In her latest book J. Courtney Sullivan tackles many contemporary issues through an engaging story and characters we care about. Jane is a focal character in contemporary times, and there are also chapters from the point of view of past women who inhabited a particular house--a ship owners wife, a former Shaker housekeeper, the bereft mother of a dead child, and most recently an affluent woman rooted in urban conspicuous consumption. Jane has escaped to her childhood home after disgracing herself both with her beloved husband and the Harvard job she adored. As she cleans out her deceased mother's house she makes new friends, explores the past, learns about herself, and descends back into alcoholism. As a Mainer, I feel that the fictitious town, set in a very real Southern Maine, is well described, with its tensions between history and progress, locals and flatlanders, reputations and new beginnings.

There were parts of this story I adored and others found a bit slow. Janes returns to Maine after some hard times. She’s separated from her husband and is readying her mothers home to sell while dealing with the grief of her death. They weren’t close so she is experiencing a lot of mixed emotions about all of it. In essence her world is a bit o a dumpster fire. Then she sees the beautiful home she adored in her childhood that a new owner has turned into something very different and she is shocked. It's been turned into something very different, yet in some ways it still calls to her. When Jane is hired by the new owner to research the history of the house her journey begins. It’s well written and researched. Interesting, smart and well researched.

I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

This book was not what I thought it was going to be. In my opinion, it was too long and the subject matter was dragged out for far too long. There were parts where it was interesting, but the story just kept going, and going.....
I was just not into this story that much.

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I’m not sure what it was I expected when I picked up this book, but it wasn’t what I got... But in a totally wonderful way. I had been up to my neck in romance and thriller novels and knew I needed to mix it up and start reading more in other genres because sometimes I get in this cycle of HEAs or suspenseful anxiety and can’t get out! It is hard to decide what genre The Cliffs is... On some level it’s historical fiction, another women’s fiction/family drama, and maybe even a little gothic fiction/mystery? All I know is that it made for a truly satisfying read.

Jane is not only trying to put her life together; dealing with her drinking problem and trying to piece together her personal and professional lives, but finding herself drawn into the past, of the previous tenants of the house but also of her childhood, Maine, her town, and colonialism of the area.

It is a rich and deep story and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Well, this one is a little slow and a bit — slow? Started fun, went a little depressing. I enjoyed learning about the history of natives to Maine that had never really thought much about. Enjoyed the mix of characters. But whew, I’m at a lost for words on being extra excited for this one…. In the end, it was just not my vibe.

I need to come in back to this one! Maybe?

Thank you to the publisher for my free advanced review copy! J. Courtney Sullivan is a favorite author of mine; I've enjoyed several of her novels in years past. However, I decided to DNF this book at the 30% mark because it was not for me. The story's premise sounds promising, but I wished for more depth in the two main characters. I think this is a great summer read and I may try to revisit it next year to see if my feelings have changed because I know that Sullivan is a fantastic writer!

This is one of Reese's misses for me. Jane and her personal struggles were very interesting but then the plot slows down and I honestly was getting bored. I DNF at about 40%.

Thank you Netgalley and Knopf for the arc.

2 stars

I can tell that the author did a lot of historical and anthropological research. Unfortunately, it seemed like this was about 4 books mashed together with no real plot or direction. I literally had to force myself to finish at the 92% mark. The ending felt rushed and completely unsatisfying.

I do appreciate the opportunity to have read this in return for an honest review. Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Jane’s teenage life wasn’t so happy due to her mother’s inability to be kind and attentive to her. She happened upon an old abandoned house on a cliff one day. She was mesmerized by the haunting comfort and mystery it exuded. It solaced her each time she arrived at the house to do her homework or to just get away from it all.

She got married, became an archivist. She went back home to Maine two decades later. Surprisingly, she found out that the mysterious house had been refurbished. It was turned into something that barely resembled what she found so much comfort in as a young girl. In time, she found a way to get in touch with the new owner, Genevieve, who in turn hired her to find out the history of the home.

On her journey, she uncovered many secrets from the past. She solicited help from a psychic and it fit the story so well. We learned fascinating stories about the women who lived there and things they endured so many years ago; ghosts that will always be present in and around the places they once found solace in, or experienced tremendous turmoil and now their souls are unsettled.

This story is a history lesson covering many topics such as colonialism, old-time Maine and what it was like for those living many eras before us. At times, it was so deep, that I began thinking of the footprints I may one day leave and those that will be affected either positively or negatively by them. Fantastic read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC of this book.

Started slow but turned into a good story. Characters were well written and interesting. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book!

J. Courtney Sullivan’s latest novel The Cliffs drew me in so quickly to the lives of the women living in a remarkable purple Victorian house, on the edge of a cliff in a small town in Maine. I very much enjoy historical fiction, and The Cliffs delves into the Shakers and the Native Americans of Maine. It also touches on topics such as alcoholism, as the main character Jane struggles to find her way to sobriety.

Overall this was a well researched and interesting book, with an incredibly beautiful setting. But J. Courtney Sullivan peels back those layers to reveal some of the ugliness and pain behind the surface the house, the area, and the women in the story. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction and literature, although I wish the author had scaled back a little the focus of the story. There were so many topics and characters touched on, that it dilutes the plot too much.

J. Courtney Sullivan is one of my absolute favorite authors. Her novels always thoughtfully explore the histories of complex women and while her latest, THE CLIFFS, does much of the same, it feels like her most ambitious work yet.

