NEW RELEASE
The House on Willow Street - Cathy Kelly (2012)
Set in the quaint coastal town of Avalon, Ireland, this novel tells the story of four women, each with their own challenges to overcome. Tess Powers, a mother of two, is faced with the fact that her trial separation will in fact be permanent given that her husband's new girlfriend is pregnant. Tess's sister, Suki, is struggling with both her career as a feminist writer and her penchant for relying too heavily on men, all while trying to fend off a biographer who is threatening to disclose things she would rather not reveal. Danae is the town's quiet postmistress whose heart-breaking secret has caused her to keep others at arms-length, while her niece, Mara, retreats to Avalon in an effort to forget about her ex-boyfriend, who has just married their co-worker. In addition to the four women, we are introduced to Cashel, Tess' former love, who, having returned to the small town as a successful businessman, decides to purchase and restore Avalon House, a derelict mansion previously owned by the Powers family. The House on Willow Street invites us into the lives of these very well-developed, warm characters and I thoroughly enjoyed following them along on their journeys. Kelly manages to touch upon some very serious issues in a way that does not weigh down the story or take away from the sense of escapism it provides. I really enjoyed how the author revealed tidbits of information throughout the book but does not disclose all of the characters' secrets until the end. I would love to revisit Avalon and its residents; I believe their stories are well-deserving of a sequel! (LB)
The House on Willow Street - Cathy Kelly
Tess used to be happy with her lot: she lives in the idyllic Irish coastal village, Avalon, with her teenage son, Zach and nine-year-old Kitty, and works in the local antiques shop. Her only regret in life is that everything went so horribly wrong with her first love. Then her marriage falls apart and her first love returns to Avalon. Suki, Tess' sister, fled Ireland years ago to marry politician Kyle Richardon, but when Suki discovers that a biographer is planning to tell all, there is only one place she can go to ensure that her secrets stay hidden. Danae is the village post mistress in Avalon and she's worked very hard to make sure nobody knows where she came from or who she is... Her past is her business and that's the way she would like to keep it. In Galway, Mara sits with a smile glued to her face at a wedding; she only wants to ask the groom one thing: why did he tell her he loved her? Needing to put her past behind her, Mara packs up her life and gets ready for a fresh start. Can these four women lay their pasts to rest? Or do they need to look back before they can begin to live for the future?