‘A young girl who longs for a bigger life.
A wife who dreams of change.
A vow that can never be broken.
And a secret that comes back to haunt then decades later.’
– The Lighthouse Secret
[ About The Lighthouse Secret ]
Family secrets never stay buried…
1951, Ireland
On the windswept Cork coast, the lighthouse-keepers’ wives wait, watching the sea. Their husbands are coming home. But one secret can never be revealed.
2023, Maine
Decades later, Mollie Kenefick receives an anonymous note: Family secrets never stay buried. The only person she can ask is her grandmother – however, Beth made a vow that she swore never to break.
But someone knows what happened that summer in 1951, and it seems they’re not happy keeping silent . . .
[ My Review ]
The Lighthouse Secret by Carmel Harrington publishes March 28th with Harper Collins and is described as a ‘sweeping, secretive and emotional new historical novel.’ Set between Ballycotton in East Cork and Maine in The States, The Lighthouse Secret is another atmospheric and captivating novel from Carmel Harrington.
I live quite close to Ballycotton so it was delightful to read about it, from an historical perspective, through the eyes of the lighthouse keeper’s wives in the 1950s. The lighthouses we see today are all automated but, back then, all around Ireland, lighthouses were habitable and run by lighthouse keepers. These were primarily men, who worked in shifts, spending quite a bit of time away from their home and family. In 1951, the principal keeper was Patrick Kenefick. It was a tradition handed down over the years from father to son and it was a lifestyle that wasn’t for everyone. His wife Kathleen has known nothing different throughout her married life but she misses Patrick. She misses the conversations and the closeness of their relationship. Her teenage daughter Beth is flighty and, although Kathleen and Patrick want to see her continue the tradition, Beth has other plans. Beth wants to travel, to see the world beyond her sheltered upbringing. She fantasises about exploring foreign lands and meeting new people. The restrictive life of a lighthouse keeper’s wife is something that Beth dreads the prospect of. She would suffocate living her mother’s life.
When a circus comes to town, Beth’s head is turned and she becomes enchanted by the costumes, the lifestyle and the folk who work there. There is a freedom that they have, one she feels she can never achieve if she remains in Ballycotton and settles for a future in a small seaside cottage off the Atlantic coast.
Mollie Kenefick is on edge. Working in the media and settled with her husband, Mollie had thought her life was pretty much sorted, but things don’t always work out as planned. She takes a journey to Ireland with her Dad to spend time in Ballycotton and to join her grandmother who went ahead of them. Born in East Cork, her grandmother remembers that year in 1951 when everything changed. All her life she has carried a secret close to her heart but now it seems that a mysterious person knows something and is looking for answers. Mollie finds herself caught up in a story that she never could have imagined possible as the reader is immersed in an Ireland of a different time, an Ireland where secrets were plentiful among many communities across the land.
Carmel Harrington writes very warm-hearted and absorbing tales that capture the imagination and immerse the reader in a different time and place. The Lighthouse Secret is an emotional story of secrets, regret, forgiveness and love. The windswept coast of East Cork with its lighthouse and local beaches provides a dramatic setting for this sweeping family drama. There is an underlying sadness and darkness that permeates the book with the truth slowly unravelling, revealing an affecting tale highlighting the importance and strength of female friendship. A perfectly balanced dual timeline novel, The Lighthouse Secret is an emotive reading experience with an intriguing mystery at its core. Another sure fire bestseller for Carmel Harrington!
[ Bio ]
USA Today bestseller Carmel Harrington lives in Wexford with her family & rescue dog, George Bailey. Her ninth novel, The Moon Over Kilmore Quay became an instant bestseller in Ireland and USA. Other bestselling novels include My Pear-Shaped Life, A Thousand Roads Home, The Woman at 72 Derry Lane and the ITV commissioned novel, Cold Feet The Lost Years.
Carmel’s trademark is to write warm, uplifting stories with humour, heart and hope. She loves to write about family, friendships, love and life within complex, twisting plots.
Carmel’s novels have been shortlisted twice for an Irish Book Award and her debut Beyond Grace’s Rainbow won Kindle Book of the Year and Romantic eBook of the Year in 2013. Carmel is also a regular on Irish TV screens, and is co founder of The Inspiration Project, a coaching and writing retreat.
X ~ @HappyMrsH
