Sylvie is a lover of words and a collector of stories, only she has lost her own. She has no words for a night at a lighthouse that changed the relationship between her and her best friend and soulmate, Kase. What happened to rip them apart 23 years ago?
When Kase invites Sylvie to the wild Tasmanian coast to celebrate her 40th birthday, Sylvie accepts, perhaps reluctantly. She’s yearned to recapture their friendship but struggles to negotiate the undertow of memories between old friends and new.
I loved this story. It subtly weaves together the elusiveness of memory, the yearning for acceptance and closeness, and the healing power of words. At its heart the novel seeks to answer the question of whether it’s ever right to keep a secret to protect the person you love.
The writing is powerful. I was carried away by the crafted sentences that created yearning for something elusive, just out of sight and undefined. Not only did I want to know the secret of that night at the lighthouse but also understand how it had influenced the characters since.
If you’ve ever considered how the stories we tell – to ourselves and each other – affect lives, read The Beautiful Words. You won’t regret it.
To read more about The Beautiful Words, visit Goodreads.
Thank you to HarperCollins Australia and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.