Quick Book Review: The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri
June 12, 2012 12 Comments
This book is a good read for the summer. There is a great sense of place: a remote island in Maine where the protagonist, Nora, spends the summer with her two young daughters.
Nora is the wife of an attorney general in Massachusetts but a public scandal (her husband having an affair) makes her take her two daughters of 12 and 7 and return to Burke’s Island in Maine where she lived when she was very young. Her aunt still lives there and Nora learns things she never knew about her past. Her father and she moved away when she was five after her mother went missing.
There are secrets to be discovered and magical beings seem to appear on the island. Daughter Annie befriends a boy who seems to live there but her great-aunt doesn’t know him, a shipwrecked man is washed ashore – are these real people?
Nora must decide whether she wants to continue her marriage. Her island retreat makes her slowly realise what she really wants.
I loved this book for the atmosphere: the sea, the freedom, the house with family secrets, a long-lost aunt. The story itself was a little weak every now and then and the ending isn’t quite as satisfactory as it could be.
But the book is well-written and the supernatural element adds a nice contrast to the physical presence of the sea and the rocks of the island.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Number of pages: 320
First published: 2012 (May)
I got this book: for review from Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins
Genre: contemporary fiction
Have you read this book?
Did you enjoy it?
Sounds like such a great summer choice. Thanks for your review.
I think this is a book you’d like, Diane.
It does sound like a good read
I love the story of a new beginning, mystery and new discovery 
Tes, you definitely would like this book!
Sounds like a great summer read, Judith…
Nadine, after reading this book it felt like I’d had a short holiday – at Glass Beach!
This sounds like a great mystical summer read. Thank you for the review.
I’m not sure that I’d read this book, but it does sound like a good one for summertime.
I’ve been saving this one to take with me to the beach! Of course, I’ll only be there four days . . . and I probably have four books I’m planning to bring. A little too ambitious! But I’ll give it a try.
Meg, I always take too many books with me on holiday! But at least, you’ve got a choice that way, depending on mood.
I actually think *The Cottage at Glass Beach* would also be a suitable book when you’re *not* on holiday. In my case, I felt like I’d been on a short holiday while reading this book. What it’s like to read this book when you’re actually *on* holiday, I have no idea!
Sounds great. Could not find this one in my library, so I ordered her The Lace Makers of Glenmarra. Have you read that one?
Rosemary, The Cottage at Glass Beach is still very new, so maybe your library will get it in a few weeks.