Der Verrat von Oyster Shore: Roman (Die Pencallyn Geheimnisse 4)

by Ruth Saberton, Marie Rahn (Translator)

Freundschaft, Verrat und eine große Liebe - vor der atemberaubenden Kulisse Cornwalls.

Oyster Shore in Cornwall, 1904: Nichts scheint die Freundschaft von Ned und Gerald erschüttern zu können. Bis sie sich beide in Madalyn mit ihren flammend roten Haaren verlieben. Dann bricht der Erste Weltkrieg aus, und ein verhängnisvoller Verrat prägt das Leben der drei für immer ... Fast ein Jahrhundert später sucht die Schriftstellerin Lowenna Trost in Oyster Shore. An der Seite des rätselhaften Noah kommt sie der Wahrheit hinter einer Liebesbeziehung auf die Spur, die die Macht hat, auch die Zukunft zu verändern ... 

Eine junge Frau auf den Spuren einer geheimen dramatisch, herzzerreißend und so romantisch.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Historical Romance

625 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2023

About the author

Ruth Saberton writes uplifting, escapist fiction set in beautiful places where friendship, love, and second chances take centre stage. Her novels transport readers to the Cornish coast and beyond, blending warmth, humour, and heartfelt storytelling.

She is the author of more than thirty books, including the Polwenna Bay and Rosecraddick series, which have found loyal readers through Amazon and beyond. Alongside contemporary fiction, she is currently working on a layered dual-timeline novel spanning early twentieth-century Europe and the present day.

When she isn’t writing, Ruth can usually be found outdoors riding, walking, or gathering inspiration from landscapes and weather that often find their way into her stories.

You can stay in touch and hear about new releases and writing life by joining her newsletter here:
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Reviews

[Aimee Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth the wait!

The Rosecraddick Chronicles are one of my favourite series by Ruth Saberton. Based in the years before, during and after the First World War, Oyster Shore is the third novel although each of the books can be enjoyed as a standalone.
Oyster Shore is an isolated stretch of riverbank in the small village of Trevellan which these days is mostly holiday lets with very few local families remaining. Many have since moved away, including the Grandmother of Lowenna Scott. Desperate to get away from the turmoil of her love life, she’s taken the opportunity to return to her roots.
It doesn’t take long for Lowenna and her faithful dog Breakspear to discover they are the latest flotsam to have washed up on the shoreline. From the curious Australian artist called Noah to the Hamish Pandragon the local bard, Lowenna soon discovers a curious tale of a mysterious writer who seems to have vanished from history taking his masterpiece with him. Itching to uncover the story behind the shadowy Gerald Snowe, it doesn’t take long for her to make her way to Rosecraddick manor and discovers her own Great Grandparents hold the key to unravelling the mystery.

[sally whitfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

This has to be my favourite of the Rosecraddick chronicles. Loved Ned and Madalyn in the past. Lowenna's story in the present seemed to be going on and I was beginning to wonder when I'd find out what it was all about but have no fear when you get to the story in the past it's simply breathtaking. Beautifully written and the Character of Gerald Snowe who was hateful was so well written. I want to visit Oyster Shore now. It was lovely to visit some of the characters from the previous book even though there only in the background of this story. Ruth certainly has a wonderful imagination and I felt I was there along side these characters as the story plays out. The ending was a surprise and back in the present time everything ties up beautifully. If you've read the first two I highly recommend you read this, but it can be read as a standalone.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lowenna Scott is looking for a place to write a book, a quiet place where she won’t be disturbed. She stumbles about a boathouse on Oyster Shore. Almost immediately upon her arrival, she meets Noah Wilson. He had been sent there earlier by his mother and wife. After both of their deaths, they wanted him to go trace his ancestry. They both felt it is where he would be happy. Together from his mother’s notes and Lowenna’s search into the history of Oyster shore, Lowenna, and Noah uncover the romantic and tragic history.

