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Lullaby Beach
No more days, no more times, no more tides. No more secrets.
A compelling novel about family secrets and the legacy of trauma, set against the changing fortunes of an English seaside town, from award-winning writer Stella Duffy.
When Lucy discovers the body of her great aunt Kitty, with a puzzling note and empty pill bottles by her bed, she can't believe that the formidable woman who held her family together is gone - or understand why she has taken her own life.
Lucy is determined to decipher Kitty's final message. What she finds will overturn everything she thought she knew about her family.
Lullaby Beach takes the reader on a journey through three generations of a complicated, close-knit family whose joys and misfortunes track many of the most pressing conflicts and concerns of post-war Britain, from the promise and hypocrisies of 1950s London to the political divides and risky freedoms of the present day.
Told with the warmth, generosity and fierce passion which has won Stella Duffy so much praise over her career, Lullaby Beach is a brilliant story of loss and love, revenge and redemption.
A compelling novel about family secrets and the legacy of trauma, set against the changing fortunes of an English seaside town, from award-winning writer Stella Duffy.
When Lucy discovers the body of her great aunt Kitty, with a puzzling note and empty pill bottles by her bed, she can't believe that the formidable woman who held her family together is gone - or understand why she has taken her own life.
Lucy is determined to decipher Kitty's final message. What she finds will overturn everything she thought she knew about her family.
Lullaby Beach takes the reader on a journey through three generations of a complicated, close-knit family whose joys and misfortunes track many of the most pressing conflicts and concerns of post-war Britain, from the promise and hypocrisies of 1950s London to the political divides and risky freedoms of the present day.
Told with the warmth, generosity and fierce passion which has won Stella Duffy so much praise over her career, Lullaby Beach is a brilliant story of loss and love, revenge and redemption.
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2021
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About the author
Stella Duffy
65 books185 followersStella Duffy was born in London and grew up in New Zealand. She has lived and worked in London since the mid-1980s. She has written seventeen novels, over seventy short stories, and devised and/or written fourteen plays. The Room of Lost Things and State of Happiness were both longlisted for the Orange Prize, and she has twice won Stonewall Writer of the Year. She has twice won the CWA Short Story Dagger. Stella is the co-founder of the Fun Palaces campaign for cultural democracy. Her latest novel is Lullaby Beach (Virago).
She is also a yoga teacher, teaching workshops in yoga for writing, and a trainee Existential Psychotherapist, her ongoing doctoral research is in the embodied experience of being postmenopausal.
She is also a yoga teacher, teaching workshops in yoga for writing, and a trainee Existential Psychotherapist, her ongoing doctoral research is in the embodied experience of being postmenopausal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 13, 2021
It's riveting reading a well-plotted, artfully constructed multigenerational story where there are long-held secrets. It's especially moving when the family clearly loves each other but still find it difficult to confess things that are destroying their lives. This is the case with the three generations of women portrayed in “Lullaby Beach”. The story begins when teenager Lucy goes to visit her great-aunt Kitty in her dilapidated seaside home and discovers she died from taking an overdose of pills. Over the course of the story Lucy's mother Beth and Sara seek out what really happened to this spirited, independent woman and why she chose to end her life in this way. Sections of the novel move back and forth between the decades to show that it's not only Kitty who was compelled to conceal the truth. Many secrets are gradually uncovered. The story compassionately shows how we can become entangled by circumstances and are driven by fear to make desperate decisions - especially when being coerced or cornered by domineering men.
Read my full review of Lullaby Beach by Stella Duffy on LonesomeReader
Read my full review of Lullaby Beach by Stella Duffy on LonesomeReader
October 13, 2021
This book started well but was disappointing over all. It was quite well written but the characters were rather dull and one dimensional and the plot very slow and a bit ridiculous in the end.
January 4, 2021
‘Lullaby Beach’, set primarily on England’s south coast, tells the story of three generations of women, highlighting the class and gender inequalities and engrained chauvinism of mid-century life and the ways in which men are still able to manipulate and abuse women in the twenty-first century. If this sounds as if it will be a tough read, well, it is in part but it is also a very thoughtful and sometimes uplifting exploration of inter-generational family relationships.
