Title: THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS
Author: Vanessa McCausland
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Read: January 2022
Expected publication: out now
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book Description:
Sylvie is a lover of words and a
collector of stories, only she has lost her own. She has no words for that
night at the lighthouse when their lives changed forever. What happened to
cleave her apart from her best friend and soulmate, Kase?
Sylvie yearns to rekindle their deep
connection, so when Kase invites her to the wild Tasmanian coast to celebrate
her 40th birthday, she accepts - despite the ghosts she must face.
Through an inscription in an old
book, Sylvie and Kase discover their mothers have a history, hidden from their
daughters. As they unpick what took place before they were born, they're forced
to face the rift in their own friendship, and the question of whether it's ever
okay to keep a secret to protect the person you love.
My musings:
THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS is the third book I have read
by Vanessa McCausland, and I enjoyed every one of them. In her latest books,
she once again creates a beautiful, atmospheric Australian setting (this time
in Tasmania) and complex characters whose relationships appear authentic and
moving. As with her other books, THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS touched my heart as each
character has to overcome their own struggles. And like in THE LOST SUMMERS OF
DRIFTWOOD, the story revolves around the themes of friendship, family secrets,
grief, reinventing yourself and ultimately healing and hope.
Readers who love the theme of female
friendships in all its complexity will be pleased with McCausland’s portrayal
of Sylvie and Kase, best friends at school and soul sisters, until a tragedy
tore them apart. Now, over twenty years later, the friends meet again for
Kase’s 40th birthday celebrations on a small Tasmanian island near Bruny. To repair
the rift that cleaved their worlds apart, they must first face up to the truth
of what happened when they were just teenagers ....
I love the way the author portrays
her female protagonists, endowing each with a rich history that makes them
relatable in many ways and gives them unique, multi-layered personalities as
with people you meet in real life. And whilst the author has taken a theme that
is very relevant today and close to her heart, you will find no preaching or lecturing
here, just a gentle tug on your conscience and your heartstrings as she takes
you by the hand and leads you down the path of her story with all the tumultuous
emotions connected to it. Set in three different timelines – the 1960’s, 1990’s
and today, three generations of women are linked by a secret that will have far
reaching effects on all of them.
Summary:
THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS transcends multiple genres:
part mystery, part drama, there is also a light sprinkling of romance, leaving
the reader with a sense of hope and light despite the dark themes explored
here. McCausland is a talented storyteller who knows how to bring her
characters and her settings to life with language that flows a smoothly and
gently like the waves lapping against the beaches in her story, which made it a
real treat to read. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy contemporary
books centred around female friendships and family secrets that linger in your
mind and heart long after the last page has been turned.
Thank
you to HarperCollins Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and
for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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