It all started in 1914. It was a wonderful, healing place for young kids of 7 and 8 years old to hide out, run in the sand, swim in the water, and climb tall trees. It was a place where the social etiquette that was so strong during that time shouldn’t have mattered. However, Gerald Stowe, a rich but lonely child tried to rule over his neighbors because he felt entitled. That entitlement lasted throughout their childhood.

Ned was a son of a schoolteacher and was regarded well in the community but was not considered part of “society”. His father Edgar and his mother, along with his sister Bess were well-educated, kind, and loving people to everyone around them. Ned was not only educated but very physically attractive and strong. He was envied and admired by most.

Madalyn Trevon was part of society until her father died. But now since her mother cannot inherit anything and everything goes to the nearest male cousin, they find themselves relying on the charity of that cousin.

Ned, Madalyn, Marrick (his father was a fisherman), and others were the kids that hung out. Madalyn and Ned hit it off immediately. Eventually, as they got older it turned into a love affair. Gerald was a sickly child, neglected by his rich parents, and who was always bitter and manipulative. Things didn’t change as he grew older. Gerald was determined to win Madalyn’s heart and he did many awful things to accomplish his ownership of her.

Ned was sent off to war when the war started. Gerald stayed home because of his illnesses and an accident falling from a tree, injuring his leg. They got a letter that Ned was lost in action and Gerald stepped right up to claim Madalyn. He thought because of his high social status and his power that she would fall right into his arms.

The history slowly unfolds and reveals what happened years ago. There are many twists and turns and you really don’t know the ending until it happens. I don’t want to spoil how it all turns out. The characters were well thought out and you felt that you knew them in the end. It was a very long book. 623 pages. Definitely not a beach read but one rich in history.

[Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lighthearted read

Oyster Shore has secrets, Lowenna returns to where her family are from to escape her current life.
Noah is also hiding but for different reasons.
This is a fun, light hearted book, a Sunday afternoon read. Enjoyable, with likable characters.
My favourite part was the group gossiping in the pub, it was such a fun, easy to imagine conversation as it bounced between Cornish folklore, the here and now; and gossip.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of the best books I have read in a while . I always feel Cornwall is my spiritual home and this book transported me to a place I love. It’s a truly amazing love story between two people from a different class in an era where class mattered to some. The story starts before the First World War and present day where two families are entwined through this story of love family and friendship . oyster Shore where it begins and ends

[Mrs Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a avid reader of Ruth Saberton's Books and this book does not disappoint. It is so easy to lose yourself in the descriptive writing of not only the personalities but the surroundings and scenery. So many interwoven stories following from some of the wonderful characters we have come to know in previous novels and new characters that we learn to love and almost hate. There are so many twists and turns in this book, you think you can see where it is heading and then you are thrown 'off course'. and are heading in another direction. A truly wonderful story which I would highly recommend

[Julie Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

simply the best 💕x

I loved reading every word of this trilogy, ( The Rosecraddick chronicles ) amazing story telling by Ruth Saberton xx

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous and emotional historical fiction read.

This poignant, enthralling, heartbreaking and heartwarming book is about life and love. It encompasses children growing up, young love, nature, class differences, tragedy, jealousy, innocence and guilt while telling a beautiful story of love amidst a rapidly changing world. It uses the present and the past to tell a story of love before, during and after World War 1 in the picturesque environs of Cornwall. I loved the mystery of the story. The author did a brilliant job of creating a very evocative setting and characters that drew me into the tale. The mystery is intriguing and the emotional impact of the story was, to me, immense. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially if combined with mystery and romance.

[Kasey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Beautiful!

This is, without a doubt, the best book that Ruth Saberton has ever written. The story is gripping and heart wrenching in equal measure. So beautiful that it should be a movie but, as we know, no movie genius is ever as good as the original written word.. I love this book and I know you will too!