Kitty is bored of living in Westmere and follows her older boyfriend, property developer Danny Nelson, to London. Duffy’s descriptions of the capital in 1956 are vivid and entirely plausible, seen through the eyes of the naïve Kitty. Initially excited by her grotty lodgings and tiring work in a station café, she soon appreciates that the streets are not paved with gold. However, Danny’s charisma and ambition ensures that, for too long, Kitty excuses his increasingly abusive behaviour. From being a vivacious, sociable girl, she soon drifts into a life of self-doubt and servitude and when she finally returns to Westmere alone, her troubles have only just begun.
Forward to the present day: Sara and Beth cannot understand the manner of their great-aunt’s death. Beth’s daughter, Lucy, is able to shine a little light on the situation and it’s clear that the stoic, wise Kitty has suffered so much more than they could have originally imagined. Although saddened and shocked, the sisters rally to channel some of Kitty’s spirit as they rise to the challenge of protecting seventeen-year-old Lucy from a very modern kind of male exploitation.
Stella Duffy is an excellent storyteller. The women in her novels are entirely credible. They have strengths but are also flawed; they make mistakes but they also learn. The hideous Nelson men are also, sadly, recognisable. However, Duffy’s female characters learn to fight back, leaving the reader with a sense that the times they are a-changing, albeit not quickly enough.
My thanks to NetGalley and Virago for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
Kitty is bored of living in Westmere and follows her older boyfriend, property developer Danny Nelson, to London. Duffy’s descriptions of the capital in 1956 are vivid and entirely plausible, seen through the eyes of the naïve Kitty. Initially excited by her grotty lodgings and tiring work in a station café, she soon appreciates that the streets are not paved with gold. However, Danny’s charisma and ambition ensures that, for too long, Kitty excuses his increasingly abusive behaviour. From being a vivacious, sociable girl, she soon drifts into a life of self-doubt and servitude and when she finally returns to Westmere alone, her troubles have only just begun.
Forward to the present day: Sara and Beth cannot understand the manner of their great-aunt’s death. Beth’s daughter, Lucy, is able to shine a little light on the situation and it’s clear that the stoic, wise Kitty has suffered so much more than they could have originally imagined. Although saddened and shocked, the sisters rally to channel some of Kitty’s spirit as they rise to the challenge of protecting seventeen-year-old Lucy from a very modern kind of male exploitation.
Stella Duffy is an excellent storyteller. The women in her novels are entirely credible. They have strengths but are also flawed; they make mistakes but they also learn. The hideous Nelson men are also, sadly, recognisable. However, Duffy’s female characters learn to fight back, leaving the reader with a sense that the times they are a-changing, albeit not quickly enough.
My thanks to NetGalley and Virago for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
March 2, 2021
Listened on Audible to this story. I wish there was trigger alerts as some parts of this story, domestic abuse and domination are brutal and to the point.
Interesting timeline of the story of how it jumps from year to year which helps with the flow.
Interesting timeline of the story of how it jumps from year to year which helps with the flow.
February 22, 2023
4.5 stars
I found this so hard to put down. I’m not sure what genre to make it but that’s because it has so many layers. It is very emotional as there are a lot of triggers. The writing was incredible though.
I found this so hard to put down. I’m not sure what genre to make it but that’s because it has so many layers. It is very emotional as there are a lot of triggers. The writing was incredible though.
September 22, 2021
When matriarch Kitty's body is found, and it appears she has committed suicide, family secrets bubble up to the surface. This is an engaging story about the strength and resilience of the women of three generations from the 1950s to the present day. A charming story that made me cry and want to spend time with Kitty.
July 25, 2022
Not at all what I was expecting ( I never read reviews until I've read the book). Excellent story,well written. Harrowing, heartbreaking and brutal in places. Some of the descriptions are not for the faint hearted or squeamish.
August 20, 2022
This book is everything I’ve come to expect from a Stella Duffy book.
February 6, 2021
Twisted yarn of a novel skilfully incorporating the experience of women through three generations
February 4, 2021
Excellent. Not sure what else to say. Captivating book. Would absolutely love to stay in Lullaby Beach. The story of Kitty moving to swinging London was so full of promise but the abuse she received from her boyfriend was unacceptable. It was heart-breaking reading the abortion scenes, so moving and powerful. The rest of the story just fell into place.
A sure hit for 2021.
A sure hit for 2021.
October 10, 2021
Oh, there should be more than five stars available. It’s rare you find a book that completely wipes the floor with you.
This is one of those books.
