The Salt House

April 1, 2017
It's been a year since little Maddie Kelly did not wake up from her afternoon nap, yet Hope cannot stop mourning her youngest daughter.Hope's husband, Jack, a Maine lobsterman, has buried himself in his work, unable to face his faltering marriage. He can barely pay the bills, and finishing the renovations on the Salt House, their dream house, seems impossible. Meanwhile, their older daughters, Jess and Kat, have been tiptoeing around the powder keg of emotions. But a dinner party for Hope's friend Peggy sets into motion a series of dramatic collisions. It all begins with Peggy's new husband, Ryland Finn, who shares a dark past with Jack. Finn's drunken threats to take over some of Jack's fishing territory anger Jack, but he walks away. Finn isn't through with Jack, though, and soon Jack is risking his own health to safeguard his territory, tamping down his grief, and keeping the door securely locked against the secret he has hidden from Hope. Meanwhile, Jess heads out to confront the boy who's been bullying Kat. She gets more than she bargained for, including a tumble off her bike, a sprained ankle, and an uncomfortable encounter with Finn, who turns out to be the bully's new stepfather. He's also stepfather to Alex, the young man who patches up Jess' ankle, drives her home, and begins to fall in love with her. Kat has her own troubles trying to puzzle out why Maddie's ashes still live in her mother's closet. Shifting perspective with each chapter, Duffy's debut novel replicates the isolation of sorrow by letting each character struggle alone to make sense of a world without Maddie. From the heavy hollowness in Jack's chest to the angry loneliness infecting Hope's heart, she deftly sketches the edges of grief. A poignant story of the power of faith, hope, and love to transcend loss.

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May 1, 2017

DEBUT Every summer, the Kelly family lives in anticipation of moving into the Salt House, their inherited cottage by the ocean, which they lovingly renovated to be habitable for their family of five. The tragic death of Maddie, the youngest member of their tight-knit family, shatters their peaceful existence. Consumed by depression and guilt, Hope cannot focus on her family or work, and her husband, Jack, drowns his grief by constantly working on his lobster boat and neglecting his health. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Jess and eight-year-old Kat navigate their way through their parents' multiple arguments while trying to come to terms with the loss of their little sister. Then, Jack's high school nemesis returns to town and threatens the family's livelihood. Events start to spiral out of control, testing the strength of the family's love for one another. VERDICT With alternating chapters focusing on each family member's thoughts and interactions, debut author Duffy eloquently displays the emotional complexities of a family going through the healing process. Readers of Elin Hilderbrand or Luanne Rice will enjoy.--Joy Gunn, Paseo Verde Lib., Henderson, NV

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May 15, 2017
The Kelly family's lives are torn apart by grief when one-year-old Maddie dies as the result of a tragic accident. Each family member copes with his or her emotions differentlyHope literally hides her unwillingness to move past her grief by hiding Maddie's ashes in her closet; Jack pours all of his energy into work, ignoring both his physical and emotional pain; and teenage Jess keeps what she knows about the accident a secret from her younger sister, Kat. As the first anniversary of Maddie's death approaches, the appearance of Ryland Finn, who shares a complex and tense past with Jack Kelly, forces the Kellys to confront their relationships with one another as well as with their beloved community. Duffy tells the story through alternating viewpoints, giving readers a glimpse into each character's emotional life as well as what they hide from the people they love. The coastal Maine setting is common in women's fiction, but instead of summer vacationers, the Kellys are locals whose lives mirror the rugged but beautiful landscape that surrounds them. This insightful, emotionally potent debut is ideal for fans of Amy Hatvany.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)