In THE CLIFFS, an oceanfront home full of secrets takes center stage. The novel opens with Jane Flanagan, a teenager who uses the abandoned home as a refuge. Twenty years later, she is a Harvard archivist whose marriage and career are threatened by one alcohol-fueled night. When she meets Genevieve, a wealthy woman who has unrecognizably remodeled the house, Genevieve calls on her to explore the home’s history, as she believes there is a ghost trapped inside. As Jane dives deeper into the home’s secrets, she uncovers a story of heartbreak and tragedy dating back centuries.

While this book will work for everyone, it ultimately worked for me. The first 30% of the novel is slow and relies a lot on background. Once we’re acquainted with the characters and have a deep understanding of their relationship to the house, I was hooked. This is never an action-packed book, but instead a portrait of various women through history whose lives were shaped by the house. The way their stories wove together by the end was stunning.

I frequently turn to Sullivan’s work when I want something character-driven and well-written. As always, THE CLIFFS fit the bill, as it takes Sullivan’s usual New England narrative to another level with the addition of paranormal elements. While this book never gets too supernatural (the ghost story is confined to psychics and mediums), it was refreshing to see one of my favorite authors explore something new. In keeping with tradition, THE CLIFFS explores complex family dynamics, centering on addiction and grief. There is also discussion of colonialism and Indigenous narratives, which added a researched bent to the narrative.

I’d recommend this if you want a slow burn to savor, so long as you stick through the beginning.

The Cliffs is not my normal read but I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it so much. There are multiple characters and timelines that all merge together to make an interesting story about women, families and native culture in Maine.

This book started out promising for me; I enjoyed Jane's character - her struggles as both a child and an adult, and how her childhood ended up shaping her decisions and choices later in life. However, as the book progressed, I became less and less interested in the other characters and plot lines - there were too many, and none of them flowed very well. Genevieve was a train wreck right from the start, with zero redeeming qualities and very little to relate to or sympathize with. The historical aspect of the Shakers and Native American tribes, while important, was often times tedious and much too detailed for this novel. Overall, I felt like the author couldn't decide between writing a historical fiction novel, or a contemporary novel, so she decided to do both. And it simply didn't work for me. I would have enjoyed it much more if Jane and the house (which was ultimately a bit of its own character) each had their own books.

There are a lot of things going on in this book. The connecting element is the location, a spot on a cliff in Maine where a purple Victorian house now sits. This was a special place for Jane when she was a girl. Now she is an archivist who has just blown up her career and her marriage. She retreats to the small Maine town where she grew up. While she tries to put her life back together (and get sober) she delves into the history of the house and the land. Themes of addiction, spiritualism, reparations and more make this a rich story with lots to discuss.

Thank you to NetGalley, author J. Courtney Sullivan, and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I haven't been this unsure about my feelings towards a book in a long time lol. This book wasn't on my radar until it was announced as a pick for Reese's Book Club, and then I was intrigued because it seemed like a bit of a different pick for her. I would say that I mostly enjoyed this book due to the fact that it was absolutely fascinating. The Cliffs is filled with so much history about Native American tribes in Maine that I hadn't known prior to reading, as well as history about the Shakers, which I also didn't know. I appreciated being able to learn so much, and I found myself eager to know more whenever I was reading. However, the structure of this book really did not work. There is SO much historical information within the book that it feels dense at times, but then it is also mixed with a supernatural element, as well as deep diving into the topic of alcoholism through the main character and her historical. These are all really big topics that I feel such a "short" book cannot adequately handle all together, and because of that, the book reads really disjointed. It feels like it doesn't quite know what it wants to be and so in that case, it doesn't work. I can also see people thinking this book is more of a gothic/supernatural story based on the descriptions, but honestly, that is such a small part in comparison to everything else, that I think the book was mis-marketed. I do think this book has an audience, but I don't think that audience is Reese's Book Club, and I think I would be hesitant to pick up Sullivan's other works unless I knew they weren't quite as scattered.

#coffeeandcurrentlyreading ☕️📖 because I absolutely love @jcourtsullivan and am SO grateful to @aaknopf for my gifted copy of her upcoming novel, THE CLIFFS! One of my most anticipated reads of the year for sure 🩵🏞️ I’ll need lots of coffee to get through the day as we settle back into our routine - only for it to be disrupted again on Wednesday when I get (another) wrist surgery! T’s and P’s appreciated! What are you reading and sipping today?

I was drawn to this book because it's set in a coastal town in Maine, similar to where I'm spending my summer. When the book began I was invested in Jane's story: grieving her recently deceased mother, returning to where she grew up, navigating problems in her marriage and confronting her alcoholism. But as the story went on, I found there were too many other viewpoints and storylines. There were several times I felt so off track and annoyed that yet another character was being introduced, that I thought about not finishing this book. I appreciated how the various storylines were woven together in the end, but this is not a book I would go out of my way to recommend to others.

This was a hot mess of a story! I liked the main storyline of the book which focused on the history of Grove House and the women that lived there. I found it intriguing because there were so many secrets and mysteries to unravel. In my opinion, it was the best part of the book. The story had three main characters that share their connection to the house. As each story is revealed, the link between the three women becomes clearer. The story often takes a tangent to bring to light subjects the author is passionate about. It felt like the author wanted to fit everything in one book. For me, it was an informational and emotional overload. At times I felt depressed while reading because it was too much to process. It also made the story drag on and I couldn’t wait to get to the end. I did like the ending with Jane finally getting her life back in order and finding the perfect way to share the history of Grove House with the community.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I'm a longtime fan of J. Courtney Sullivan, her books are engrossing and complex. This novel had a LOT going on. Multiple narrators that dip into the past. Current struggles with family, grief, and alcohol addiction. The ignored history of the American Indigenous. Ghosts. I was absorbed in every minute of this novel. I wanted to cry in multiple spots. The ending was satisfying but at the same time felt abrupt. I wish I had gotten a little bit more at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.