This is one for my secret santa parcel: I will fill in the details once it has arrived at destination.

At first, I found this quite confusing, and after a few chapters I had to go back to the beginning and make good mental note of the names of the characters and the period in time, because it’s one of those books that jumps backwards and forwards. Once that was sorted, I couldn’t put it down. Very intricate, mysterious, fascinating interaction between the characters at all levels.

The chapters alternate between two holidays in a beach cottage in Cornwall. In the past (1968), the cottage is called Beachcomber (chapter heading), and the family staying there are John and Frances, with their young son Julian. They are joined by the husband of John’s sister Becky, an American writer called Bill, and his tomboy daughter referred to as Skip (Becky died by falling out of a window, the result of combining alcohol and drugs). The physical relationship between John and Frances is very restrained – really, he has no idea – jumping on her in his pyjamas and apologizing afterwards.

The second holiday takes place some 25 years later; a young man called Will (aged 36) invites his parents John and Frances (who is in the early stages of Alzheimers) to stay in a cottage called the Blue House (chapter heading); they are joined by Poppy’s husband, Sandy, and their young children Hugo and Oscar (Poppy didn’t come as she was learning to play squash).We presume she is Will’s sister as Sandy is referred to as Will’s brother-in-law. Sandy and Will have been secret lovers ever since the stag night.
Will runs a successful bookshop/café which sounds very interesting as he has Sunday brunches that are free to anyone who buys a hardback beforehand.

I will not say any more, don’t want to spoil.

Sent in the mail today.
It has arrived.
I'll wait till it gets journalled then fill in the details.

Arrived today, thanks so much secret santa for this wishlist book and all the other lovely things you sent me :)