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The Sea Gate
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.
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.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 2020
574 people are currently reading
8490 people want to read
About the author
Jane Johnson
103 books552 followersJane Johnson is an English writer of books for adults and children and fiction book editor. As a writer she has used the pseudonyms Gabriel King, jointly with M. John Harrison, and Jude Fisher, as well as her real name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 723 reviews
June 2, 2022
3.5 STARS
This is a story told in a dual time setting. It's one of my favourite styles to read. One story is in present day and revolves around Becky who has just lost her mother. She has been going through some difficulties in her own life as well. As she is cleaning out her mother's belongings she finds some letters from a long-lost elderly cousin named Olivia. It seems that Olivia is in need of help and was seeking Becky's mother's assistance. Olivia resides in Cornwall and Becky decides to go and try to help her. The second story told is Olivia's in 1945. It is a coming-of-age type of story with some mystery. Soon the two stories will collide as Becky begins to put the pieces together about Olivia's life.
I did enjoy the story. It was interesting and had some colourful characters. The setting of Cornwall and the old house was very atmospheric. The author adds a lot of description and detail. It was a slow moving story until exactly half way through when it picked up. I know the writing is lovely and it will be a 4 or 5 star book for many. Just for me personally the writing is too drawn-out and perhaps a little too descriptive.
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for granting me access to this Advanced Reader Copy.
This is a story told in a dual time setting. It's one of my favourite styles to read. One story is in present day and revolves around Becky who has just lost her mother. She has been going through some difficulties in her own life as well. As she is cleaning out her mother's belongings she finds some letters from a long-lost elderly cousin named Olivia. It seems that Olivia is in need of help and was seeking Becky's mother's assistance. Olivia resides in Cornwall and Becky decides to go and try to help her. The second story told is Olivia's in 1945. It is a coming-of-age type of story with some mystery. Soon the two stories will collide as Becky begins to put the pieces together about Olivia's life.
I did enjoy the story. It was interesting and had some colourful characters. The setting of Cornwall and the old house was very atmospheric. The author adds a lot of description and detail. It was a slow moving story until exactly half way through when it picked up. I know the writing is lovely and it will be a 4 or 5 star book for many. Just for me personally the writing is too drawn-out and perhaps a little too descriptive.
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for granting me access to this Advanced Reader Copy.
February 21, 2021
What I liked best about this book is author, Jane Johnson’s theme of coming to grips with life in a satisfying way from a wounded place. “We are all broken, that’s how the light gets in,” are lines attributed to Ernest Hemingway; these lines reflect Johnson’s theme. Our wounds may profoundly harm us or they may lead us to a different place altogether. If we truly examine our wounds instead of turning away and accepting all the dysfunctional ways we end up coping with them, we may “see” something different. Can we accept the wound? Can we see the beauty of what we have become?
Main character, Rebecca (Becky), is a broken woman. As the novel starts, Becky’s mother, who was only in her 60’s has just died. In her mother’s mail, Becky finds a request from an elderly cousin, Olivia, asking her mother for help. In Becky’s sorrow at losing her mother, she responds to Olivia’s plea. As the novel progresses, Johnson shows more of Becky’s broken nature, her anxiety, her lack of confidence, and how life has beat her down. In the past, Becky had been fascinated with creating her own art, but for the last ten years, she has put her energy into supporting her artist boyfriend, Eddie. We all know this kind of woman, and some of us are this woman.
When Becky arrives in Cornwall at Olivia’s home, she discovers that Olivia is in the hospital with a broken leg. Olivia can only come home when her home is renovated to include an indoor bathroom. As Becky digs in to restore Chynalls with it’s beautiful sea gate, another renovation is taking place. Reading a book like this is like watching the steady blossoming of a flower that no-one’s noticed before, but suddenly it’s a breathtaking process, a steady nurturing of the soul.
There are two timelines and Johnson weaves them together seamlessly. Olivia's viewpoint is written in third person and takes the reader back to WWII era. As a spitfire teenager, she is beleaguered by neglect and the events of wartime. Vividly told, each timeline captured my attention. She rescues a parrot, (Gabriel) who is profane and adds an element of humor in just the right places. There is romance, mystery, and suspense. Becky’s POV is first person and offers immediacy and engagement. I am pulling for Becky from the very start.
Jane Johnson is an adept writer, publisher, and bookseller with 30 years of experience. What interested me the most about Johnson is her personal love story, especially when I saw the headline of an article in The Daily Mail newspaper, “I married a Berber tribesman: Jane always thought middle-aged women who fell for handsome foreigners were crazy -- until she locked eyes with Abdel.” An enjoyable read!
Jane Johnson’s love story:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...
Main character, Rebecca (Becky), is a broken woman. As the novel starts, Becky’s mother, who was only in her 60’s has just died. In her mother’s mail, Becky finds a request from an elderly cousin, Olivia, asking her mother for help. In Becky’s sorrow at losing her mother, she responds to Olivia’s plea. As the novel progresses, Johnson shows more of Becky’s broken nature, her anxiety, her lack of confidence, and how life has beat her down. In the past, Becky had been fascinated with creating her own art, but for the last ten years, she has put her energy into supporting her artist boyfriend, Eddie. We all know this kind of woman, and some of us are this woman.
When Becky arrives in Cornwall at Olivia’s home, she discovers that Olivia is in the hospital with a broken leg. Olivia can only come home when her home is renovated to include an indoor bathroom. As Becky digs in to restore Chynalls with it’s beautiful sea gate, another renovation is taking place. Reading a book like this is like watching the steady blossoming of a flower that no-one’s noticed before, but suddenly it’s a breathtaking process, a steady nurturing of the soul.
There are two timelines and Johnson weaves them together seamlessly. Olivia's viewpoint is written in third person and takes the reader back to WWII era. As a spitfire teenager, she is beleaguered by neglect and the events of wartime. Vividly told, each timeline captured my attention. She rescues a parrot, (Gabriel) who is profane and adds an element of humor in just the right places. There is romance, mystery, and suspense. Becky’s POV is first person and offers immediacy and engagement. I am pulling for Becky from the very start.
Jane Johnson is an adept writer, publisher, and bookseller with 30 years of experience. What interested me the most about Johnson is her personal love story, especially when I saw the headline of an article in The Daily Mail newspaper, “I married a Berber tribesman: Jane always thought middle-aged women who fell for handsome foreigners were crazy -- until she locked eyes with Abdel.” An enjoyable read!
Jane Johnson’s love story:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...
June 18, 2021
Rebecca's mother Jenny has recently passed away, while clearing out her flat she finds a pile of unopened mail and she discovers a letter. It was sent to her mum by a distant older cousin living in Cornwall some months ago, her name is Olivia Kitto and she asked for Jenny to help her. Becky decides to drive to Cornwall, to see if Olivia is alright and have some much needed time away from her unfeeling partner Eddie.
She arrives safely and discovers Olivia’s in hospital and she can’t return home due to the condition of her house. The beautiful old house she lives in is called Chynalls, it’s very rundown, it will take weeks to fix, and cost a small fortune and Rebecca decides to organize the repairs. The Sea Gate has a dual timeline and it works well; it alternates between present time and during WW II when a teenage Olivia is living in Cornwall at Chynalls. Olivia is an only child, her father Antony is serving in Africa and her mother Estelle leaves her with Mrs. Ogden the stern house keeper and disappears.
Rebecca discovers two incredible paintings hidden in the attic; the house also has a tunnel leading from the cellar to the sea and it’s all rather mysterious? At the time Chynalls it’s a dangerous place to be living, with the possibility of the Germans invading Cornwall and prisoners of war escaping from a nearby farm. The Sea Gate is a story about courage, secrets, war, danger, forbidden love and fate. I highly recommend reading the book, especially if you like dual timeline stories and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
She arrives safely and discovers Olivia’s in hospital and she can’t return home due to the condition of her house. The beautiful old house she lives in is called Chynalls, it’s very rundown, it will take weeks to fix, and cost a small fortune and Rebecca decides to organize the repairs. The Sea Gate has a dual timeline and it works well; it alternates between present time and during WW II when a teenage Olivia is living in Cornwall at Chynalls. Olivia is an only child, her father Antony is serving in Africa and her mother Estelle leaves her with Mrs. Ogden the stern house keeper and disappears.
