The Ocean in Winter by Elizabeth de Veer

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

 

about book:

The lives of the three Emery sisters were changed forever when Alex, eleven at the time, found their mother drowned in the bathtub of their home. After their mother’s suicide, the girls’ father shut down emotionally, leaving Alex responsible for caring for Colleen, then eight, and little Riley, just four. Now the girls are grown and navigating different directions. Alex, a nurse, has been traveling in India and grieving her struggle to have a child; Colleen is the devoted mother of preteens in denial that her marriage is ending; and Riley has been leading what her sisters imagine to be the dream life of a successful model in New York City. Decades may have passed, but the unresolved trauma of their mother’s death still looms over them creating distance between the sisters.

Then on a March night, a storm rages near the coast of northeastern Massachusetts. Alex sits alone in an old farmhouse she inherited from a stranger. The lights are out because of the storm; then, an unexpected knock at the door. When Alex opens it, her beautiful younger sister stands before her. Riley has long been estranged from their family, prompting Colleen to hire the private investigator from whom they’d been awaiting news. Comforted by her unexpected presence, Alex holds back her nagging questions: How had Riley found her? Wouldn’t the dirt roads have been impassable in the storm? Why did Riley insist on disappearing back into the night?

After her mysterious visitation, Alex and Colleen are determined to reconcile with Riley and to face their painful past, but the closer they come to finding their missing sister, the more they fear they’ll only be left with Riley’s secrets. An unforgettable story about grief, love, and what it means to be haunted, The Ocean in Winter marks the debut of a remarkable new voice in fiction.

”Do we choose our memories, or do our memories choose us? That’s the central question for the three sisters in Elizabeth de Veer’s emotionally rich, incandescent debut novel. Ocean in Winter is a page-turner of a book with a family mystery at its core, and profoundly explores the ways in which women struggle to rebuild their lives after grief and trauma. You won’t want to put it down once you start.” —Holly Robinson, author of Beach Plum Island and Chance Harbor

my thoughts:

Wow! What a story! The Ocean in Winter by Elizabeth de Veer is family drama at its very best! I absolutely LOVED this book to bits and will happily recommend it to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read! You just can't miss out on this terrific book - it's a must-read!!

The Ocean in Winter is a character-driven story, which means it's slow-going and layered with depth. You can't help but find yourself getting caught up in this emotional story about family, sisterhood, loss, love, and memories.  This is a story that will wrap around you and hold you tight as you turn each page slowly, savoring the characters, their stories, and the emotions emanating from the pages. To be frank, I don't really want to write about the plot of the story, because I don't want to give anything away. This is one book you need to read for yourself, so that you can experience the richness of the story for your self. Definitely check it out!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Ocean in Winter

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!