The story follows sisters, Sara and Beth, as they untangle the knot of secrets surrounding their family and the local clan who’ve been responsible for much of their pain across three generations. In the wake of familial tragedy, the sisters follow what clues they can find to bring justice to the Nelsons after a lifetime of being used, abused and exploited by their treacherous lovers and tormentors.
The subject matter is not easy, dealing as it does with domestic violence as well as emotional and sexual abuse, but the story is so well-written, this book is vital.
I’m a big film fan and ran Movie Night at my local Legion Club for eight years, so I can tell you: there are some films that are not diverting, or entertaining in the jolly, let’s-all-have-a-choc-ice sense, but they’re important. When it’s a matter of history and the atrocities therein, we might well feel the echoes some decades after the actual events depicted on screen, but that doesn’t make them easy. We might not be laughing, or at times even breathing, but sometimes we just know we’re witnessing something that truly matters. Well, that’s what this book is.
Kitty is a young woman, bored with her provincial little life in coastal Westmere, who rushes off to the excitement of 1950s London, with her rather flash boyfriend and his ambition. Little does she know, it’ll be a lot of years before she’s that hopeful again.
There’s an escalation of violence and heartache through the narrative, but one of the finest moments for all the women is when they stop apologising and start getting angry. I’m not talking about destructive, go-nowhere anger here, but rather a type of rage that acts as a catalyst to push the character forward and through some of their grief.
This is the best book I’ve read this year. The writing was strong and clear, the characters’ power, vulnerability, venom and love came off the pages in waves that almost knocked me off my sofa. I cannot tell you how utterly struck I was by this story but I’ll say this right now: if Stella Duffy writes a shopping list, I want to read it.
“ ‘But you don’t need to leave home. You can see Danny and stay here. We haven’t stopped you, have we? He’s older than I’d like, but when you’re both in your twenties it won’t seem such a lot. If you go up to London…’ She faltered, shook her head, stuffed the pillow into the starched pillowcase and continued, ‘There’s no getting round it, people will think you’re sleeping with him. They’ll think you’re a tart.’
“Kitty pulled up the candlewick bedspread on the single bed beneath the gable window. She ran her finger along a line of the pattern, followed the loop between two tufted rows of faded pale green. She wanted to tell her mother that they had slept together, that it was amazing, terrific, when they slept together she felt so happy in her body and alive. She smoothed the bedspread and pulled it up over the pillow. Her mother was proud of these new pillows. Kitty never wanted to be proud of pillows.”
16% in, Chapter Seven, Lullaby Beach by Stella Duffy
This is one of those books.
The story follows sisters, Sara and Beth, as they untangle the knot of secrets surrounding their family and the local clan who’ve been responsible for much of their pain across three generations. In the wake of familial tragedy, the sisters follow what clues they can find to bring justice to the Nelsons after a lifetime of being used, abused and exploited by their treacherous lovers and tormentors.
The subject matter is not easy, dealing as it does with domestic violence as well as emotional and sexual abuse, but the story is so well-written, this book is vital.
I’m a big film fan and ran Movie Night at my local Legion Club for eight years, so I can tell you: there are some films that are not diverting, or entertaining in the jolly, let’s-all-have-a-choc-ice sense, but they’re important. When it’s a matter of history and the atrocities therein, we might well feel the echoes some decades after the actual events depicted on screen, but that doesn’t make them easy. We might not be laughing, or at times even breathing, but sometimes we just know we’re witnessing something that truly matters. Well, that’s what this book is.
Kitty is a young woman, bored with her provincial little life in coastal Westmere, who rushes off to the excitement of 1950s London, with her rather flash boyfriend and his ambition. Little does she know, it’ll be a lot of years before she’s that hopeful again.
There’s an escalation of violence and heartache through the narrative, but one of the finest moments for all the women is when they stop apologising and start getting angry. I’m not talking about destructive, go-nowhere anger here, but rather a type of rage that acts as a catalyst to push the character forward and through some of their grief.
This is the best book I’ve read this year. The writing was strong and clear, the characters’ power, vulnerability, venom and love came off the pages in waves that almost knocked me off my sofa. I cannot tell you how utterly struck I was by this story but I’ll say this right now: if Stella Duffy writes a shopping list, I want to read it.
“ ‘But you don’t need to leave home. You can see Danny and stay here. We haven’t stopped you, have we? He’s older than I’d like, but when you’re both in your twenties it won’t seem such a lot. If you go up to London…’ She faltered, shook her head, stuffed the pillow into the starched pillowcase and continued, ‘There’s no getting round it, people will think you’re sleeping with him. They’ll think you’re a tart.’
