The Salt House by Lisa Duffy

About the book: (from the publisher) In the coastal town of Alden, Maine, Hope and Jack Kelly have settled down to a life of wedded bliss. They have a beautiful family, a growing lobster business, and the Salt House—the dilapidated oceanfront cottage they’re renovating into their dream home. But tragedy strikes when their young daughter doesn’t wake up from her afternoon nap, taking her last breath without making a sound.

A year later, each member of the Kelly family navigates the world on their own private island of grief. Hope spends hours staring at her daughter’s ashes, unable to let go. Jack works to the point of exhaustion in an attempt to avoid his crumbling marriage. Their daughters, Jess and Kat, struggle to come to terms with the loss of their younger sister while watching their parents fall apart.

When Jack’s old rival, Ryland Finn, threatens his fishing territory, he ignites emotions that propel the Kelly family toward circumstances that will either tear them apart—or be the path to their family’s future.

Told in alternating voices, The Salt House is a layered, emotional portrait of marriage, family, friendship, and the complex intersections of love, grief, and hope.

About the author: Lisa Duffy received her MFA in creative writing from The University of Massachusetts Boston. Her short fiction was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and can be found in The Drum Literary Magazine, So To Speak, The Breakwater Review, Let the Bucket Down and elsewhere. Lisa is the founding editor of ROAR Magazine, a literary magazine supporting women in the arts. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and three children.

Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram 

Genre: Fiction/Women’s Fiction/Book Club/Beach Reads

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My take: As a most pleasant finishing touch to my summer, one of my favorite reads has come here right at the end. Poignant, expressive, altogether memorable, I savored Lisa Duffy’s The Salt House from its first gripping line to last. Everything about it — from tone to setting to unforgettable characters — pitch perfect.

It is imaginative, originally drawn, and deftly paced as each compelling narrative voice takes its turn, pushing the story inexorably forward. Lisa Duffy masterfully balances realism with lyricism, tenderly wrapping every heart-wrenching detail in hope. It tugged hard on my emotions, yes, but the story is what kept me enthralled. I loved this book and rate it as one of my most highly recommended books for summer — or anytime.

Thanks to She Reads and Touchstone for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.

The Salt House is the She Reads August Book Club Selection.

After words: What are you top book picks from this summer?