The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson
Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, Women's fiction, Chick Lit
Read: 28th December 2020
Published: 4th June 2020
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
A broken family, a house of secrets—an entrancing tale of love and courage set during the Second World War.
After Rebecca’s mother dies, she must sort through her empty flat and come to terms with her loss. As she goes through her mother’s mail, she finds a handwritten envelope. In it is a letter that will change her life forever.
Olivia, her mother’s elderly cousin, needs help to save her beloved home. Rebecca immediately goes to visit Olivia in Cornwall only to find a house full of secrets—treasures in the attic and a mysterious tunnel leading from the cellar to the sea, and Olivia, nowhere to be found.
As it turns out, the old woman is stuck in hospital with no hope of being discharged until her house is made habitable again. Rebecca sets to work restoring the home to its former glory, but as she peels back the layers of paint and grime, she uncovers even more buried secrets—secrets from a time when the Second World War was raging, when Olivia was a young woman, and when both romance and danger lurked around every corner...
A sweeping and utterly spellbinding tale of a young woman’s courage in the face of war and the lengths to which she’ll go to protect those she loves against the most unexpected of enemies.
MY REVIEW:
I am a huge fan of dual timeline stories and what sold this one for me initially was its Cornwall setting. Although never having been there (or even to the UK, for that matter), there is just something beautiful, captivating and even magical about Cornwall. And it was the perfect setting for THE SEA GATE.
The weaving of two different timelines bringing the past and the present together filled with secrets and mystery all set around a once beautiful house that now stands decrepit upon a cliff, it is easy to get lost to not only the story, but a different time and era. There was a touch of all those Cornish favourites from over the years woven into this story - a bit of Poldark, Jamaica Inn with a strong sense of du Maurier's "Rebecca" - as well as a definite nod to Cornish history.
In London in the present day, Rebecca Young is bidding a final farewell to her beloved mother who succumbed to cancer without confiding the truth of her illness with anyone but Rebecca's twin, James. Becky (as she was more often called by those closest to her) cannot fathom why her mother confided in James and was hurt that she had not. She was even more hurt by the fact her partner of ten years, Eddie, could not deign to accompany her to her mother's funeral as a support and a comfort to her...citing he "doesn't do funerals" and that he has "his (art) exhibition coming up". As if that were more important than her or her mother's untimely death.
After the funeral, Becky, James and his wife Evie (love the name, hated the character), descend on their mother's flat to pack up the detritus that was her life before selling up. Whilst Evie goes through everything without a thought or care for their mother, Becky sifts through the mail that had piled up since her mother had been in hospital. She separates the bills from the junk for the solicitor to attend to when she comes across a letter in a hand she doesn't recognise. Upon opening it, Becky discovers it's from her mother's cousin Olivia in Cornwall of whom Becky has vague recollections visiting as a child. She seemed old to her then, she must be ancient by now.
In her letter, Olivia is asking for her mother Jenny to come to Cornwall as they want to put her in a home and she must help her put a stop to it at once. Becky wonders how long the letter has sat there as there is no date on it and the postmark is smudged. Almost on a whim, Becky decides to travel to Cornwall and break the news of her mother's passing as well as taking her mother's place in assisting Olivia for whatever she needs.
Upon arriving at Porth Enys in Cornwall, Becky is deposited by an unfriendly taxi driver outside a ramshackle old house surrounded by an overgrown and bramble-strangled hedge. The house is in desperate need of repairs. Even the front porch gave way and crumbled when Becky knocked on the door and was greeted by a god-awful screeching from within. The house Chynalls (Cornish for "the house on the cliff") is something of a character in itself, as it overlooks a secluded cove with its own secret tunnel leading from the beach and up to the house, depicting its rich and colourful history.
She soon meets Jem and Rosie Sparrow who overseer Chynalls in Olivia's absence. But what exactly is it that they do? Jem indicated he was there to feed Gabriel, but who is he? A cat? A dog? Of which Becky saw no evidence. Until she walks into the front parlour and is assaulted by not only an awful smell, but a loud screeching followed by a stream of obscenities. It seems she has met Gabriel, the biggest parrot she has ever seen. And with a personality all of his own.
And there is Rosie, Jem's wife, who comes in to cook and clean for Olivia. But now that Olivia is in hospital, surely there is no need for Rosie to be at the house. But the following morning, Becky wakes to discover Rosie firmly ensconced in the kitchen over the ancient range and the smell of bacon. She told Becky she would take her to the hospital in Truro to visit Olivia...a ride which Becky would never forget and afterwhich goes into Penzance to hire her own car.
At the hospital, she meets Olivia and breaks the news of her mother's death. Olivia is saddened but onward and upward, she then delivers a list of things that need attending to at once to enable her to return home. As Olivia reiterates, she was born at Chynalls and she will die there. But Becky is puzzled by the item Olivia has prioritised on her "to do" list which is to brick up the cellar when her bedroom and ensuite are of far greater importance. But Olivia is adamant. The cellar must be bricked up at once and no one was to venture within. Her other puzzling request which was noted with importance was to find her locket.