“Kitty pulled up the candlewick bedspread on the single bed beneath the gable window. She ran her finger along a line of the pattern, followed the loop between two tufted rows of faded pale green. She wanted to tell her mother that they had slept together, that it was amazing, terrific, when they slept together she felt so happy in her body and alive. She smoothed the bedspread and pulled it up over the pillow. Her mother was proud of these new pillows. Kitty never wanted to be proud of pillows.”
16% in, Chapter Seven, Lullaby Beach by Stella Duffy
February 16, 2025
Lullaby Beach is a gripping read that is so cleverly plotted that I was compelled to read it within 24 hours. It concerns three generations of women from the same family; Kitty, (born in the 1939) sisters Beth and Sara (Kitty’s nieces) and Lucy (Beth’s teenage daughter.) Though Sara has moved away to London, the rest of the family live on the south coast of England in a small seaside town.
The story starts with the discovery of Kitty’s body after she has apparently committed suicide. As her family come to terms with their grief and anger, long-hidden secrets are gradually uncovered. It becomes clear that mistakes have been made in the past and some have experienced abusive and controlling relationships. The interesting relationships between the women are examined as is the impact of class, gender and choice on their lives at different points in time.
This all sounds very heavy and there are parts that are certainly difficult to read, but it is so well written and plotted that I thoroughly enjoyed it hence the 5 stars.
The story starts with the discovery of Kitty’s body after she has apparently committed suicide. As her family come to terms with their grief and anger, long-hidden secrets are gradually uncovered. It becomes clear that mistakes have been made in the past and some have experienced abusive and controlling relationships. The interesting relationships between the women are examined as is the impact of class, gender and choice on their lives at different points in time.
This all sounds very heavy and there are parts that are certainly difficult to read, but it is so well written and plotted that I thoroughly enjoyed it hence the 5 stars.
March 30, 2021
Enjoyed this but felt the on message feel of it and insertion of too many current issues was unsubtle and detracted a bit from the storytelling. I know a lot of knowledge can be gleaned from library books but felt it was a bit of a push to believe someone could attack their own body with knitting needles and no medical aftercare and not die from the consequences.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2022
2.5 stars
February 7, 2021
Three generations of women Kitty, Sara, Beth and Lucy. All from Westmere a small seaside town.
We begin the story with a tragedy, Great Niece Lucy finding Kitty dead from suicide at Lullaby Beach her home for many years.
The family cannot believe that Kitty would do this and are angry and want to try and understand why she would leave them all. When Lucy eventually gives Sara the note she found with Kitty’s body they start to uncover the life and secrets that Kitty had hidden from them all.
The story retells Kitty’s life from when she leaves Westmere as a young woman to go to London. After living in the small seaside town which feels claustrophobic and dull, she longs for excitement. That excitement appears in who she thinks is the love of her life. Danny Nelson, son of a businessman who wants to get on too. He has dreams and Kitty buys into them but ends up working really hard in a small cafe.
Danny is a really nasty piece of work, ambitious and will stop at nothing in realising his dreams. After heading to London in the 1950’s. Kitty finds out that it is not the bright lights and glamour she thought. In fact she experiences violence, coercion and fear. The glimmer of light in these turbulent times is the wonderful Ernestine, a young Jamaican woman who lives in the same house as Kitty. They become friends to Danny’s dislike but this friendship is Kitty’s saviour. Kitty’s own family are worried about her but she loves Danny.
Interwoven into Kitty’s story is her families lives and how as the strong matriarch of the family she steps into the role of mother when Beth and Sara’s own mother dies. She really is the glue that holds them all together and they are bereft when she leaves them.
Kitty’s story really resonated with me as I was brought up in a tiny village and was always desperate to escape to more exciting things. I, like Kitty found that the familarity and community can also be supportive when help is needed. Sara and Beth have their own stories too. Sara like Kitty can’t wait to escape Westmere and her ticket out is to university in Newcastle. However, the summer before she leaves she gets a job in a local business working for Mark Nelson who is the nephew of Danny. He is married and Sara thinks that the affair is not hurting anyone if people don’t find out. She heads off to university and when there discovers another side to her sexuality and is shocked when Mark appears unexpectedly. Like Danny the apples don’t fall far from the tree and he is just as vile and manipulative as his uncle.
