Let me start by saying that Edie Browne’s Cottage by the Sea is much more than what that pretty exterior leads you to believe. Yes, it’s a lovely, sweet story as you’d expect, but there’s so much more beneath the surface!
One minute Edie Browne is throwing herself out of a plane, the next minute her life is turned upside down when she has a stroke. All of a sudden the person she was feels lost and the things she’s never had to think about when doing become the most difficult things in the world; when she reads all she sees are squiggles, she’s forgotten words and what things are, she has trouble thinking and concentrating, her sensations have either heightened or disappeared completely… So, grieving for the person she once was she heads to the small village on the Cornish coast of St Aidan, to Periwinkle cottage where her Aunt Josie lives…
Aunt Josie is also dealing with her own tragedy and away from the buzz of a city and with it being out of season in St Aidan, Edie’s hoping the quietness and calmness will help her to recuperate, gain back her independence and lead her back onto the road to her well ordered life. But as they soon come to find, there’s nothing laid back about this little village, and with the support of the locals they both find themselves starting over again in whole new ways…
I will admit it took me a few chapters to get fully into this story but once I did I really enjoyed my journey alongside Edie. What can I say about Edie Browne, with an E, her BOOMS!! and “Love you, bye’s” (you will understand it all when you read for yourself!). Easily likeable, determined and incredibly funny is what she is and someone who you just want all the happiness for. Although, behind her lippy, sunnies and capri pants there’s a fear of judgement and she lets her health issues stop her from seeing all the things she’s actually good at despite her condition; it’s ultimately this wonderfully supportive community that opens her eyes to that. She begins letting herself go, not worrying about what she’s lost and when she takes this on board she realises there’s many little bonuses and happiness to be found in doing so. I laughed with Edie Browne, felt the struggles she encountered, and her smallest of achievements had me cheering her on from my sofa!
Jane Linfoot has written a story about invisible conditions and unexpected loss in various forms; grieving for the person you once were, grieving for family members and grieving for a past life – it’s not just our Edie who is on a journey, it’s Aunt Josie, and Barney and little Cam (whose story will do more than tug at your heart-strings). It’s this that provides these deeper, emotional layers; the bonds that these characters have are really special and whilst the end of the story may well be what you come to expect, it’s a case of it not being about that, it’s about the journey in ending up there.
It’s easy to appreciate the setting of St Aidan; stunning sea views, cobbled alleys and colourful cottages, not forgetting it’s cast of eccentric characters! I really enjoyed the crafty side of this story, too, from the fabric made items, to the wooden plaques, to the shepherd huts, and the barns been turned into working areas. I like to think I have a bit of an eye for interior design and I love choosing colour schemes, designs, adding accessories and seeing rooms transformed and coming to life – it was a lovely little sub-plot to the novel and it was a delight to envisage what it all looked like.
It wouldn’t be a Jane Linfoot book without a splash of romance, would it?! From Edie’s first encounter with Barney it’s hard to resist him. He’s a bit of a man of mystery to start off with but as you discover more about him you really take him to your heart. I enjoyed his and Edie’s banter that provided some very comical moments, and when Cam was with them, some incredibly moving moments, yet I liked how he never forced things with Edie, he was there but he was always kind of a step back, letting Edie lead the way.
Edie Browne’s Cottage by the Sea is a story about friendship, self discovery, happiness and appreciating the small and simple things in life; it’s full of heart and is as touching as it is witty!