Rebecca discovers two incredible paintings hidden in the attic; the house also has a tunnel leading from the cellar to the sea and it’s all rather mysterious? At the time Chynalls it’s a dangerous place to be living, with the possibility of the Germans invading Cornwall and prisoners of war escaping from a nearby farm. The Sea Gate is a story about courage, secrets, war, danger, forbidden love and fate. I highly recommend reading the book, especially if you like dual timeline stories and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
June 4, 2020
Many thanks to Net Galley, Head of Zeus publicatons and Jane Johnson for a chance to read and review this wonderful book.
I am huge fane of dual-time stories, the magical weaving of 2 different time lines bringing the past and present to collide with secrets, mystery, family dynamics, and of course if there is a rambling house involved, my joy has no bounds, it is so amazing to be lost in a different era. This is my first book by Jane Johnson and she has successfully managed to create a silken web of intricate story-telling that leaves a reader mesmerized.
I am LOST, LOST in Chynalls and the beautiful Cornwall and the lovely quirky cantankerous Olivia. How can one not fall in love with a 90-yr old woman who is hell bent on never letting go and is rude and bossy all the way thru.
Losing her mother to cancer and fighting her own personal health battles, Rebecca has not found it easy. Left to sort out the mails after her mom’s funeral, Rebecca comes across a letter from an elderly cousin Olivia who needs help in getting her house in order so that she can continue living there. Feeling bold and wanting to take some responsibility, she arrives at Chynalls and finds Olivia in the hospital and the porch literally crumbling to dust in front of her and a swearing cursing Gabriel the parrot to take care too. Having her task cut out, Rebecca takes up the challenge but finds out what a daunting task that she’s put herself thru especially with barely managed finances adding to the woes.
Secrets emerge slowly as the story follows Olivia and her war-time struggles, her secret love, her passion in painting and photography, the Sea Gate with its intricate carvings and the secret tunnel that hides more than it reveals. Thru’ Algeria, Morocco, France and England, and the different cultures and religious faiths the author keeps the reader enthralled and spell bound. There is something about cancer and its effects that always leaves a lump in my throat but Jane Johnson has wonderfully interlaced the story positively with love and strength.
There’s so much in the story that no amount of words in the review is gonna be enough, suffice to say that It was a beautiful journey, and I loved it and for that Thank You Jane Johnson.
I am huge fane of dual-time stories, the magical weaving of 2 different time lines bringing the past and present to collide with secrets, mystery, family dynamics, and of course if there is a rambling house involved, my joy has no bounds, it is so amazing to be lost in a different era. This is my first book by Jane Johnson and she has successfully managed to create a silken web of intricate story-telling that leaves a reader mesmerized.
I am LOST, LOST in Chynalls and the beautiful Cornwall and the lovely quirky cantankerous Olivia. How can one not fall in love with a 90-yr old woman who is hell bent on never letting go and is rude and bossy all the way thru.
Losing her mother to cancer and fighting her own personal health battles, Rebecca has not found it easy. Left to sort out the mails after her mom’s funeral, Rebecca comes across a letter from an elderly cousin Olivia who needs help in getting her house in order so that she can continue living there. Feeling bold and wanting to take some responsibility, she arrives at Chynalls and finds Olivia in the hospital and the porch literally crumbling to dust in front of her and a swearing cursing Gabriel the parrot to take care too. Having her task cut out, Rebecca takes up the challenge but finds out what a daunting task that she’s put herself thru especially with barely managed finances adding to the woes.
Secrets emerge slowly as the story follows Olivia and her war-time struggles, her secret love, her passion in painting and photography, the Sea Gate with its intricate carvings and the secret tunnel that hides more than it reveals. Thru’ Algeria, Morocco, France and England, and the different cultures and religious faiths the author keeps the reader enthralled and spell bound. There is something about cancer and its effects that always leaves a lump in my throat but Jane Johnson has wonderfully interlaced the story positively with love and strength.
There’s so much in the story that no amount of words in the review is gonna be enough, suffice to say that It was a beautiful journey, and I loved it and for that Thank You Jane Johnson.
June 21, 2020
Favorite Quotes:
Estelle swore in vehement French, which Olivia mentally noted down for future use.
She still did not believe there had ever been a Mr. Ogden. And if there had been he was probably, judging by his offspring, a hobgoblin.
The long mirror on the inside of the wardrobe door throws my image at me. There is little worse in life than being caught unawares by your reflection, before you’ve made the small adjustments all women make – I have avoided mirrors for so long that I have forgotten to look out for them – and there I am, thin and white and strangely shaped…
Olivia hated Sundays. Who on earth thought it was a good idea to have a day of rest and then make you get up early to go to church?
I feel nothing. Not regret, or hatred or even repulsion. Nothing at all. All my emotions appear to have burst out of me in that one punch. I imagine them flowing down my arm like Popeye’s spinach, pumping up the muscles, exiting in a cartoon-bubble POW!
My Review:
I adored this brilliantly crafted tale! The storylines were highly engaging, emotively written, colorfully and effusively detailed, insightfully observant, staggeringly eventful, and cleverly paced while hitting all the feels with a powerful punch and taunting my curiosity with a constant itch. The cast of characters was vastly diverse and well-drawn with despicable villains and endearingly flawed protagonists, but my favorite was the highly astute and humorously profane parrot. This was an epic tale that intrigued, squeezed my heart, amused me, and kept me well entertained and actively engaged while reading. This sly missive was my introduction to the wily Jane Johnson and has me greedy for more.
Estelle swore in vehement French, which Olivia mentally noted down for future use.
She still did not believe there had ever been a Mr. Ogden. And if there had been he was probably, judging by his offspring, a hobgoblin.
The long mirror on the inside of the wardrobe door throws my image at me. There is little worse in life than being caught unawares by your reflection, before you’ve made the small adjustments all women make – I have avoided mirrors for so long that I have forgotten to look out for them – and there I am, thin and white and strangely shaped…
Olivia hated Sundays. Who on earth thought it was a good idea to have a day of rest and then make you get up early to go to church?
I feel nothing. Not regret, or hatred or even repulsion. Nothing at all. All my emotions appear to have burst out of me in that one punch. I imagine them flowing down my arm like Popeye’s spinach, pumping up the muscles, exiting in a cartoon-bubble POW!
My Review:
I adored this brilliantly crafted tale! The storylines were highly engaging, emotively written, colorfully and effusively detailed, insightfully observant, staggeringly eventful, and cleverly paced while hitting all the feels with a powerful punch and taunting my curiosity with a constant itch. The cast of characters was vastly diverse and well-drawn with despicable villains and endearingly flawed protagonists, but my favorite was the highly astute and humorously profane parrot. This was an epic tale that intrigued, squeezed my heart, amused me, and kept me well entertained and actively engaged while reading. This sly missive was my introduction to the wily Jane Johnson and has me greedy for more.
December 2, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon&Schuster Canada for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger Warning: There are some scenes of a sexually violent nature.
Rebecca Young is a young artist that is feeling quite lonely after the recent death of her mother and her narcissistic long-time partner is no help. So when she discovers a letter from a distant relative, Rebecca hops at the chance to get a change of scenery. But elderly cousin, Olivia and her Cornwall home share a number of secrets and curious Rebecca will soon find herself in very deep water. A dual narrative that shifts between the years of WWII and the present, this was an engaging novel from beginning to end.
Although a bit melodramatic in some places, I found The Sea Gate the perfect reading selection to restart my thirst for diving into my TBR-Arc pile. I loved the character of Olivia Kiddo,
as she was feisty at both ages. Jane Johnson illustrates through descriptive language the atmosphere of Cornwall during the war period and the impact of that event on the attitudes of its inhabitants. This story has its share of heroes and villains, but some do fall into a little bit of a caricature. I would certainly recommend the novel to historical fiction fans.
Publication Date 17/11/20
Goodreads review published 01/12/20
Trigger Warning: There are some scenes of a sexually violent nature.