Beth married Tim when they were young and have also had their own struggles both work hard and have another daughter Etta and Tim works for the Nelson family.
There is a twist in this story that links all the generations and is what weaves all the women together as they come out fighting to protect Lucy who has also been a victim unbeknown to the sisters. As one of three sisters I completely understood and emphasised with the sister’s actions to make sure this cycle of abuse stops.
Stella pulls no punches with this family story, it really does show how the women are manipulated and made to believe their actions have attributed to the abuse they receive, which of course as they find out is never the case. Some scenes are traumatic abortion, rape, domestic violence and loss are all portrayed sensitively but as they often are brutal and Stella does not shy away from this. This book is clever, real and so honest.
Outstanding! I could not put it down and those last few chapters are so gripping and tense. I absolutely loved it and I loved Kitty what a woman !
5 stars *****
I received my copy of the book from Net Galley and Little Brown in return for a fair and unbiased review.
We begin the story with a tragedy, Great Niece Lucy finding Kitty dead from suicide at Lullaby Beach her home for many years.
The family cannot believe that Kitty would do this and are angry and want to try and understand why she would leave them all. When Lucy eventually gives Sara the note she found with Kitty’s body they start to uncover the life and secrets that Kitty had hidden from them all.
The story retells Kitty’s life from when she leaves Westmere as a young woman to go to London. After living in the small seaside town which feels claustrophobic and dull, she longs for excitement. That excitement appears in who she thinks is the love of her life. Danny Nelson, son of a businessman who wants to get on too. He has dreams and Kitty buys into them but ends up working really hard in a small cafe.
Danny is a really nasty piece of work, ambitious and will stop at nothing in realising his dreams. After heading to London in the 1950’s. Kitty finds out that it is not the bright lights and glamour she thought. In fact she experiences violence, coercion and fear. The glimmer of light in these turbulent times is the wonderful Ernestine, a young Jamaican woman who lives in the same house as Kitty. They become friends to Danny’s dislike but this friendship is Kitty’s saviour. Kitty’s own family are worried about her but she loves Danny.
Interwoven into Kitty’s story is her families lives and how as the strong matriarch of the family she steps into the role of mother when Beth and Sara’s own mother dies. She really is the glue that holds them all together and they are bereft when she leaves them.
Kitty’s story really resonated with me as I was brought up in a tiny village and was always desperate to escape to more exciting things. I, like Kitty found that the familarity and community can also be supportive when help is needed. Sara and Beth have their own stories too. Sara like Kitty can’t wait to escape Westmere and her ticket out is to university in Newcastle. However, the summer before she leaves she gets a job in a local business working for Mark Nelson who is the nephew of Danny. He is married and Sara thinks that the affair is not hurting anyone if people don’t find out. She heads off to university and when there discovers another side to her sexuality and is shocked when Mark appears unexpectedly. Like Danny the apples don’t fall far from the tree and he is just as vile and manipulative as his uncle.
Beth married Tim when they were young and have also had their own struggles both work hard and have another daughter Etta and Tim works for the Nelson family.
There is a twist in this story that links all the generations and is what weaves all the women together as they come out fighting to protect Lucy who has also been a victim unbeknown to the sisters. As one of three sisters I completely understood and emphasised with the sister’s actions to make sure this cycle of abuse stops.
Stella pulls no punches with this family story, it really does show how the women are manipulated and made to believe their actions have attributed to the abuse they receive, which of course as they find out is never the case. Some scenes are traumatic abortion, rape, domestic violence and loss are all portrayed sensitively but as they often are brutal and Stella does not shy away from this. This book is clever, real and so honest.
Outstanding! I could not put it down and those last few chapters are so gripping and tense. I absolutely loved it and I loved Kitty what a woman !
5 stars *****
I received my copy of the book from Net Galley and Little Brown in return for a fair and unbiased review.
February 1, 2021
Stella Duffy is a wonderful storyteller and she is especially good at taking the ordinary and peeling back the layers, as she did in my favourite novel of hers, The Room of Lost Things. In this book she features three generations of women, the book's timeline interweaves between all of their various encounters with abusive men. Kitty the older woman, who's suicide opens the book, is the spine of the novel, her naivety and strength on display until she is able to use her wisdom to help other women. Beth and Sara, sisters with a legacy of secrecy and jealously between them, both having experienced depression and unable to tell the other why. Lucy the teenager, who discovers Kitty's body and who really doesn't know what to do with all the very adult things she is being asked to manage. Each of these women is lovingly portrayed, their complexity, their emotions and thoughts so clearly defined. We also get a nuanced picture of Kitty's first partner, Danny, the ambitious young man trying to prove himself a man with his fists. His nephew Mark also features, less nuanced, more of a pathetic nasty violent man.
