book beings we discover that Lynette is desperately trying to keep Wyldewood and is financially struggling while at the same time her father is losing his health. She demands a family gathering of all her siblings and upon there reunion finds that she's not the only one with problems.
I really enjoyed the setting of this book- charming Nantucket and the glorious old Wyldewood mansion. It's badly in need of repair, but I'd love to be able to have a look inside this fictional home! The characters were richly described and I particularly liked the relationship between Lynette and the handsome next door neighbor, Nick. The mystery added the perfect amount of suspense while the flashbacks drew me deeper into the story. Very enjoyable!
About the book:
The Things We Knew (Thomas Nelson, July 2016)
A tragedy from the past resurfaces in this tale of family secrets and reignited love.
After her mother's death twelve years ago, Lynette Carlisle watched her close-knit family unravel. One by one, her four older siblings left their Nantucket home and never returned. All seem to harbor animosity toward their father, silently blaming him for their mother's death. Nobody will talk about that dreadful day, and Lynette can't remember a bit of it.
But when next-door neighbor Nicholas Cooper returns to Nantucket, he brings the past with him. Once her brother's best friend and Lynette's first crush, Nick seems to hiding things from her. Lynette wonders what he knows about the day her mother died and hopes he might help her remember the things she can't.
But Nick has no intention of telling Lynette the truth. Besides the damage it might cause his own family, he doesn't want to risk harming the fragile friendship between him and the woman he once thought of as a kid sister.
As their father's failing health and financial concerns bring the Carlisle siblings home, secrets begin to surface---secrets that will either restore their shattered relationships or separate the siblings forever. But pulling up anchor on the past propels them into the perfect storm, powerful enough to make them question all they ever believed in.
A tragedy from the past resurfaces in this tale of family secrets and reignited love.
After her mother's death twelve years ago, Lynette Carlisle watched her close-knit family unravel. One by one, her four older siblings left their Nantucket home and never returned. All seem to harbor animosity toward their father, silently blaming him for their mother's death. Nobody will talk about that dreadful day, and Lynette can't remember a bit of it.
But when next-door neighbor Nicholas Cooper returns to Nantucket, he brings the past with him. Once her brother's best friend and Lynette's first crush, Nick seems to hiding things from her. Lynette wonders what he knows about the day her mother died and hopes he might help her remember the things she can't.
But Nick has no intention of telling Lynette the truth. Besides the damage it might cause his own family, he doesn't want to risk harming the fragile friendship between him and the woman he once thought of as a kid sister.
As their father's failing health and financial concerns bring the Carlisle siblings home, secrets begin to surface---secrets that will either restore their shattered relationships or separate the siblings forever. But pulling up anchor on the past propels them into the perfect storm, powerful enough to make them question all they ever believed in.
About the author:
*I was given a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was received.*