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

[Deborah Reynolds Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of life

Amazing story of decades of families interwoven with love and loss. Happiness and regrets. Extremely well written. You won't put the chronicles down.

[Sandra Mae Loesel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!

Fantastic story of love, hate, regret and hope for things to come. I loved every word. An unforgettable story. I highly recommend.

[Marion Phippin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story ! Kept me totally hooked.
Always enjoy a Story or series by Ruth Saberton. Such a talented writer. Thank you .

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another WWI era story starts in a small Cornish village in modern times with a woman who, betrayed by her fiance, has rented a run down boat house where she hopes to write, but has no idea what. Fiction? Biography? A love story? Endless possibilities but nothing stirs her soul.
In 1964, an old man who had converted to Roman Catholicism and became a lay brother in a monastery, is watched over, in his last hours, by a nurse desperate for work. His ravings, however, make her wonder if her pay is worth it as the man cries out pitifully for forgiveness. When Brother Snowe dies, it is a relief for the nurse. He was a wealthy man and has given most of his assets to the monastery to continue their work.
Lowenna, the writer, is led by various discoveries she makes to ask her mother to mail her a box of odds and ends, left once back in her family tree by a mysterious man, where she and Noah are poking around interesting bits they find. Noah, an Australian who has been staying in a caravan doing sketches and sculptures, is keeping the area around the boathouse and the house beside it cleaned up and, for the house - dangerously unstable - making sure no one gets inside. As Noah and Lowenna, aka Wenna, swap stories of what brought them there, and as they explore the flotsam and jetsam of the past, offered up bit by bit by hiding places and such, they use the clues they find to find yet more bits of the past, until - about midway through the book - they're able to rebuild the summers of 1913 & 1914, just before England's entry into WWI. The story, they discover, links up to the story of the War Poet, Kit Rivers, and the traveling photographer, Alex. It adds in the story of all too many boys in this transitional era, of sons of gentry and wealthy sons of industrialists. The sons of industrialists were "tradesmen," viewed as very lower class by the landed gentry - even those so poor that they had to sell valuables just to afford boys' schools, food, and coal or wood to heat the part of the home they could afford to live in. Americam heiresses often traded Daddy's money for the right to a title, and since many lords of the manor were poor businessmen at best and drunks and gamblers deeply in debt at worst, I wonder how often these heiresses regretted their titles. Meanwhile, the "sons of tradesmen" were generally bullied, especially if their grammar, accents, sporting abilities, or scholastic achievements weren't quite up to par.
One such was Gerald Snowe, son of a soap magnate, whose family rented out a manor house in 1904, a house which was entailed and a burden to the family that owned it. The rent would have been most welcome but showing gratitude to a tradesman, whom they believed owed such to their betters, wasn't on the owners' list of things to do. Gerald was a slightly built and physically frail child who had been sick throughout much of his early childhood. He was only home because he had nearly died at the school of a fever, and the Harley Street doctors his father hired had said he should never return to the school but should be tutored at home. Once he had recovered for the most part, he was largely ignored by his parents, who set an old battleaxe of a nanny over him, one who dressed him in fancy clothes, forced cod liver oil down his throat, and limited his activity levels severely. And one day, he sees his chance to escape, possibly to wade at the shore of the river, and he slips away. He gets caught in quickmud, and 2 local boys rescue him, and proceed to show him around their haven - one they're not supposed to frequent as it's trespassing. Gerald, used as he is to being at the bottom of the pecking