Stella Duffy explores many themes in this book, corruption in small seaside towns, capitalism and zero-hour contracts, 'me too' it's complexity and it's damage for those who have experienced sexual abuse and the online trolling experienced by those who speak out, racism faced by the Windrush generation and the vital importance of women having agency over their bodies especially medically safe abortions. It's a lot for a short book but it doesn't feel like that, it is a wonderfully enthralling read through generations of women's experience. Drawn from a tradition of storytelling bringing things to light, I could imagine Kitty telling this story over a cup of tea by the fire, such is the skill of the writer. The book is powerful and uplifting which feels like a wonderful tribute to Kitty and all she endured that made her determined to support other women and LGBT people who found their way to her hut, drawn by the three candles burning in the window.
With thanks to Virago and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Stella Duffy explores many themes in this book, corruption in small seaside towns, capitalism and zero-hour contracts, 'me too' it's complexity and it's damage for those who have experienced sexual abuse and the online trolling experienced by those who speak out, racism faced by the Windrush generation and the vital importance of women having agency over their bodies especially medically safe abortions. It's a lot for a short book but it doesn't feel like that, it is a wonderfully enthralling read through generations of women's experience. Drawn from a tradition of storytelling bringing things to light, I could imagine Kitty telling this story over a cup of tea by the fire, such is the skill of the writer. The book is powerful and uplifting which feels like a wonderful tribute to Kitty and all she endured that made her determined to support other women and LGBT people who found their way to her hut, drawn by the three candles burning in the window.
With thanks to Virago and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 16, 2021
This all encompassing novel covering three generations of the same family was beautifully written and very powerful. It was also really difficult to put down once started, every time I put it down I found myself getting drawn back to it wanting to read one more chapter.
When Lucy discovers her Great Aunt Kittys body she also finds a letter revealing a past that for years has remained hidden. This story took me from the quiet coastal area of Lullaby Beach in the 50's to the bright lights of London where Kitty flattered by the attention and charm of older, wealthy local boy Danny Nelson, thinks she'll find adventure if she goes with him. Less than a year later she was back.
This book moved effortlessly between the different generations of the families involved and I found it an emotional read both shocking and heartbreaking but it also had its heartwarming moments. This was certainly a thought provoking read with great characters and the scene setting made it easy to visualise both 50's London and the beach shack that was home to Kitty.
This is the first novel I've read by the author and its not one I'll forget in a hurry. Totally recommended.
My thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy for review purposes. I was under no obligation and all opinions expressed are my own.
When Lucy discovers her Great Aunt Kittys body she also finds a letter revealing a past that for years has remained hidden. This story took me from the quiet coastal area of Lullaby Beach in the 50's to the bright lights of London where Kitty flattered by the attention and charm of older, wealthy local boy Danny Nelson, thinks she'll find adventure if she goes with him. Less than a year later she was back.
This book moved effortlessly between the different generations of the families involved and I found it an emotional read both shocking and heartbreaking but it also had its heartwarming moments. This was certainly a thought provoking read with great characters and the scene setting made it easy to visualise both 50's London and the beach shack that was home to Kitty.
This is the first novel I've read by the author and its not one I'll forget in a hurry. Totally recommended.
My thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy for review purposes. I was under no obligation and all opinions expressed are my own.
February 18, 2021
Kitty has chosen to kill herself before she has to give up the beach hut she has made her home for over fifty years. A well-respected nurse and advocate for women's rights, she has a few secrets herself which her nieces discover. 1950s London and young Kitty has moved from Westmere, her parochial and provincial hometown to support her developer boyfriend but when her relationship leaves her in fear of her life and her sanity Kitty retreats back home. Sara has an affair with a married man before university but when he follows her and rapes her she is traumatised. Her niece Lucy is being blackmailed into committing arson. All three generations abused by two men from the same family and it has to stop.