Rebecca Young is a young artist that is feeling quite lonely after the recent death of her mother and her narcissistic long-time partner is no help. So when she discovers a letter from a distant relative, Rebecca hops at the chance to get a change of scenery. But elderly cousin, Olivia and her Cornwall home share a number of secrets and curious Rebecca will soon find herself in very deep water. A dual narrative that shifts between the years of WWII and the present, this was an engaging novel from beginning to end.
Although a bit melodramatic in some places, I found The Sea Gate the perfect reading selection to restart my thirst for diving into my TBR-Arc pile. I loved the character of Olivia Kiddo,
as she was feisty at both ages. Jane Johnson illustrates through descriptive language the atmosphere of Cornwall during the war period and the impact of that event on the attitudes of its inhabitants. This story has its share of heroes and villains, but some do fall into a little bit of a caricature. I would certainly recommend the novel to historical fiction fans.
Publication Date 17/11/20
Goodreads review published 01/12/20
November 10, 2020
This fascinating story is told in alternating timelines by two women. Rebecca who has recently lost her mother and Olivia, her mother's elderly cousin whos letters were discovered while clearing out her mothers home. From here Rebecca sets off to Cornwall to give the news of her mother's passing in person. Upon arrival, she discovers Olivia has been admitted to the hospital with no hope of returning until her home has been made habitable again. A home that is in need of great repair and Rebecca's help. A home that holds years of history and buried secrets.
The Sea Gate was such a win! I adored this book and the characters. Well written with a captivating storyline. The alternating chapters between the 1940s and present day definitely had my full attention. I enjoyed where this story took me.
Would highly recommend to lovers of historical fiction. Big thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for my review copy!
Trigger warnings: rape, death of a child.
The Sea Gate was such a win! I adored this book and the characters. Well written with a captivating storyline. The alternating chapters between the 1940s and present day definitely had my full attention. I enjoyed where this story took me.
Would highly recommend to lovers of historical fiction. Big thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for my review copy!
Trigger warnings: rape, death of a child.
June 2, 2020
This story is told by two different women.
Rebecca’s mother has just passed away. While she is sorting through things in her mother house she finds letters in the pile of mail from her mother’s cousin Olivia asking for help. Rebecca travels to Cornwall to help Olivia sort out the problems with her house so that she can return there after being discharged from hospital.
Olivia also tells her story of her life the 1940’s and her adventures.
Quite a few funny moments in this book and some good characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rebecca’s mother has just passed away. While she is sorting through things in her mother house she finds letters in the pile of mail from her mother’s cousin Olivia asking for help. Rebecca travels to Cornwall to help Olivia sort out the problems with her house so that she can return there after being discharged from hospital.
Olivia also tells her story of her life the 1940’s and her adventures.
Quite a few funny moments in this book and some good characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2022
Въпреки неприятната корица (защо такава, о , Боже мой???) този роман се оказа без грам преувеличение истински и неподправен разкош!
Историята е мащабна, красива и въздействаща, а действието , ситуирано в малко градче в живописния Корнуол , се развива в две времеви линии (по време на ВСВ и в наши дни) . Драматична история за любов, стари семейни тайни и престъпления, дълго лелеяни отмъщения, мистерии, има дори и криминален елемент...
Чудна сага и много английски роман в най-хубавия смисъл на думата. Така бях потънала в историята и заживяла с героите, че със съжаление затворих последната страница!
Тази книга ме изненада толкова приятно, че ще потърся обезателно и други творби на авторката :)
Препоръчвам я на дамите, на които им се чете хубава и пълнокръвна семейна сага :)
Историята е мащабна, красива и въздействаща, а действието , ситуирано в малко градче в живописния Корнуол , се развива в две времеви линии (по време на ВСВ и в наши дни) . Драматична история за любов, стари семейни тайни и престъпления, дълго лелеяни отмъщения, мистерии, има дори и криминален елемент...
Чудна сага и много английски роман в най-хубавия смисъл на думата. Така бях потънала в историята и заживяла с героите, че със съжаление затворих последната страница!
Тази книга ме изненада толкова приятно, че ще потърся обезателно и други творби на авторката :)
Препоръчвам я на дамите, на които им се чете хубава и пълнокръвна семейна сага :)
December 26, 2020
Becky was mourning the loss of her mother when she finds letters from a distant cousin Olivia. Becky doesn’t know who Olivia is. Olivia is requesting that her mother come immediately to Cornwall as she needs her assistance.
Becky decides to go to Cornwall to meet Olivia for the first time.
She finds an old house by the sea, but no Olivia. Olivia is in the hospital.
The house is falling apart and needs to be renovated so that Olivia can safely live there. Becky decides to takes this on.
This is a dual time novel, alternating chapters between Becky and Olivia.
Olivia’s story depicts her childhood through World WarII in the house by the sea.
Present day Becky finding clues that she doesn’t understand, paintings and photographs in the attic.
Secrets emerge about Olivia and the War and mysteries of the house itself.
Becky discovers a tunnel that goes below the house and goes out to the sea.
This book is full of secrets and discovers. It is very well written.
The Cover is just beautiful.
If you enjoy mysteries and historical fiction you will enjoy this book.
I would like to thank Goodreads and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I won it on a Goodreads giveaway promotion.
Becky decides to go to Cornwall to meet Olivia for the first time.
She finds an old house by the sea, but no Olivia. Olivia is in the hospital.
The house is falling apart and needs to be renovated so that Olivia can safely live there. Becky decides to takes this on.
This is a dual time novel, alternating chapters between Becky and Olivia.
Olivia’s story depicts her childhood through World WarII in the house by the sea.
Present day Becky finding clues that she doesn’t understand, paintings and photographs in the attic.
Secrets emerge about Olivia and the War and mysteries of the house itself.
Becky discovers a tunnel that goes below the house and goes out to the sea.
This book is full of secrets and discovers. It is very well written.
The Cover is just beautiful.
If you enjoy mysteries and historical fiction you will enjoy this book.
I would like to thank Goodreads and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I won it on a Goodreads giveaway promotion.
November 12, 2020
My complete review of "The Sea Gate" can be found on my blog: https://fictionophile.com/2020/06/11/...
The two women in this saga were both strong and resilient. They had many things in common despite their sixty+ year age difference.
The house, Chynalls, (Cornish for 'the house on the cliff'), was almost a character unto itself. Imagine it, on a cliff overlooking a Cornish beach, complete with secret tunnels, and a colorful and precarious history. When reading this book, one can't help but think of Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca". The setting coupled with the one of the protagonist's names - how could you not?
The story set during the war years was vividly rendered and well researched. The present day story was also quite compelling, including themes of family secrets, blackmail, and elder abuse.
The ending wrapped up the book perfectly. Poignant and hopeful in equal measure.
To be honest, anytime a novel is set in Cornwall it grabs my attention. It seems so idyllic. This time round I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there via the pages of "The Sea Gate" and can highly recommend it to readers who enjoy the work of Rosamund Pilcher, Kate Morton, Harriet Evans, and the like.
Loved it! Every minute of it! A sure contender for my 2020 Top Reads list.
The two women in this saga were both strong and resilient. They had many things in common despite their sixty+ year age difference.
The house, Chynalls, (Cornish for 'the house on the cliff'), was almost a character unto itself. Imagine it, on a cliff overlooking a Cornish beach, complete with secret tunnels, and a colorful and precarious history. When reading this book, one can't help but think of Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca". The setting coupled with the one of the protagonist's names - how could you not?
The story set during the war years was vividly rendered and well researched. The present day story was also quite compelling, including themes of family secrets, blackmail, and elder abuse.
The ending wrapped up the book perfectly. Poignant and hopeful in equal measure.
To be honest, anytime a novel is set in Cornwall it grabs my attention. It seems so idyllic. This time round I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there via the pages of "The Sea Gate" and can highly recommend it to readers who enjoy the work of Rosamund Pilcher, Kate Morton, Harriet Evans, and the like.
Loved it! Every minute of it! A sure contender for my 2020 Top Reads list.