So Becky returns to Chynalls with the daunting task at hand. She began by searching the house from top to bottom for her treasured locket but to no avail. She did, however, come across a few interesting items in Olivia's things that gave her cause to ponder and set her on a journey of secrets and discovery. Against Olivia's wishes, Becky ventured into the cellar but could find nothing of interest...apart from a huge locked door for which there must be a key. Upon finding the said key, Becky continued her search and found herself on the beach below the house. A secret smuggler's tunnel? But whatever else was in the cellar, Becky was shocked to find what she would later discover to be a bone from a human finger. What secrets has Olivia got buried down there?
In the midst of the uncovering of some startling family secrets, Becky engages the services of Reba and his brother Mo to undertake the many repairs as well as install a new bedroom and ensuite with indoor plumbing for Olivia's return home. Up until her hospital stay, Olivia had continued with the use of the outdoor privy and chamber pot as if it were the Victorian era. The idea of which made Becky's skin crawl. As did Jem and Rosie's two sons Saul and Ezra, who seemed to be forever lurking in the shadows around Chynalls.
The secrets Becky slowly begins to uncover leads to the story of a younger Olivia who, at 15, is on the brink of womanhood in the midst of a war. It's 1943 and her father returns to his post in North Africa whilst her mother disappears off to London with the arrival of new housekeeper Winnie Ogden and her devious child Mary, leaving Olivia in her care. Mrs Ogden takes an instant dislike to Olivia as does her 5 year old devil child Mary...and the feeling is mutual. Olivia cannot wait for her mother's return whenever that may be. Mrs Ogden has Olivia undertaking chores that wasn't normally her job whilst Mary just sits back and smiles smugly. And then things start disappearing...little trinkets even some of her mother's jewellery...and Olivia begins to suspect little Mary. When the little girl is outed, she then sets to continue making Olivia's life a misery by taking her sketchbooks.
Then one day a telegram arrives. Olivia is terrified its message will contain news of the death of her father. But breathes a sigh of relief when the telegram boy says it is for Mrs Ogden. It seems Mrs Ogden's mother has taken ill and she is needed at once, leaving Mary in Olivia's care. Neither of which either girl is happy about. But Olivia takes over the care of the hateful little girl regardless. It's also around this time the Land Girls which had been boarding with them and working on the Roberts farm next door, decided to up and leave. It seems rumours about young Olivia had been circling and Beryl and Marjorie wanted no association with it. The rumours, Olivia is sure, originated from devious Nipper Martin and his co-horts...which only grew with ferocity after Olivia discovered Nipper and a German POW interned at the farm raping 13 year old Mamie Roberts. It seemed they conjured up a story before Olivia could inform Farmer Roberts of what she had witnessed. And so Olivia was branded.
Amonsgt the POWs was a mysterious man Olivia had silently christened "the Dark Man" due to his complexion. She was in awe of him and often sketched him from memory. She knew nothing of him, not even his name, but fate would bring the two of them together in a way neither could ever imagine on a stormy night that forever remain etched in Olivia's memory.
All Becky had were photographs and trinkets that meant nothing to her and she only needs Olivia to link them together with the past to make sense of the secrets she has uncovered. But Olivia is a feisty old woman. Will she unlock the memories of her past to unite them with the present?
A wonderful tale weaving together the past and the present, THE SEA GATE is mesmerising, hynotic and atmospheric. The beauty of this story rests solely in the setting. Cornwall itself is captivating and mesmerising...and the perfect setting for such a tale. One cannot help but see du Maurier's "Rebcecca" reflected in the vividly drawn descriptions of this highly atmospheric tale. Particularly as one of the main protagonists was named in her honour.
Although it started off a little slow within the first chapter or so, in which I found Becky to be a little whiny, the story soon picks up pace with her journey to Cornwall which is where the story really begins. It is there we are then transported back to 1943 and a young Olivia, and it is this story I found more compelling than Becky's, though that too became interesting as the woman finally grew something of a backbone. But it's Olivia who is bared completely - her good and her bad - as we get to know her in the present day reflecting back on her colourful life, blossoming from a young girl into a women in the shadow of war. Becky's story is one of a journey of self discovery as she overcomes the loss of her mother, her relationship to a selfish prat, her non-existent career and family dynamics. Each character is perfectly drawn and well developed, even if some are hateful. Those would be Eddie, Evie, Saul, Ezra and Rosie...and of course Mikael. But my favourites would have to be Olivia herself and of course Gabriel.
I have not come across Jane Johnson before, though I can't see why not as her style is one of which I love to immerse myself in...especially Cornwall. THE SEA GATE is a beautiful story that unfolds at a steady pace that you will appreciate taking the time with and with a bit of everything from mystery to romance to family secrets and intrigue.
Perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Kathleen McGurl and Lorna Cook.
I would like to thank #JaneJohnson, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #TheSeaGate in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
For many years she was responsible for publishing the works of JRR Tolkien, and later worked on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, spending many months in New Zealand with cast and crew (she wrote the official visual companions to the films). The authors she publishes include George RR Martin (creator of A Game of Thrones), Dean Koontz, Robin Hobb, Stuart MacBride, Mark Lawrence, Raymond E Feist and SK Tremayne.
While she was in Morocco in 2005 to research The Tenth Gift she met her soon-to-be husband Abdellatif, a Berber tribesman from a village in the Anti-Atlas Mountains. Returning home, she gave up her office job in London, sold her flat and shipped the contents to Morocco and they were married later that year. They now split their time between Cornwall and Morocco, and Jane still works remotely as a Fiction Publishing Director for HarperCollins.
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