LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
Faith Hogan invites us to stay at The Guest House by the Sea with a cast of charming characters, all who need some help solving their own life’s riddles.
As a new season begins at the Willows guest house in Ireland, Esme, the elderly owner, finds herself immobile after breaking her ankle. She very unhappy about this, as she usually would be running around trying to stay on top of the demands of both the guests and the ancient guest house. Cora, a fiftysomething woman, uses her time as a guest as an escape from her 30-year marriage. Niamh, a young professional down from Dublin, needs some distance from her Dublin life to make a decision that will change the course of her life. Phyllie, a longtime friend of Esme, is trying to enjoy a multi-generational holiday at the house, but is struggling. Esme finds that she can still look after her guests from her perch, by dispensing wisdom and anecdotes.
The story is told from alternating viewpoints of the four main protagonists. Hogan puts thought into every character—from the main players to the extras. You won’t soon forget the fleeting appearance of the helpful chatty teenager who helps Esme in the hospital, only to find out that he’s there for his cancer treatment. The coastal location came alive with Hogan’s descriptions, with seaside walks, drinks on the veranda and swims in the cold ocean all featuring heavily.
It’s a charming book, and reading it felt like drinking a mug of hot cocoa I didn’t know I needed on a cold spring day.
Maureen Stapleton
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The Guest House by the Sea Synopsis
People come to the guest house for fresh air and views across the Atlantic. But if they're lucky, they might just leave with the second chance they didn't know they needed...
Esme has run the guest house for as long as anyone in Ballycove can remember. But in her declining years, her sight is failing, and when she has a fall on the eve of the summer season, she is forced to take a back seat for the first time in her life.
From her chair in the entry hall, not much passes Esme by. There's Cora, the wife visiting indefinitely... without her husband; Niamh, the city professional with a life-changing decision to make; and Phyllie, the grandmother whose family is slipping away from her.
Esme's guests provide the colour that helps her keep her grip on the world. All of them have something they want to escape - or to hold on to. But can Esme help them find their way before the summer is over?
From bestselling Irish writer Faith Hogan comes a new, uplifting story about discovering love, friendship and the healing power of the Irish sea air. It will charm fans of Sheila O'Flanagan, Heidi Swain and Susanne O'Leary.
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Faith Hogan Press Reviews
PRAISE FOR FAITH HOGAN:
'Uplifting, emotional and brimming with warmth and humour' Cathy Bramley, on The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club.
'This was a beautifully written, heart-rending but ultimately uplifting read set on Ireland's wild Atlantic coast. I loved it' Phillipa Ashley, on The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club.
'Charming... Full of pathos and humour. A heartwarming page-turner that would be perfect for staycation reading' Irish Independent on Saturday, on The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club.
'Joyful, life-affirming and inspirational' Heidi Swain, on The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club.
'Another heart-warming read from Faith Hogan' -- Trisha Ashley, on The Girl I Used to Know
Author
About Faith Hogan
Faith lives in the west of Ireland with her husband, four children and two very fussy cats. She has an Hons Degree in English Literature and Psychology, has worked as a fashion model and in the intellectual disability and mental health sector. In 2014 she was a winner Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair, in 2018 was selected as a Words Ireland winner in the DWAD afternoon and then won the Mayo Business Woman of the Year (Arts) in the Network Ireland Business Woman of the Year Awards a year later.
Her contemporary fiction novels have achieved top ten best seller status across the US, UK, Australia and Canada. My Husbands Wives was a top ten bestseller in Ireland on release. The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club reached the overall No 1 position in the Amazon UK charts along with The Guest House by the Sea. The Bookshop Ladies is her tenth novel.
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