June 3, 2020
Set in Cornwall. Becky is sorting through her mothers flat after her death. She found a letter from her mothers cousin Olivia, asking her to come to Cornwall. Becky decides to go and break the news of her mothers passing in person. She's also hoping she can take her mothers placeby helping Olivia. The house in Cornwall needs a lot of repair. We learn of when Olivia was a young woman, the hardships endured, buried secrets and a parrot.
This story has a dual timeline that covers the present day and WWII. Its told from multiple points of view. A story of family dynamics, mystery, secrets and love lost and found. There's lots of detailed descriptions of Cornwall and the people who live there. The characters are complex. The parrot was my favourite.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Head Of Zeus and the author Jane Johnson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story has a dual timeline that covers the present day and WWII. Its told from multiple points of view. A story of family dynamics, mystery, secrets and love lost and found. There's lots of detailed descriptions of Cornwall and the people who live there. The characters are complex. The parrot was my favourite.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Head Of Zeus and the author Jane Johnson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2020
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
‘I wash my hands in the scullery, wiping my hands dry on a tea towel, and dash out of the front door, through the debris of the collapsed porch and down the steps, and across the narrow track where the taxi dropped me the previous day – and yes, there it is! Strangled by weeds and brambles, but tantalizingly present, a little wooden gate, its paint flaking charmingly.’
The Sea Gate is the latest release from British editor and novelist Jane Johnson. A sweeping story that is defined by a immersive dual timeline, The Sea Gate regales a story of love, family, secrets, mystery, forbidden acts, desire, history and suspense.
The present day we meet Becky, a woman currently experiencing a crisis in her relationship, career and family life. Becky is also grieving her mother’s recent death. Becky is tidying her late mother’s affairs when she comes across a letter from Cornwall which her mother had not attended to prior to her death. When Becky opens this letter she is confronted with a call for help, from her mother’s cousin in Cornwall, asking for some assistance in helping her to retain her much loved seaside manor. Becky is compelled to take a trip to Cornwall and help her mother’s elderly cousin. When she arrives, Becky is shocked to find cousin Olivia’s once grand home Chynalls in a state of disrepair. With Olivia too ill to oversee a much needed overhaul of Chynalls, it is up to Becky to ensure that Chynalls doesn’t fall into complete disrepair. As Becky takes on the task of patching up Chynalls for Olivia while she is hospital, Becky encounters some startling family secrets from the past. This leads Becky into the past where we learn more the life Olivia led as a young woman during the Second World War. The Sea Gate offers up its secrets and hidden mysteries, unveiling a rich tale of war, sacrifice, passion and peril.
I have not encountered Jane Johnson’s writing before. However, I am a big fan of the dual timeline past to present style narratives made famous by authors such as Kate Morton. I was very pleased to be introduced to an unfamiliar author in this genre. I am going to make a concerted effort to seek out more of Jane Johnson’s novels based on my appreciation of this writer’s style. The Sea Gate is magical, mesmerising, hypnotic and alluring. I couldn’t take my eyes of this one from the opening to the conclusion. It was a stunning novel!
The beauty in The Sea Gate rests in the setting. Deeply atmospheric and reflective of the rich location in which it is set, The Sea Gate offers a wonderful tribute to Cornwall. The past and present timelines both clearly illuminate this setting base extremely well. In fact, I was reminded of a trip I made as a young girl of just eleven to the Smugglers Cove area while reading this book. If you are a fan of great writers such as Daphne Du Maurier you will appreciate all The Sea Gate has to offer. Highly atmospheric and vividly drawn, it was a pleasure to read the rolling descriptions of this picturesque British location.
Linked to the highly detailed location base is the crumbling estate of Chynalls, which is home to the central character of this novel in both timelines, Olivia. It is impossible to ignore Chynalls, it is full of character, depth and plenty of dark secrets. There are plenty of skeletons in the closet for the reader to uncover with present day character Becky as a guide. I really connected to Chynalls, it has such great page presence. I also loved how there were so many underlying hidden truths to unlock as the book progressed. The Sea Gate offers a deeply engaging reading experience.
In terms of the characterisation, I couldn’t fault Jane Johnson. Cousin Olivia is depicted clearly and unscrupulously. We see this woman warts and all. Olivia has a good and bad side which we witness as the book plods along on its meaningful journey. I loved getting to know Olivia in the present day as a woman reflecting back on her colourful life, along with her past as a young girl blossoming into an adult under the shadow of war. Olivia’s sojourn is offset by Becky’s quest in the present day to overcome her various life, relationship, career and family issues. Although I found Becky’s story to be slightly less compelling than Olivia’s, Becky’s contribution to the narrative is a must, as it sets the ball rolling in terms of our time travel back to the past. The supporting cast is well rendered by the author, providing the reader with a mix of villains, friends, foes and lovers. The cast were a joy to be acquainted with.
The Second World War sequences in The Sea Gate are well versed, displaying the author’s depth of understanding of how the war impacted this region of Britain. From the prisoners of war confined to this part of the country, to the restrictions on life, the dangerous threats of invasion, rations and the extra work conducted by everyday women on the land was fascinating. Johnson builds a convincing recreation of wartime life in Cornwall. Connected to this aspect of the story is a forbidden style romance that flourishes in the past sequences. My heart definitely skipped a few beats while I was reading this segment of the story, it was both touching and sad. Johnson’s novel is definitely a slow burn style saga, but I really appreciated the pace of The Sea Gate. The novel builds nicely to a conclusion which is defined by some last minute surprising revelations.
The Sea Gate presents stunning lyric to Cornish life, the war, complicated love, family secrets, mysteries and intrigue. Jane Johnson’s new novel deserves a big round of applause, I loved it.
*Thanks extended to Harper Collins Books Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
‘I wash my hands in the scullery, wiping my hands dry on a tea towel, and dash out of the front door, through the debris of the collapsed porch and down the steps, and across the narrow track where the taxi dropped me the previous day – and yes, there it is! Strangled by weeds and brambles, but tantalizingly present, a little wooden gate, its paint flaking charmingly.’
The Sea Gate is the latest release from British editor and novelist Jane Johnson. A sweeping story that is defined by a immersive dual timeline, The Sea Gate regales a story of love, family, secrets, mystery, forbidden acts, desire, history and suspense.
The present day we meet Becky, a woman currently experiencing a crisis in her relationship, career and family life. Becky is also grieving her mother’s recent death. Becky is tidying her late mother’s affairs when she comes across a letter from Cornwall which her mother had not attended to prior to her death. When Becky opens this letter she is confronted with a call for help, from her mother’s cousin in Cornwall, asking for some assistance in helping her to retain her much loved seaside manor. Becky is compelled to take a trip to Cornwall and help her mother’s elderly cousin. When she arrives, Becky is shocked to find cousin Olivia’s once grand home Chynalls in a state of disrepair. With Olivia too ill to oversee a much needed overhaul of Chynalls, it is up to Becky to ensure that Chynalls doesn’t fall into complete disrepair. As Becky takes on the task of patching up Chynalls for Olivia while she is hospital, Becky encounters some startling family secrets from the past. This leads Becky into the past where we learn more the life Olivia led as a young woman during the Second World War. The Sea Gate offers up its secrets and hidden mysteries, unveiling a rich tale of war, sacrifice, passion and peril.
I have not encountered Jane Johnson’s writing before. However, I am a big fan of the dual timeline past to present style narratives made famous by authors such as Kate Morton. I was very pleased to be introduced to an unfamiliar author in this genre. I am going to make a concerted effort to seek out more of Jane Johnson’s novels based on my appreciation of this writer’s style. The Sea Gate is magical, mesmerising, hypnotic and alluring. I couldn’t take my eyes of this one from the opening to the conclusion. It was a stunning novel!
The beauty in The Sea Gate rests in the setting. Deeply atmospheric and reflective of the rich location in which it is set, The Sea Gate offers a wonderful tribute to Cornwall. The past and present timelines both clearly illuminate this setting base extremely well. In fact, I was reminded of a trip I made as a young girl of just eleven to the Smugglers Cove area while reading this book. If you are a fan of great writers such as Daphne Du Maurier you will appreciate all The Sea Gate has to offer. Highly atmospheric and vividly drawn, it was a pleasure to read the rolling descriptions of this picturesque British location.