I really wanted to love this book but found it really hard to do so. Some of the writing is excellent but the drama seems to be cranked up to the max and the characters so one-dimensional, especially the men. It seems as though every modern cliche is in there - domestic violence, rape, internet shaming, black lives matter - and because of that I became very cynical with the story. there is a really good idea here but it all seems just too overwrought for me.
I really wanted to love this book but found it really hard to do so. Some of the writing is excellent but the drama seems to be cranked up to the max and the characters so one-dimensional, especially the men. It seems as though every modern cliche is in there - domestic violence, rape, internet shaming, black lives matter - and because of that I became very cynical with the story. there is a really good idea here but it all seems just too overwrought for me.
August 23, 2021
I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending this advanced reader's copy in return for a fair and honest review.
I have read so many books of Stella Duffy and this one did not disappoint. Firstly, though, I feel that it should not be categorized as LGBTQ. One person had one girlfriend. I loved Kitty and the storyline had me captivated. Duffy included almost every issue that a woman could have, violence and psychological abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. More importantly though, I have never read a book where there is an abortion and I found this really difficult to read. I understand that it a normal part of society now, but it still doesn’t sit right with me. The way it was dealt with was heart-breaking but true.
This book is a triumph.
I have read so many books of Stella Duffy and this one did not disappoint. Firstly, though, I feel that it should not be categorized as LGBTQ. One person had one girlfriend. I loved Kitty and the storyline had me captivated. Duffy included almost every issue that a woman could have, violence and psychological abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. More importantly though, I have never read a book where there is an abortion and I found this really difficult to read. I understand that it a normal part of society now, but it still doesn’t sit right with me. The way it was dealt with was heart-breaking but true.
This book is a triumph.
December 6, 2023
this book wasn’t really what i was expecting but i thought it was fantastic.
the pacing was cleverly done, the uptick in the second half of the book was really compelling.
the characters weren’t overwritten or especially vivid but worked so well with the wider story. especially the character of kitty.
i wasn’t sold on the split in timelines but as the novel went on they made more sense and in the end they worked well.
this story is dark in places and covers ground, on occasions vividly, that i wasn’t expecting. it would be worth checking content warnings.
this book delves into lots of different themes from class to race, toxic masculinity to coercion and abuse. all topics are treated with time and care.
the pacing was cleverly done, the uptick in the second half of the book was really compelling.
the characters weren’t overwritten or especially vivid but worked so well with the wider story. especially the character of kitty.
i wasn’t sold on the split in timelines but as the novel went on they made more sense and in the end they worked well.
this story is dark in places and covers ground, on occasions vividly, that i wasn’t expecting. it would be worth checking content warnings.
this book delves into lots of different themes from class to race, toxic masculinity to coercion and abuse. all topics are treated with time and care.
December 28, 2020
I loved Lullaby Beach. An engrossing family saga whose matriarch Kitty has taken her own life. Her body is found by Kitty's great-niece, Lucy, who cannot believe that Kitty has done this and, upon finding a note, she resolves to find out what its meaning is.
There follows a tale through three generations, from the 1950s to the present day, with Kitty being the highlight, amid the unravelling of family secrets. The characters are so well portrayed and the settings impeccable.
I hope Lullaby Beach will be a huge word of mouth success as it well deserves to be. Many thanks to NetGalley and Virago/Little Brown Book Group for the opportunity to read and review this book.
There follows a tale through three generations, from the 1950s to the present day, with Kitty being the highlight, amid the unravelling of family secrets. The characters are so well portrayed and the settings impeccable.
I hope Lullaby Beach will be a huge word of mouth success as it well deserves to be. Many thanks to NetGalley and Virago/Little Brown Book Group for the opportunity to read and review this book.
April 10, 2021
Lullaby Beach is an incredibly relevant novel about consent and exploitation. Three generations of women within the same family have all suffered trauma at the hands of the Nelson men, and after 81 year old Kitty takes her own life, secrets are revealed.
The story of Kitty takes precedence and is told through the 1950’s to the present day. Her toxic relationship with Danny Nelson has repercussions throughout her life, but she doesn’t reveal the extent of this to anyone.
I found this novel to be brutally honest and incredibly up to date, despite being mainly set in the past. It shows that strength and resilience can win out over bullying and abuse.
The story of Kitty takes precedence and is told through the 1950’s to the present day. Her toxic relationship with Danny Nelson has repercussions throughout her life, but she doesn’t reveal the extent of this to anyone.
I found this novel to be brutally honest and incredibly up to date, despite being mainly set in the past. It shows that strength and resilience can win out over bullying and abuse.
