In three words:
Love, summer, friendships
What I thought:
The House by the Sea is a lovely tale that follows two stories – one set in the present in Devon and the other in 1966 Tuscany. I can sometimes have a problem with these types of books where the narrative isn’t linear as I have found that I end up enjoying one story more than the other. Not the case with The House by the Sea though – not only does each segment last for about 100 pages, giving the reader ample time to become emmersed in that part, but both the present and past are equally wonderful.
The prologe starts in Tuscany in 1966 and sets the scene perfectly for what is to come. Ten year old Floriana lives with her alcoholic father and no mother and spends her summer wandering up to the huge beautiful house and peering longingly through the wall at the gardens she aches to be in. One day she is spotted by 16 year old Dante who brings her inside and there begins a friendship that will last for years.
The story then shifts to Devon in 2009 and Mariana and her husband Grey are gearing up for the summer at their hotel on the cliff by trying to find an artist in residence to help entice guests to earn enough money to prevent them having to sell the hotel. Enter Rafa, a gorgeous 37 year old Argentinian who wows everyone he meets.
As both stories develop we begin to get hints and clues as to how both stories may interwine and to what secret Rafa may be hiding. The cast of characters is varied and vibrant and and I loved getting to know them all (even the brattish Clementine) and following their stories.
I have never read any books by Santa Montefiore before but I will be on the hunt for more now. She has actually written eleven, I believe, and if they are anything like The House by the Sea I cannot wait to hunt them down and get stuck in.
Verdict: A wonderful, magical read. Quite possibly my favourite book of 2011 so far. If you want a great read for this summer then look no further. Highly recommended!
(source: I received this book for review from Simon & Schuster)
Your favourite book for this year? Wow! I have heard of the writer, but never read one of her books. Sounds like this would be a good one to start with.
I know! I just loved every minute of reading it, Judith; it made me happy and transported me to a different world (well, two actually). It felt like a magical summer read
I haven’t read anything by Santa Montefiore, but I was planning to start with The House by the Sea. So I’m glad to see a positive review. It does seem like a perfect summer read.
It really is, Misha. I hope you enjoy
Oh, my. Any book that has anything to do with Italy is a book I know I’m going to read.
Enjoy
I’ve got a copy of this book but haven’t read it yet. Your review has made me move it to the top of my pile! I’m glad to hear the past and present storylines are equally interesting because I often end up enjoying one more than the other too.
I saw you’d got a proof copy too, Helen. I didn’t know what to expect from this but I just loved it!
It sounds good! I’ve been trying a few books lately, but can’t find the one to suit my mood.
Is it a new book or might I have a chance to find it 2nd-hand?
It’s brand new out, Em so probably won’t be one second hand for a while. If you email Simon & Schuster and ask for a copy to review on your blog they may send you a copy though. Well worth the read, in my opinion – the perfect summer book.
Hmmm… It could be an idea! If not, I can always wait fo next summer!
This sounds like a great one, I hope it is available in the US!
Hmm, in the US it’s called The Mermaid Garden, with a gorgeous cover
So glad you liked it.
This book sounds great, and I love Tuscany.,
Got to find a copy