What the novel is about:
Over one eventful summer in the tranquil lakeside town of Summerville, two women uncover a shocking family secret and together begin an extraordinary journey towards healing and forgiveness.
Claire is still reeling from her beloved mother’s death after a short illness, when the doorbell rings. On the doorstep is a woman with a startling resemblance to Claire’s mother.
And when she introduces herself as Audrey – the name of the baby sister Claire has always believed died in a car crash – Claire’s world falls apart.
As she and this stranger – who might just be the long-lost sister she always yearned for – piece together their past, a new revelation rocks them both. Claire discovers a devastating truth about her childhood that threatens to blow her world apart.
Can she find the courage to forgive her mother’s mistakes and rebuild her life?
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REVIEW
Oh my, where do I begin to express the power this story had over my heart! I really enjoyed The Summerville Sisters that kept me intrigued every step of the way and wondering how this family mystery was going to end. Author Heather Dixon laid a strong foundation in the bones of her story and then built on that layer by layer a great plot with lots of solid ingredients of truth and creativity. Plus, there’s a wonderful cast of believable characters I quickly connected with as their dramas drew out complex emotions in me. I was kept guessing throughout the story’s development, too, and often sat on the edge of my seat with anticipation!
I have to say my heart sympathised with Claire, Audrey and Lilah as they all try to make sense of what Veronica has done that caused so much havoc in their lives. Greg’s a wonderful support character and you get the sense that he is a steadying force in Claire’s life.
There were so many emotions I could relate to and understand as a mother and sibling. The revelations they both receive are pretty jarring and it made me think how I would feel in their situation. Claire’s seemingly overprotective behaviour with her daughter is understandable as the more she learns about her own origins, the more fearful she becomes of her own child’s safety. That feeling of separation and not able to find your child, is something many of us can relate to. My own daughter was a curious child and one evening she gave us an awful fright when she wandered off down a beach when we turned our backs for a few minutes. It took a search party to find her and fifteen minutes of frantic fear. Oh, how quickly they can disappear! I am glad to report she was found. And Heather really captured those kind of moments and how desperate a parent can feel.
Besides anxiety and fear—this novel also explores the shock, loneliness, anger, grief and frustration that Claire feels when she is given pieces of information about her past. Then the letter she receives helps her see she desires the same thing as Audrey— to be part of a family.
Once I started reading from the first page I was hooked and could not put it down until I finished it. There are lots of surprises and heart capturing themes. It is a family story with some curve balls and twists that leave you with a lot of thoughts swirling around in your head. The Summerville Sisters covers some troubling topics like abduction, alcoholism, child abuse, parent child separation—just to name a few. And relationship breakdowns are explored but there are also positive attempts to restore and learn from what went wrong to make things right. Dealing with change is one of Claire’s big lessons and she eventually realises that everyone needs a number of people in their lives who may or may not be blood related. The importance of family and what that word means is at the core of this novel. Claire is awakened to deep unconditional love and how valued and worthy of it she is. A great gift and the best legacy possible. I totally recommend this novel and give it a heartfelt 5 Stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my review copy.