Linked to the highly detailed location base is the crumbling estate of Chynalls, which is home to the central character of this novel in both timelines, Olivia. It is impossible to ignore Chynalls, it is full of character, depth and plenty of dark secrets. There are plenty of skeletons in the closet for the reader to uncover with present day character Becky as a guide. I really connected to Chynalls, it has such great page presence. I also loved how there were so many underlying hidden truths to unlock as the book progressed. The Sea Gate offers a deeply engaging reading experience.
In terms of the characterisation, I couldn’t fault Jane Johnson. Cousin Olivia is depicted clearly and unscrupulously. We see this woman warts and all. Olivia has a good and bad side which we witness as the book plods along on its meaningful journey. I loved getting to know Olivia in the present day as a woman reflecting back on her colourful life, along with her past as a young girl blossoming into an adult under the shadow of war. Olivia’s sojourn is offset by Becky’s quest in the present day to overcome her various life, relationship, career and family issues. Although I found Becky’s story to be slightly less compelling than Olivia’s, Becky’s contribution to the narrative is a must, as it sets the ball rolling in terms of our time travel back to the past. The supporting cast is well rendered by the author, providing the reader with a mix of villains, friends, foes and lovers. The cast were a joy to be acquainted with.
The Second World War sequences in The Sea Gate are well versed, displaying the author’s depth of understanding of how the war impacted this region of Britain. From the prisoners of war confined to this part of the country, to the restrictions on life, the dangerous threats of invasion, rations and the extra work conducted by everyday women on the land was fascinating. Johnson builds a convincing recreation of wartime life in Cornwall. Connected to this aspect of the story is a forbidden style romance that flourishes in the past sequences. My heart definitely skipped a few beats while I was reading this segment of the story, it was both touching and sad. Johnson’s novel is definitely a slow burn style saga, but I really appreciated the pace of The Sea Gate. The novel builds nicely to a conclusion which is defined by some last minute surprising revelations.
The Sea Gate presents stunning lyric to Cornish life, the war, complicated love, family secrets, mysteries and intrigue. Jane Johnson’s new novel deserves a big round of applause, I loved it.
*Thanks extended to Harper Collins Books Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
April 8, 2020
This book has a bit of a slow start with some unattractive characters, which almost made me want to give up. But boy, am I glad I persisted. Fairly quickly a certain decision is made and the pace picks up. The reader is transported from the density of London to the caves of Cornwall and the atmosphere improves instantly.
Salty air breezes through the pages. Fresh perspective, new adventure. An old house with a secret history, its owner Olivia with a captivating story to tell and young Rebecca determined to solve the mystery. The characters evolve throughout the story and hold the reader's attention. There are some scary moments where the tension is palpable and some good laughs involving a foul-beaked parrot to even it out.
The Sea Gate is a well crafted good paced read that kept this reader well entertained.
Thank you Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC.
Salty air breezes through the pages. Fresh perspective, new adventure. An old house with a secret history, its owner Olivia with a captivating story to tell and young Rebecca determined to solve the mystery. The characters evolve throughout the story and hold the reader's attention. There are some scary moments where the tension is palpable and some good laughs involving a foul-beaked parrot to even it out.
The Sea Gate is a well crafted good paced read that kept this reader well entertained.
Thank you Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC.
January 10, 2020
I was swept away by this mesmerizing book, and I savoured every moment of the journey. History, intrigue, suspense, romance, the evolution of two strong, engaging women, and a parrot - everything I longed for and more! “The Sea Gate" will stay in my heart for a long time.
March 4, 2022
Страхотна история! Благодаря на Веси за препоръката. Това не е книга за войната, при все че едната сюжетна линия се развива именно тогава.
Това е история за едно минало, чиито тайни започват да излизат наяве, и за едно настояще, което има нужда да бъде поправено.
Това е история за едно минало, чиито тайни започват да излизат наяве, и за едно настояще, което има нужда да бъде поправено.
November 17, 2022
I read this book mostly for the plot which I found intriguing, even if it's not original: Rebecca, who just lost her mother, finds a letter from an older cousin, Olivia, begging her mom for help to keep her out of a nursing home. Rebecca herself is at loose ends - she has a troubled relationship with her boyfriend, who the reader instantly knows should be kicked to the curb, and she just got over a bout of cancer, so she answers Olivia's call and goes to Cornwall. The book is split between Rebecca's current life, and Olivia's life during World War II, when she is a teenager.
I found Johnson's writing to be average at best, and she didn't hit her best a whole lot. Her choices were odd - Rebecca meets an older woman who took care of Olivia, and there's a whole paragraph as she speculates if the older woman's teeth are her own. Really? The parrot swears in Arabic, and her mother understands that it's an Arabic word, and not parrot nonsense. The white men in the novel are all reprehensible, and the brown-skinned men are good. Yes, I know it's usually the other way around, but both extremes are juvenile and simplistic. In the first few pages of the story we meet Rebecca's brother and boyfriend, and the first thing I knew about both of them was the last thing I wanted to know, and there were 400 pages to go!
On the upside, Olivia is an interesting character - full of fight even at her advanced age. Her life story drives the narrative of the book, as she is so much more spirited than Rebecca. I did wonder why she was allowed to stay in a big house, all alone with a refugee kid, during the war, and not one person in the community suggested she was too young (she was in her teens). The story could not have unfolded any other way, but it was one of the plot turns that was not believable.
I won't discuss the conclusion, to avoid spoilers, except to say it tied up the the story, but credibility stretched to the breaking point. Personally, I would not recommend this book to anyone.
I found Johnson's writing to be average at best, and she didn't hit her best a whole lot. Her choices were odd - Rebecca meets an older woman who took care of Olivia, and there's a whole paragraph as she speculates if the older woman's teeth are her own. Really? The parrot swears in Arabic, and her mother understands that it's an Arabic word, and not parrot nonsense. The white men in the novel are all reprehensible, and the brown-skinned men are good. Yes, I know it's usually the other way around, but both extremes are juvenile and simplistic. In the first few pages of the story we meet Rebecca's brother and boyfriend, and the first thing I knew about both of them was the last thing I wanted to know, and there were 400 pages to go!
On the upside, Olivia is an interesting character - full of fight even at her advanced age. Her life story drives the narrative of the book, as she is so much more spirited than Rebecca. I did wonder why she was allowed to stay in a big house, all alone with a refugee kid, during the war, and not one person in the community suggested she was too young (she was in her teens). The story could not have unfolded any other way, but it was one of the plot turns that was not believable.
I won't discuss the conclusion, to avoid spoilers, except to say it tied up the the story, but credibility stretched to the breaking point. Personally, I would not recommend this book to anyone.
January 16, 2021
Who is cousin Olivia? Rebecca remembered visiting her a few times when she was a child, but her mother didn’t mention her too often.
Finding letters from cousin Olivia addressed to her mother pleading for help had Rebecca on her way to Olivia’s house.
What a mess she found. The house was in shambles, Olivia wasn’t there, her finances were very bad, and Rebecca finds a hidden tunnel in the basement which had been used during the war along with other secrets from WWII.
We go back and forth from present day to 1943 and find out about Olivia...she is some character. The bird she has is even more upsetting than what Rebecca found out about Olivia.
It took a few chapters to get into the book, but it’s worth the wait.
I loved all the secrets of the house and Olivia’s life, and I loved Rebecca’s perseverance.
THE SEA GATE has great characters, pull-you-in writing, and a story line that will keep you turning the pages to a marvelous revelation of the secrets and an unraveling of Olivia and her life. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Finding letters from cousin Olivia addressed to her mother pleading for help had Rebecca on her way to Olivia’s house.
What a mess she found. The house was in shambles, Olivia wasn’t there, her finances were very bad, and Rebecca finds a hidden tunnel in the basement which had been used during the war along with other secrets from WWII.
We go back and forth from present day to 1943 and find out about Olivia...she is some character. The bird she has is even more upsetting than what Rebecca found out about Olivia.