order, sees his ability to tell on the boys and get them banned and punished as a sort of anti-bullying insurance that they will include him in their games. Not long after, just as Ned - a kind and generous boy who tries to see the best in people - and his not-as-gracious friend Marrick - have about given up on Gerry to have any aptitude at climbing, running, rowing, or swimming, a new person shows up. A girl with a fiery temper and a zest for life, whose aim is to become a famous artist, and who is always sketching something. In Ned, she finds a kindred artistic soul, as Ned wants to be a writer. At 8, they are both smitten with the love of soul mates. And the girl, Madalyn, is actually a poor-relative part of the family from whom Gerry's parents rent the manor house, and thus can pull rank on Gerry's claims that he gets to say who can and can't play there. This makes her an instant hit, as does her talent at mudraking for shells and running and climbing, and her fast learning on rowing and swimming. Many days, as Ned writes his stories, Maddy is beside him, sketching, the 2 happy to be quiet in each other's company.
But soon, Madalyn and Gerry are packed off to various boarding schools, the village children return to work and school, and soon it will be 10 years since they last saw one another. Is the attraction still there between Ned and Maddy, or have they moved on?
This is during the summer of 1914, when Maddy is packed off in tight corsets to teas to meet eligible young men. At one held at Rosecraddock Manor, Maddy meets Kit, who confides his desire to be a poet, and to whom she confides not just her artistic aims, but also tells her of Ned's desire to write prose. At another tea party, she, Gerry, and Kit sneak off, Maddy with a bunch of tea sandwiches and cakes, to see Oyster Bay and meet Ned.
But WWI intervenes. If you read, "The Letter," you can find out what happened to Kit. Read "The Locket" and you find out what happened to the traveling photographer Alex and their mutual friend Rupert.
The book dovetails the individual lives of these characters with the research done by Rowenna, Noah's dead wife Kim and his recently passed mother, both from Australia, and Noah. As the summer of 1914 gets twisted into the violence of a muddy, barbed-wire-laced, machine gun nest filled European countryside filled with the sounds of deafening artillery barrages,
grenades, chemical gas attacks, and an exhorbitantly high loss of young men's lives on both sides, lives are forever changed. Young widows and grieving parents, heartbroken sweethearts and fiancees, casualty lists that aren't complete or accurate for the most part, fallow fields that can't be easily worked by women, famine, pestilence, and deaths - often due to suicides or diseases that sometimes predate combat or else come as a result of it, we see the horrors of war and how it destroys families. As a thought - is it any wonder that, when Hitler broke the Versailles Treaty, no one stopped him? Who was left but the younger generation left fatherless by WWI and the Spanish Flu pandemic that further thinned the ranks of possible soldiers?
Will Gerald Snowe ever find the absolution he sought from his misdeeds? What happens to those who were left behind? Is Wenna's family's box part of the story, and what does the research done by the beloved women in Noah's life have to say about the past...and perhaps the present?
This is an engaging tale that doesn't let you go and, at the last page, leaves you begging for more.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to take your breath away, this is the latest book I have read by Ruth Saberton. Set in beautiful Cornwall in 1904 and present day, the third book in the Rosecraddick Chronicles is for me, unforgettable. Within the times of 1904 and the present, the story also covers that terrible time of 1914 -1918, the Great War. The characters are wonderful, the setting and scenery of Cornwall is incredible and the story is wonderful. I highly recommend this book and the others in the Rosecraddick Chronicles to other readers. I love them. My only regret is that I have read two of them as ebooks (the second book, The Locket, I am about to read, again as an ebook) and I would love to have all three books in print but as I live in Australia, it seems they are not available in print but maybe they are only available as ebooks anyway.

