It is autumn time and on a peaceful Cornish beach, Finn and his sister Ava defy planning regulations and achieve a childhood dream when they build themselves an illegal beach hut. This tiny haven will be their home until Ava departs at Midwinter for a round-the-world adventure.
In the town, local publican Donald is determined to get rid of them. Still mourning the death of his wife, all he wants is a quiet place where he can forget the past and raise his daughter Alicia in safety. But Alicia is wrestling with demons of her own.
As the sunshine fades and winter approaches, the beach hut stirs old memories for everyone. Their lives become entwined in surprising ways and the secrets of past and present are finally exposed.
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On this blazing afternoon the beach is home to both death and beauty, hiding its savage nature beneath a hot white welcome almost too bright for the eyes to bear. CHAPTER ONE, 1978
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(@Legend_Times_, 1 May 2015, ebook, 336 pages, bought from @AmazonKindle, # popsugarreadingchallenge, a book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn't)
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I'm a huge fan of the author and have now read all of her books. The Beach Hut is the first one I bought and ended up being the last book I read. The Beach Hut is a fantastic book, just the kind of emotional tear-jerker I've come to expect from the author. I liked the way the story moves back and forth in time between the present and past events for all characters which led them to this moment. I loved Finn and Ava; their bond touched me very deeply. My heart went out to them. I liked the way Donald's character unravels, at first he appears to be holier than thou until his daughter stumbles across dark secrets from the past which make him so much more human. The Beach Hut is a terrific read.