It took a few chapters to get into the book, but it’s worth the wait.
I loved all the secrets of the house and Olivia’s life, and I loved Rebecca’s perseverance.
THE SEA GATE has great characters, pull-you-in writing, and a story line that will keep you turning the pages to a marvelous revelation of the secrets and an unraveling of Olivia and her life. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2020
Bit of a slow start at more than 80 pages before it gets exciting.
I enjoyed the setting and characters immensely, which kept me going to get to the exciting bits.
I was especially fond of that Miss Olivia Kitto; she was a firecracker!!!
Much love to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my ARC.
I enjoyed the setting and characters immensely, which kept me going to get to the exciting bits.
I was especially fond of that Miss Olivia Kitto; she was a firecracker!!!
Much love to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my ARC.
March 2, 2021
What a treasure!
The Sea Gate is a family epic told through dual timelines; ripe with forbidden love, hidden secrets, betrayal and loss as seen through the eyes of Rebecca, and her mother’s elderly cousin, Olivia.
Olivia doesn’t conform to what society wants her to do, who she should be, or what she should want. She approaches life differently. For that, I adored her immensely. Her story pulled all emotions.
1943 / Events leading up to Mamie’s death, a child with disabilities, is heartbreaking. Something happens on that ill-fated night when Olivia meets escaped war prisoner Hamid. It changes her life forever. Olivia and Hamid begin a forbidden brief affair, and from then on, their secret from the night of Mamie’s murder is kept well hidden until decades later. That’s when Rebecca arrives at Chynalls to help Olivia, and uncovers it.
Rebecca is at a crossroads in her life. She’s a cancer survivor who fears a relapse, and she desperately wants a break from her 10-yr relationship. Unfortunately, her boyfriend shows up at Olivia’s home unannounced. That’s when Rebecca discovers cheating was the very least of his issues.
Jane Johnson nailed it. It’s amazingly, beautifully, well done. I completely devoured it. I loved it.
The Sea Gate is a family epic told through dual timelines; ripe with forbidden love, hidden secrets, betrayal and loss as seen through the eyes of Rebecca, and her mother’s elderly cousin, Olivia.
Olivia doesn’t conform to what society wants her to do, who she should be, or what she should want. She approaches life differently. For that, I adored her immensely. Her story pulled all emotions.
1943 / Events leading up to Mamie’s death, a child with disabilities, is heartbreaking. Something happens on that ill-fated night when Olivia meets escaped war prisoner Hamid. It changes her life forever. Olivia and Hamid begin a forbidden brief affair, and from then on, their secret from the night of Mamie’s murder is kept well hidden until decades later. That’s when Rebecca arrives at Chynalls to help Olivia, and uncovers it.
Rebecca is at a crossroads in her life. She’s a cancer survivor who fears a relapse, and she desperately wants a break from her 10-yr relationship. Unfortunately, her boyfriend shows up at Olivia’s home unannounced. That’s when Rebecca discovers cheating was the very least of his issues.
Jane Johnson nailed it. It’s amazingly, beautifully, well done. I completely devoured it. I loved it.
June 8, 2020
I was first introduced to the writing of Jane Johnson when I read her book Court of Lions. That book’s setting (Granada) was a little different from the Cornwall of The Sea Gate but the two novels share similarities. For example, they both feature the interweaving of past and present story lines and a plot involving hidden secrets.
I recall finding the storyline of Court of Lions set in the present day slightly less engaging than that set in the past, although to be fair that was largely because the latter was so powerful. However, in The Sea Gate I had no such difficulty as the author gives the reader equally compelling stories and sympathetic characters in both time periods.
The Olivia the reader encounters in the present day initially appears a rather irascible and difficult old lady. However, as Becky soon discovers, she’s incredibly spirited and tougher than she seems. “There’s still so much fire in her, so much character, a sort of fierce, frail heroism. I wish I’d known Olivia when she was younger.” The reader is granted Becky’s wish as the story moves back to 1943 and Olivia’s wartime childhood at Chynalls. With her mother away in London and her father serving abroad, Olivia is left largely to fend for herself. Her life is changed through a chance meeting brought about, as she puts it, by “misunderstanding and xenophobia”. Despite being the “epitome of difference”, she and the other character form an unbreakable bond and a chain of events is set in motion that will have far-reaching consequences.
Becky’s discovery of the letter from Olivia in her mother’s belongings, gives her just the project she needs to distract her from recent events in her life, doubts about her relationship with partner Eddy, and worries about the future. She decides, “It’s time to take some responsibility for a change, to try to do some good in the world, to help my elderly cousin as I was never able to help my own mother.” The fact Olivia lives amid the glorious landscape of Cornwall helps Becky’s decision too. “Sea and sky fuse at the distant horizon. Spangles of light glitter like spilled treasure, undulating with the rolling of the waves… This is the Cornwall I have always imagined. The sense of wildness and isolation, of fairy tale and possibility.”
I particularly liked the way Becky’s renovation of Chynalls mirrors her own psychological and physical “renovation”. It was truly heart-warming to witness her growing self-confidence, independence of spirit and the reawakening of her creativity. As Becky admits herself, “Fear has trapped me, rendered me immobile and powerless…fear of everything, really. I’d forgotten I even had wings, let alone how to use them.” Becky’s inner strength doesn’t escape Olivia’s observant eyes though, recognising in Becky “That family gumption. The never-give-up look.” The nature of Becky’s gumption will become evident in the most satisfying way later in the book.
Alongside supervising the renovation of Chynalls by brothers, Mo and Reda, Becky becomes curious to find out more about Olivia’s past. Sorting through old letters and photograph albums, she concludes, “Cousin Olivia is, like Chynalls, stuffed with secrets, and I feel compelled to find out what I can.” What is the meaning of the symbols carved on the sea gate, for instance, or the identity of the artist whose paintings line the walls? Deliciously for the reader, Becky starts to feel “Little mysteries surround me, deliberately withholding themselves, trembling on the edge of revelation.”
I mentioned earlier the subtle connections between the stories of Olivia and Becky. These only increase as the book progresses. Echoes upon echoes, if you like. For example, both Olivia and Becky find themselves in need of guardian angels to protect them from those who would take advantage of them. And I must give a special mention to something else Olivia and Becky share – the gloriously foul-mouthed parrot, Gabriel, to whom it’s definitely worth paying attention.
In the second half of the book, as Becky gets closer to discovering the secret hidden for so long, the pace accelerates, the tension really ratchets up and there are moments of melodrama. The creaks of an old house, the sudden striking of a grandfather clock that has up until then been silent and a thunderstorm are just some of the ingredients that help to create a distinctly spine-tingling atmosphere. For Becky, “The house is full of secrets, and sometimes they come out and whisper together in the night.” However, secrets have a way of not remaining hidden and reading a book such as The Sea Gate wouldn’t be half so satisfying if they did, would it? Never fear, there’s a lot to be discovered before the full picture is revealed.
The Sea Gate is a skilfully crafted dual time story about two women from different generations who are nevertheless bound together by shared experiences and by a cliff-top house that has carefully guarded a shocking secret for decades.
I recall finding the storyline of Court of Lions set in the present day slightly less engaging than that set in the past, although to be fair that was largely because the latter was so powerful. However, in The Sea Gate I had no such difficulty as the author gives the reader equally compelling stories and sympathetic characters in both time periods.
The Olivia the reader encounters in the present day initially appears a rather irascible and difficult old lady. However, as Becky soon discovers, she’s incredibly spirited and tougher than she seems. “There’s still so much fire in her, so much character, a sort of fierce, frail heroism. I wish I’d known Olivia when she was younger.” The reader is granted Becky’s wish as the story moves back to 1943 and Olivia’s wartime childhood at Chynalls. With her mother away in London and her father serving abroad, Olivia is left largely to fend for herself. Her life is changed through a chance meeting brought about, as she puts it, by “misunderstanding and xenophobia”. Despite being the “epitome of difference”, she and the other character form an unbreakable bond and a chain of events is set in motion that will have far-reaching consequences.