[Ursula Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a brilliant read. Yet again Ruth Sabberton does not disappoint. I have enjoyed all of Ruth's books but this trilogy of Novels (The Rosecraddick Chronicles) which can be read as stand alones are her absolute best. So clever how each story gently connects with each other but you do not have to have read them all. I love all the characters in this book even Gerald Snowe! I held my breath in parts and cried in others. This book will be one I definitely reread in the future and will stay with me for a long time. I definitely recommend this and all the books in the The Rosecraddick Chronicles. Well done Ruth. Can't wait for the next one.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oyster Shore is a long book, filled with descriptive writing. A biographer comes to Oyster Shore to reflect and write. She meets Noah, also there to heal after his wife and his mother’s deaths. They discover the secrets of Oyster Shore, a story that happened around world War 1. Many things are unfolded as the story goes back to those days then forward to this couple with their investigations. The plot was interesting. I loved all the twists and turns and surprises and felt I got to know Madalyn and Ned as well as the loathsome Gerald. I did find it a tad too long, with pages of description.

[Melba Hard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the best by this author.

Fascinating story that you think was a true tale.I have loved Ruth's storys is which look back at the first and second world war and have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. This one Bright me to tears a few times as the person's described were so real.
My one complaint was that the chapters were so long and I always wanted to read just one more before bedtime!

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Oyster shore! Extravaganza of delight...

This Is another wonderfully crafted story of enduring love, interwoven with jealousy of relationships and loss and heartbreak. However strength of kindness to others and of continuing to strive for truth and honesty, in the face of the most extreme of human emotions, is played out over centuries, but with a neat and fulfilling conclusion.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Saberton books have always been my safe go-tos. They're like coming home to Cornwall (a place I've never actually visited) to see people people I've never met (they're imaginary but so realistic). This book though? Absolutely one of the best ones she's written. In fact, I may have to reread it. It's both a mystery and a love story. An ode to those who died in WW1. A redemption story. yet it surprisingly fit all together so well.

5/5 stars.

[Carol Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could NOT put it down

This story pulled me into the characters so vividly that I felt like I knew them personally. What a combination of the joys and innocence of childhood to the tragedies of war. With an overwhelming love story of intense young love, heartbreaking challenges and a love that was for eternity, this author keeps your interest to the very last word!! Well done!!

[Julie Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a really enjoyable and emotional story of childhood and friendship between friend's that turn into love and resentment. I couldn't put this book down I felt that I knew all the characters and I was part of their friendship. Ruth Saberton has not disappointed with this book. I am ready to start reading the next book in this series.

[Alice Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book of love, sadness and redemption: Oyster Shore

I couldn’t stop reading this book. My heart swelled with love and cried an ocean of tears throughout my reading of this incredible story. I have always loved historical fiction as each book takes me to a place and time never visited and Oyster Shore left me with the courage to leave my first ever review.
Thank you so very much for this heartwarming story.
Ali

[Ickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunningly gorgeous story that captures your heart!

While the beginning was a smidge slow, the story captured me completely. The writing is beautiful! Descriptive and lovely. This is a novel I'll return to time and again when my soul needs a rest. I want to go to Oyster Shore!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oyster Shore

Absolutely brilliant I couldn't put this down two stories intertwined years apart , I thought I'd guessed the outcome several times only to be wrong footed . Modern day and the backdrop of the first world war it feels so real thank you for a lovely few days reading .

[Suanna Gevers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal!

I wish I could write a review worthy of this phenomenal literary masterpiece! I cringed a bit when I saw at the beginning how lengthy the book was, but after reading I never wanted it to end.
Ruth... You made me feel as if I was there... Or wished I had been.
Thank you for this gift. I'm ready to unwrap your next one.

[Julie Wiersig · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent read!!!

I loved the way this book, little by little, draws you in to a feeling of your own relationship with the characters of Oyster Shore!!
Lovely descriptions of places, feelings and the era of time.
I’m so sorry I’ve finished the story!
I loved it!! Thank you Ruth!!!

[Mrs Nicole M Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book

Five stars is not enough. Ruth’s books are superb usually, but this one exceeds any of them. Fantastic story, well told, happy, sad, all of that, but an absolutely fabulous read, and I spend my days reading whenever I can. Thank you!!!

[Mary Sue Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It

This is a great story of love. It spans from the early 1900's to current times. The book is very well written. It keeps the reader's interest with surprising twists and turns. I highly recommend this novel.

[Jane Shawcross · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful story

What a fantastic book this is. A real journey from beginning to end. We travelled along they way with the characters as they grew and developed into people and we feel that we knew them and could see them on their travels.