February 4, 2021
Lullaby Beach by Stella Duffy
I came to this book with a completely open mind having never read any of Stella Duffy’s work before, and I quickly fell in love, racing through it in 2 days. The characters felt perfectly rounded, completely with their troubles, and the change in timelines felt smooth and easy to follow. This is the story of Kitty and her family, set in a small seaside town, covering many themes including sexuality, family and love. It’s a moving, powerful story that I highly recommend.
Thanks to Netgallery for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
I came to this book with a completely open mind having never read any of Stella Duffy’s work before, and I quickly fell in love, racing through it in 2 days. The characters felt perfectly rounded, completely with their troubles, and the change in timelines felt smooth and easy to follow. This is the story of Kitty and her family, set in a small seaside town, covering many themes including sexuality, family and love. It’s a moving, powerful story that I highly recommend.
Thanks to Netgallery for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2021
By virtue of this book’s inside cover, I picked it up thinking it was going to be a nice light read with a slight mystery angle to it. It was anything but, and dealt with powerful issues of domestic/sexual abuse over three generations of women, and the emotional impact on both them individually and their families. The author’s ability to keep the plot moving along, whilst allowing each victim their voice was both well-crafted and gratifying.
Looking forward reading some of Duffy’s other books.
Looking forward reading some of Duffy’s other books.
November 29, 2022
Intense & Captivating Read
A captivating read, very well written that draws you to want to live by the sea.
The dual timeline was easy to follow and you could easily imagine yourself in either era.
There is a particularly poignant and difficult story to follow and I'm not ashamed to admit I had to skip a few pages as the graphic detail was too much for me, so I let my own imagination fill in the gaps.
Stella Duffy is a fabulous writer who knows how to bring you into the story.
A captivating read, very well written that draws you to want to live by the sea.
The dual timeline was easy to follow and you could easily imagine yourself in either era.
There is a particularly poignant and difficult story to follow and I'm not ashamed to admit I had to skip a few pages as the graphic detail was too much for me, so I let my own imagination fill in the gaps.
Stella Duffy is a fabulous writer who knows how to bring you into the story.
December 25, 2020
I adored Kitty,who was central to this story of strong women.
Her story takes place in the 50s mainly,but is the foundations of the present day tale.
In fact I adored all the women (and Tim and Geoff) who made up the different parts of this saga, each of them battling a different problem.
Very much a story of family love and loyalty for me.
Whenever I read Duffy I'm left to wonder why I dont read her more. This time I MUST do something about it.
Her story takes place in the 50s mainly,but is the foundations of the present day tale.
In fact I adored all the women (and Tim and Geoff) who made up the different parts of this saga, each of them battling a different problem.
Very much a story of family love and loyalty for me.
Whenever I read Duffy I'm left to wonder why I dont read her more. This time I MUST do something about it.
January 24, 2021
Living in Poland where lately the debate about abortion has taken centre-stage again after the government's harshening of the law, this book definitely struck a chord. The three generations of women in the novel are a perfect illustration of the necessity of the right of choice. All three women are affected by circumstances beyond their control and taken advantage of by men. It shows we are far from done with these issues. A well written book, food for thought.
June 21, 2021
Toxic masculinity and its awful effects shoot through this novel, which finishes in a satisfying, cathartic but measured way. I didn't always love it - some of the characters seemed more like ciphers than people or verging on the clichéd. And Duffy tries to crowbar in everything from Brexit to zero hours contracts, for no meaningful reason. But the novel's message is clear-eyed and intelligently delivered.
May 14, 2022
What a book. Soft yet strong, quiet yet resolute. Articulates difficult, common, things in a pragmatic and supportive way. Wish it didn't have the naff "no more secrets..." on the cover as that makes it sound like some gossipy shite and not at all like the complex, human, multi generational story that it is. 4.5 - lost points purely down to it being a tad difficult to remember who was who in the beginning. I should've kept a note...
January 7, 2023
All of the characters were real, with strengths and flaws, but of them all, I adored Kitty. I loved being part of the ride as she grew from a gorgeous, spirited young woman with the world at her feet, to the beloved, straight-talking, no-holds-barred Aunt Kitty.
A captivating family saga, with secrets, betrayals, real love and fury. Beautifully written.
A captivating family saga, with secrets, betrayals, real love and fury. Beautifully written.
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