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The historic houses in the seaside town of Beaufort, North Carolina, have held the secrets of their inhabitants for centuries. One of the most enduring refuses to be washed away by the tide: What happened to Rebecca and Townsend Saint James on that fateful night of their disappearance in 1976?
Now, the granddaughter they never knew, Keaton Smith, is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort on the market, she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, which has been closed for nearly fifty years, she wonders if she's bitten off more than she can chew. Wading through the detritus of her grandparents' lives, Keaton finds herself enchanted by their southern traditions—and their great, big love. As she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, Keaton begins to wonder if the stories she has been told about her grandparents are true.
Keaton's grandmother, Rebecca "Becks" Saint James's annual summer suppers are the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But, in the summer of 1976, she's struggling behind the facade of the woman who can do it all—and facing a problem that even she can't solve.
As Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of their family for generations.
"The novel to read this year" (Annabel Monaghan) explores the power of family, the boundless nature of love, and the idea that discovering where we came from just might lead us to A Happier Life.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 25, 2024 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781668012215
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781668012215
- File size: 5576 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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May 1, 2024
A small, southern, seaside town provides the backdrop for Harvey's (The Summer of Songbirds, 2023) nod to the importance of seeking happiness from our history. Having lost her job and home, Keaton Smith finds herself in Beaufort, North Carolina, to open a house that has been locked up since her grandparents disappeared 50 years ago. The house is a time capsule, complete with the remains of a dinner party. Excerpts from the entertaining notebook of Keaton's grandmother, expert hostess Rebecca Saint James, describe how much Becks loved her life and husband but raise questions about their mysterious disappearance. Keaton plans to stay only long enough to ready the house for sale, but Beaufort's charm and the single father next door have her reconsidering. Harvey's love for community, homes, and the history that fulfilled both her ancestors and her own life stand out in this novel with a vibrant setting and a bit of mystery. Readers who love secrets by the seaside (and possibly Martha Stewart) will adore this, along with fans of Mary Kay Andrews, Mary Alice Monroe, and Patti Callahan Henry.COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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June 10, 2024
Harvey (The Summer of Songbirds) spins a moving tale of a heartbroken young woman discovering her family’s secrets. Keaton Smith, a marketing guru in New York City, leaves her job after learning her boyfriend has just gotten her boss pregnant. Keaton then retreats to her hometown of Beaufort, N.C., occupying herself with helping her mother and uncle ready her grandparents’ abandoned house for sale. The grandparents, Townsend and Becks, disappeared almost 50 years earlier and were presumed dead after their wrecked car was discovered in a creek. Their lives have long been a forbidden subject for the Smiths. When Keaton arrives at the house, which she didn’t know was still in the family, she quickly gathers that nothing has been changed there since 1976, the year her grandparents were last seen, and grows determined to find out what happened to them. In a parallel narrative from Becks’s point of view in 1976, Harvey breathes life into the home, where Townsend and Becks regularly host dinner parties that make them the toast of the town. Gradually, Harvey reveals the reasons behind Becks’s disenchantment with her life and desire for a change. The tautly plotted story thrums with yearning as Becks and Keaton each seek meaning for their lives. This is women’s fiction at its best. Agent: Elisabeth Weed, Book Group.
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