Becky’s discovery of the letter from Olivia in her mother’s belongings, gives her just the project she needs to distract her from recent events in her life, doubts about her relationship with partner Eddy, and worries about the future. She decides, “It’s time to take some responsibility for a change, to try to do some good in the world, to help my elderly cousin as I was never able to help my own mother.” The fact Olivia lives amid the glorious landscape of Cornwall helps Becky’s decision too. “Sea and sky fuse at the distant horizon. Spangles of light glitter like spilled treasure, undulating with the rolling of the waves… This is the Cornwall I have always imagined. The sense of wildness and isolation, of fairy tale and possibility.”
I particularly liked the way Becky’s renovation of Chynalls mirrors her own psychological and physical “renovation”. It was truly heart-warming to witness her growing self-confidence, independence of spirit and the reawakening of her creativity. As Becky admits herself, “Fear has trapped me, rendered me immobile and powerless…fear of everything, really. I’d forgotten I even had wings, let alone how to use them.” Becky’s inner strength doesn’t escape Olivia’s observant eyes though, recognising in Becky “That family gumption. The never-give-up look.” The nature of Becky’s gumption will become evident in the most satisfying way later in the book.
Alongside supervising the renovation of Chynalls by brothers, Mo and Reda, Becky becomes curious to find out more about Olivia’s past. Sorting through old letters and photograph albums, she concludes, “Cousin Olivia is, like Chynalls, stuffed with secrets, and I feel compelled to find out what I can.” What is the meaning of the symbols carved on the sea gate, for instance, or the identity of the artist whose paintings line the walls? Deliciously for the reader, Becky starts to feel “Little mysteries surround me, deliberately withholding themselves, trembling on the edge of revelation.”
I mentioned earlier the subtle connections between the stories of Olivia and Becky. These only increase as the book progresses. Echoes upon echoes, if you like. For example, both Olivia and Becky find themselves in need of guardian angels to protect them from those who would take advantage of them. And I must give a special mention to something else Olivia and Becky share – the gloriously foul-mouthed parrot, Gabriel, to whom it’s definitely worth paying attention.
In the second half of the book, as Becky gets closer to discovering the secret hidden for so long, the pace accelerates, the tension really ratchets up and there are moments of melodrama. The creaks of an old house, the sudden striking of a grandfather clock that has up until then been silent and a thunderstorm are just some of the ingredients that help to create a distinctly spine-tingling atmosphere. For Becky, “The house is full of secrets, and sometimes they come out and whisper together in the night.” However, secrets have a way of not remaining hidden and reading a book such as The Sea Gate wouldn’t be half so satisfying if they did, would it? Never fear, there’s a lot to be discovered before the full picture is revealed.
The Sea Gate is a skilfully crafted dual time story about two women from different generations who are nevertheless bound together by shared experiences and by a cliff-top house that has carefully guarded a shocking secret for decades.
Read
February 18, 20223.5*
December 1, 2020
Becky Young has just lost her mother. While sorting through her mother’s mail, she finds a letter from her elderly cousin, Olivia Kitto, asking for help. Becky heads to Cornwall, England where her ill-tempered relative has been hospitalized. Vowing to help, Becky moves into Chynalls, Cornish for the house on the cliff, which is sorely in need of updating so that Olivia can be brought home to a safe environment. While sorting through the run-down house, with its secret tunnel heading out to the cliff, Becky starts to uncover mysteries and family secrets that started back during WWII.
The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson effectively uses a dual timeline to tell this engaging story. In addition to present day, the book goes back to 1943 as WWII is raging. Olivia is having to grow up fast. Her father is at war, her mother soon leaves to help the cause leaving her alone to care for a young girl from town who has also been left alone. Cornwall is in constant threat of attack. When prisoners of war are brought to work on a nearby farm, a new threat arises.
As Becky learns more about Olivia, she learns more about her own strength and resiliency. She is a cancer survivor who has been fearing a relapse. Her ten year relationship with a self-absorbed artist has stagnated. Cornwall appears to be what Becky needs to get her life together.
The excellent description of the Cornwall house and its surroundings sets the stage for a very enjoyable book. The house is a character unto itself as it holds many of the secrets waiting to be discovered. And for a bit of humor, we are entertained by Olivia’s parrot Gabriel who she rescued in 1943 and survives to the present day, making obscene comments throughout the decades.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Simon & Schuster and the author for an advance copy of The Sea Gate, a captivating book I’m happy to recommend.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson effectively uses a dual timeline to tell this engaging story. In addition to present day, the book goes back to 1943 as WWII is raging. Olivia is having to grow up fast. Her father is at war, her mother soon leaves to help the cause leaving her alone to care for a young girl from town who has also been left alone. Cornwall is in constant threat of attack. When prisoners of war are brought to work on a nearby farm, a new threat arises.
As Becky learns more about Olivia, she learns more about her own strength and resiliency. She is a cancer survivor who has been fearing a relapse. Her ten year relationship with a self-absorbed artist has stagnated. Cornwall appears to be what Becky needs to get her life together.
The excellent description of the Cornwall house and its surroundings sets the stage for a very enjoyable book. The house is a character unto itself as it holds many of the secrets waiting to be discovered. And for a bit of humor, we are entertained by Olivia’s parrot Gabriel who she rescued in 1943 and survives to the present day, making obscene comments throughout the decades.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Simon & Schuster and the author for an advance copy of The Sea Gate, a captivating book I’m happy to recommend.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
December 23, 2020
This held my interest, although I had some quibbles. The time period shifts between wartime and present day -- a writing method which has become common in popular fiction. That works well for the most part but has the drawback of cutting the action short just when it is getting interesting and thrusting the reader backwards or forwards in time, which can feel disorienting.
For a novel that appears fairly light, there were some dark and disturbing incidents, and the characters were not universally likeable.
Although the novel was set in Cornwall, I was interested to see that the romantic hero was Moroccan, which made a refreshing change. That also made a lot of sense when I googled the author and found out that she is married to a handsome chef whom she met while on holidays in Morocco!
For a novel that appears fairly light, there were some dark and disturbing incidents, and the characters were not universally likeable.
Although the novel was set in Cornwall, I was interested to see that the romantic hero was Moroccan, which made a refreshing change. That also made a lot of sense when I googled the author and found out that she is married to a handsome chef whom she met while on holidays in Morocco!
November 16, 2020
4.5 STARS - The Sea Gate is a compelling and atmospheric saga set on the beautiful Cornish coast and is told in dual time frames by two women - Becky in current day and her elderly cousin Olivia's recollections of her life during WWII. This is a story of family secrets and dysfunction, forbidden romance and mystery, featuring a Gothic old house with secrets of its own.
With vivid descriptions, Johnson brings Chynalls, the secluded family home of nonagenarian Olivia Kitto to life. The story is woven with history, intrigue, loss and a diverse cast that is well-drawn (with one exception - a baddie who's a tad cliched). This cast includes a spirited and cantankerous old woman, a parrot with a penchant for profanity, a few nefarious characters readers will love to hate and a young woman trying to find out who she is without the input of those around her. I particularly loved the bond between Becky and Olivia, two outcasts who find strength and family in each other.
The addition of a few heavier issues gives depth to the story and allows readers to see WWII's influence on Cornwall - the restrictions, the arrival of POWs and the ever-present threat of invasion. While this was a captivating read, there were a couple of plot points that were a little too serendipitous and even though I typically I don't enjoy endings that fall neatly into place, I was happily surprised to find this book's conclusion predictable yet totally satisfying.
Prepare to be swept away by this engaging and skillfully written story about family, long-held secrets and the importance of standing up for oneself. A great selection for fans of Kate Morton, look for this book November 17, 2020.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
With vivid descriptions, Johnson brings Chynalls, the secluded family home of nonagenarian Olivia Kitto to life. The story is woven with history, intrigue, loss and a diverse cast that is well-drawn (with one exception - a baddie who's a tad cliched). This cast includes a spirited and cantankerous old woman, a parrot with a penchant for profanity, a few nefarious characters readers will love to hate and a young woman trying to find out who she is without the input of those around her. I particularly loved the bond between Becky and Olivia, two outcasts who find strength and family in each other.
