A Haunting Tale of Family Secrets and Historical Mysteries
There’s something inherently eerie about old abandoned houses, isn’t there? The creaky floorboards, dusty relics of lives once lived, whispers of untold stories in every shadowy corner. Now imagine such a house perched dramatically on the craggy cliffs of coastal Maine, waves crashing below, salty winds whipping through weathered gables. This is the evocative setting J Courtney Sullivan conjures in her latest novel, “The Cliffs”—a book that had me utterly spellbound from the very first page.
Sullivan, known for her insightful explorations of female relationships in previous bestsellers like “Friends and Strangers” and “Saints for All Occasions,” takes a slightly darker turn here. While still firmly rooted in the realm of literary fiction, “The Cliffs” flirts with elements of gothic mystery and historical intrigue. The result is a richly layered narrative that spans generations, delving into themes of motherhood, marriage, artistic awakening, and the long shadows cast by both personal and cultural pasts.
A House Full of Secrets
At the heart of the story is Jane Flanagan, whom we first meet as a troubled teenager seeking refuge in an abandoned Victorian mansion overlooking the sea. The house, with its faded lavender paint and gingerbread trim, becomes a character in its own right—one that haunts Jane long after she’s left her hometown behind.
Fast forward twenty years, and Jane returns to Maine, fleeing a career crisis and a crumbling marriage. She’s shocked to find her childhood sanctuary transformed into a sterile, modernized version of its former self by the new owner, Genevieve. This wealthy “summer person” from Boston is convinced the house is haunted and hires Jane, now a Harvard archivist, to research its history.
Ghosts of the Past
What unfolds is a captivating dual narrative. In the present, we follow Jane as she grapples with her own demons while uncovering the house’s secrets. Sullivan expertly weaves in historical threads, transporting us to 19th-century Maine and introducing us to the women who lived in the house before. There are tales of doomed love affairs, artistic struggles, and the harsh realities faced by women in a male-dominated world.
Sullivan’s prose shines brightest in these historical sections. Her descriptions of life in coastal Maine a century ago are so vivid you can almost taste the salt air and hear the creak of wooden ship masts in the harbor.
Echoes Across Time
As Jane delves deeper into the house’s past, the line between then and now begins to blur. Themes and motifs echo across the decades—the struggle for artistic recognition, the suffocating expectations placed on women, the allure and danger of the sea. Sullivan deftly draws parallels between Jane’s modern-day struggles and those of her historical subjects, highlighting how some battles remain frustratingly constant across generations.
Complex Characters and Relationships
One of Sullivan’s greatest strengths as a writer is her ability to create nuanced, deeply flawed characters that still manage to capture our empathy. Jane, with her prickly exterior and self-destructive tendencies, could easily become unlikeable in less skilled hands. Instead, Sullivan peels back the layers of Jane’s psyche, revealing the wounded child beneath the brittle adult facade.
The relationship between Jane and her volatile mother is particularly well-drawn. It’s a dance of love, resentment, and unmet needs that will resonate with anyone who’s struggled with a difficult parent.
A Touch of the Supernatural
While “The Cliffs” isn’t overtly a ghost story, J Courtney Sullivan introduces just enough of the otherworldly to keep readers on edge. Are the strange occurrences in the house truly supernatural, or simply the product of overactive imaginations and buried guilt? Sullivan leaves it deliciously ambiguous, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions.
Themes of Art and Identity
Art plays a significant role in the novel, both as a plot device and a thematic thread. Several characters struggle with their identities as artists, grappling with questions of talent, recognition, and the sacrifices required to pursue a creative life. Sullivan explores how art can be both a means of self-expression and a way to connect with the past.
There’s a particularly poignant subplot involving stolen Native American artifacts, forcing characters (and readers) to confront uncomfortable truths about colonialism and cultural appropriation. It’s handled with sensitivity and nuance, adding depth to the overall narrative.
A Sense of Place
Perhaps the most vivid character in “The Cliffs” is Maine itself. Sullivan, who has a home in the state, clearly knows and loves this rugged landscape. Her descriptions of the rocky coastline, the moody sea, and the close-knit (sometimes claustrophobic) small-town community are masterful. You can practically smell the pine trees and feel the icy spray of the Atlantic on your face.
The house, too, becomes a powerful metaphor for the ways we try to reshape the past to suit our needs in the present. Jane’s horror at seeing her childhood refuge gutted and modernized mirrors her own internal struggle to reconcile who she was with who she’s become.
A Few Minor Quibbles
While The Cliffs by J Courtney Sullivan is a thoroughly engrossing read, it’s not without its flaws. The pacing in the middle section occasionally lags, and some readers might find the number of historical characters introduced a bit overwhelming at first. There are also a few plot threads that feel slightly underdeveloped, particularly regarding Jane’s marriage troubles.
These are minor criticisms, however, in what is overall a richly satisfying novel.
Verdict: A Atmospheric and Thought-Provoking Read
The Cliffs by J Courtney Sullivan is the kind of book that lingers with you long after you’ve turned the final page. Sullivan has crafted a story that is at once a gripping mystery, a meditation on female agency across generations, and a love letter to the wild beauty of coastal Maine.
Fans of Kate Morton’s multi-generational sagas or Alice Hoffman’s touch of magical realism will find much to love here. Sullivan’s writing is evocative without being purple, and she has a keen eye for the small details that bring a scene to life.
This is a novel about the ghosts that haunt us—whether they’re supernatural spirits or the more mundane specters of regret, guilt, and paths not taken. It’s about the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the past and the ways those stories shape our present and future.
As Jane ultimately discovers, sometimes the only way forward is to confront the past head-on, no matter how painful that confrontation might be. It’s a lesson that resonates far beyond the pages of this captivating book.
Similar Books You Might Enjoy:
- “The Lake House” by Kate Morton
- “The Winter People” by Jennifer McMahon
- “The Ghost Orchid” by Carol Goodman
