Heartstones

Set in an beautiful Irish coastal village, the legacy of a passionate affair is revealed in this stunning debut novel. Heartstones is a novel about secrets. Set in contemporary Ireland the story is intertwined with one set in 1940s. In both past and present it seems that everybody has something to hide. When Phoebe's married lover dies in a car accident she dare not openly express her grief for fear of their affair being found out. Heart broken she leaves her life in England to search out the old boathouse bequeathed to her by her Irish grandmother. Enthralled by the stunning scenery of the West Coast of Ireland she soon finds herself swept up by life in the nearby village of Carraigmore. When she discovers a collection of her grandmothers old diaries hidden beneath the boat house floorboards she becomes immersed in a story of family scandal, repressed sexuality and a passionate affair between her grandmother and a young Irish artist. As Phoebe tries to piece together the truth about her grandmothers past she begins to realise that the repercussions of what happened all those years before have shaped not only her own life but the lives of those in the small community around her. With many questions unanswered Phoebe sets out to find out more but it seems that no one in Carraigmore is quite telling her the truth. An exploration of love, loss and secrets. Set in contemporary Ireland the story is intertwined with one set in 1940's. In both past and present it seems that everybody has something to hide. When Phoebe's married lover dies in a car accident she dare not openly express her grief for fear of their affair being found out. Heart broken, she leaves her life in England to search out the old boathouse bequeathed to her by her Irish grandmother. Enthralled by the stunning scenery of the West Coast of Ireland, she soon finds herself swept up by life in the nearby village of Carraigmore. When she discovers a collection of her grandmother's old diaries hidden beneath the boat house floorboards, she becomes immersed in a story of family scandal, repressed sexuality and a passionate affair between her grandmother and a young Irish artist. As Phoebe tries to piece together the truth about her grandmother's past she begins to realise that the repercussions of what happened all those years before have shaped not only her own life, but the lives of those in the small community around her. With many questions unanswered Phoebe sets out to find out more but it seems that no one in Carraigmore is quite telling her the truth. When heart-broken Phoebe Brennan retreats to her ancestral home in the West of Ireland, she has no idea that the dark secrets of her family's past will play such a large part in her future.