The addition of a few heavier issues gives depth to the story and allows readers to see WWII's influence on Cornwall - the restrictions, the arrival of POWs and the ever-present threat of invasion. While this was a captivating read, there were a couple of plot points that were a little too serendipitous and even though I typically I don't enjoy endings that fall neatly into place, I was happily surprised to find this book's conclusion predictable yet totally satisfying.
Prepare to be swept away by this engaging and skillfully written story about family, long-held secrets and the importance of standing up for oneself. A great selection for fans of Kate Morton, look for this book November 17, 2020.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
November 16, 2020
Rich, mysterious, and incredibly absorbing!
The Sea Gate is an alluring, dual-timeline tale set in Cornwall during WWII, as well as present-day, that is told from two perspectives; Olivia, a young girl struggling to survive in a world driven by insecurity and fear and ravaged by war, and Becky, a young woman who unexpectedly stumbles across a slew of long-buried family secrets and an offensive parrot after travelling to the home of her mother’s 90-year-old cousin to help fix it up and prepare it for her return.
The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are resilient, brave, and determined. And the plot, along with all the seamlessly intertwined subplots, is an impressive blend of drama, emotion, family, secrets, mystique, love, loss, courage, passion, heartbreak, and self-discovery.
Overall, The Sea Gate is an evocative, immersive, moving tale that sweeps you away to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the personalities, feelings, and lives of the characters you never want it to end. It is undoubtedly one of my favourite novels of the year and another fine example of Johnson’s extraordinary ability to write exceptionally memorable storylines.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Sea Gate is an alluring, dual-timeline tale set in Cornwall during WWII, as well as present-day, that is told from two perspectives; Olivia, a young girl struggling to survive in a world driven by insecurity and fear and ravaged by war, and Becky, a young woman who unexpectedly stumbles across a slew of long-buried family secrets and an offensive parrot after travelling to the home of her mother’s 90-year-old cousin to help fix it up and prepare it for her return.
The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are resilient, brave, and determined. And the plot, along with all the seamlessly intertwined subplots, is an impressive blend of drama, emotion, family, secrets, mystique, love, loss, courage, passion, heartbreak, and self-discovery.
Overall, The Sea Gate is an evocative, immersive, moving tale that sweeps you away to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the personalities, feelings, and lives of the characters you never want it to end. It is undoubtedly one of my favourite novels of the year and another fine example of Johnson’s extraordinary ability to write exceptionally memorable storylines.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 3, 2025
DNF
horrible book... totally depressing... no fun or light moments at all in neither the "nowadays" nor the "earlier" timeline. Had to stop because I was so annoyed and angry. I realized that I DIDN'T look forward to reading it when I nestled down in the evening.
Life's too short for bad books.
horrible book... totally depressing... no fun or light moments at all in neither the "nowadays" nor the "earlier" timeline. Had to stop because I was so annoyed and angry. I realized that I DIDN'T look forward to reading it when I nestled down in the evening.
Life's too short for bad books.
November 4, 2020
This story started off rather slowly but gradually built up to a great read with plenty of mystery, intrigue, history and romance. Well worth reading.
September 18, 2020
The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson is a wonderfully descriptive read set in Cornwall. The dual timeline may take a bit to get used to, but this WWII historical fiction read has everything to make it worthwhile persisting; strong female characters, a ramshackle house with secret tunnels built on a cliff, fractured family dynamics, and hidden artwork.
After her mother’s death, Becky finds a letter from her mom’s cousin, Olivia, asking for some help in repairing her home in Cornwall. Leaving London behind, Becky arrives to discover Olivia in hospital and a pile of work to be done on the house before Oliva can return. Work that needs organized and no wifi signal in sight! As Becky begins on her to-do list, surprising things from the past unsurface.
Olivia, a cantankerous old woman stuck in a hospital, has buried secrets. She has gone to great lengths to protect those she loved, but now her adventurous cousin’s daughter is snooping around and some secrets are just best left buried. You’ll love reading about young Olivia and the strong, courageous woman she was during WWII. It creates juxtaposition for the ‘old biddy’ we read about and gives the readers insight into her character development. Unlike many other novels set in WWII, Johnson uses the bombings to further her storyline; enemy troops landing, defended ports, and POWs. It’s not just another novel set during the war, it’s a novel about life during the war…and that makes all the difference.
It is an utterly spellbinding account of a strong woman, peppered with just enough input from a crazy, talking parrot, to keep you turning pages and losing track of time. It is obvious that Jane Johnson is an accomplished writer as she can suck you into her writing, almost make you feel the sea air against your face and have your imagination scurrying along the tunnels out to sea!
Thanks to Jane Johnson and Netgalley for this splendid advance reader copy!
After her mother’s death, Becky finds a letter from her mom’s cousin, Olivia, asking for some help in repairing her home in Cornwall. Leaving London behind, Becky arrives to discover Olivia in hospital and a pile of work to be done on the house before Oliva can return. Work that needs organized and no wifi signal in sight! As Becky begins on her to-do list, surprising things from the past unsurface.
Olivia, a cantankerous old woman stuck in a hospital, has buried secrets. She has gone to great lengths to protect those she loved, but now her adventurous cousin’s daughter is snooping around and some secrets are just best left buried. You’ll love reading about young Olivia and the strong, courageous woman she was during WWII. It creates juxtaposition for the ‘old biddy’ we read about and gives the readers insight into her character development. Unlike many other novels set in WWII, Johnson uses the bombings to further her storyline; enemy troops landing, defended ports, and POWs. It’s not just another novel set during the war, it’s a novel about life during the war…and that makes all the difference.
It is an utterly spellbinding account of a strong woman, peppered with just enough input from a crazy, talking parrot, to keep you turning pages and losing track of time. It is obvious that Jane Johnson is an accomplished writer as she can suck you into her writing, almost make you feel the sea air against your face and have your imagination scurrying along the tunnels out to sea!
Thanks to Jane Johnson and Netgalley for this splendid advance reader copy!
September 6, 2020
I received an advance copy of this book through netgalley from the purpose of reviewing it. I've read one other book by the author, years ago, and remember thinking positively of it, which is what drew me to request this book.
The setting is fantastic and the author's descriptions of Cornwall make me want to visit. The author is a good writer, but unfortunately, this book was difficult for me and I couldn't even finish it.
While the plot is fairly compelling, it falls flat. The characters are just not fleshed out and they make decisions that baffled me. Why the present day character throws over her entire life to go care for an elderly relative she's only met once as a child makes no sense. Another issue I had was that the supporting characters were all either completely horrible, or completely saintlike. There were no nuances. And frankly, the 2 main characters were not that endearing either.
What made me finally put the book down, though, was the gratuitous violence towards women in it. There is a rape that is brushed over and only seems to be there as evidence as to how awful the neighbours are. Then there is an attack on one of the main characters, that goes on pages and pages, and once that ends, the other character is terrified for her life as the neighbours have broken into her house. I closed the book at that point because violence against women as a plot device for character growth bothers me tremendously.
From reading other reviews, clearly some loved this book. I personally found it very disturbing.
2 stars, simply because of how well the author described the setting.
The setting is fantastic and the author's descriptions of Cornwall make me want to visit. The author is a good writer, but unfortunately, this book was difficult for me and I couldn't even finish it.
While the plot is fairly compelling, it falls flat. The characters are just not fleshed out and they make decisions that baffled me. Why the present day character throws over her entire life to go care for an elderly relative she's only met once as a child makes no sense. Another issue I had was that the supporting characters were all either completely horrible, or completely saintlike. There were no nuances. And frankly, the 2 main characters were not that endearing either.
What made me finally put the book down, though, was the gratuitous violence towards women in it. There is a rape that is brushed over and only seems to be there as evidence as to how awful the neighbours are. Then there is an attack on one of the main characters, that goes on pages and pages, and once that ends, the other character is terrified for her life as the neighbours have broken into her house. I closed the book at that point because violence against women as a plot device for character growth bothers me tremendously.
From reading other reviews, clearly some loved this book. I personally found it very disturbing.
2 stars, simply because of how well the author described the setting.
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