A review by thebooktrail88
The Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley
5.0
Travel to Ireland with Lucinda Riley in this tale of family secrets over the years. Stunning locations and settings and a saga spanning decades.
The small figure was standing perilously close to the edge of the cliff. Her luxuriant, long read hair had been caught by the strong breeze and was flying out behind her
And we are immediately transported to the cliff in Ireland where we meet Aurora with the scene set with such passion and evocative writing that you can also feel the wind in your hair and concern that the child is too near to the edge of the cliff. but then this is Lucinda Riley’s writing - as she not only takes you to the story and the characters but the setting is also a character in itself.
London in war time is grim and dangerous, the West coast of Ireland, rural and carefree and New York painful to remember. Each location draws on the story and reveals secrets about the characters and the importance of belonging.
The settings themselves are wide ranging and deeply descriptive - we are taken to World War I and II, contemporary Ireland and New York and meet a large cast of characters from a variety of social backgrounds along the way.
But the thread woven in and out of each page along that journey is the story of Aurora, the enchanting little girl who is the link between the two feuding families and a catalyst for change. she holds the key to the mystery and the developing relationship between Grania and the girl is lovely to see. Aurora is enchanting and playful and fresh - in every way.
As we start to discuss Aurora’s backstory, this is the most enchanting part of the novel but the story of her mother and Grania’s mother is the most upsetting part of the whole story. Yet, just like the war time setting where we meet another figure, it is yet another thread in the overall weave of a history and past that is important to present day.
An historical jigsaw puzzle with the enchanting girl on the cliff at the centre.
The small figure was standing perilously close to the edge of the cliff. Her luxuriant, long read hair had been caught by the strong breeze and was flying out behind her
And we are immediately transported to the cliff in Ireland where we meet Aurora with the scene set with such passion and evocative writing that you can also feel the wind in your hair and concern that the child is too near to the edge of the cliff. but then this is Lucinda Riley’s writing - as she not only takes you to the story and the characters but the setting is also a character in itself.
London in war time is grim and dangerous, the West coast of Ireland, rural and carefree and New York painful to remember. Each location draws on the story and reveals secrets about the characters and the importance of belonging.
The settings themselves are wide ranging and deeply descriptive - we are taken to World War I and II, contemporary Ireland and New York and meet a large cast of characters from a variety of social backgrounds along the way.
But the thread woven in and out of each page along that journey is the story of Aurora, the enchanting little girl who is the link between the two feuding families and a catalyst for change. she holds the key to the mystery and the developing relationship between Grania and the girl is lovely to see. Aurora is enchanting and playful and fresh - in every way.
As we start to discuss Aurora’s backstory, this is the most enchanting part of the novel but the story of her mother and Grania’s mother is the most upsetting part of the whole story. Yet, just like the war time setting where we meet another figure, it is yet another thread in the overall weave of a history and past that is important to present day.
An historical jigsaw puzzle with the enchanting girl on the cliff at the centre.