The Cliffs is set in Maine and centers on a house on a cliff, and the history of the people that have inhabited the land throughout the years. I loved learning about the area, the indigenous people who initially settled in the area and the different generations who lived on the land. I was much less interested in the main character, Jane, and her current situation and found myself skimming those sections. The present day ending wrapped things up a bit too neatly but I really enjoyed the historical aspects. 3.75 stars

I really enjoy Courtney Sullivan's stories so, I have to compare this one to her other books. This one is my least favorite. I'm not into the supernatural, and when the story mentioned ghosts, meduims, and marbles, it kind of lost me. I will say that the story about the friendship between childhood girlfriends, the descriptions and history of Maine, and the devastating effects alcoholism can have on families was all intriguing and well done. The ghost stuff and the marbles was really never resolved. The audibook was well narrated.

3.25 out of 5. I liked it but it might have been too much at the same time. We have so many stories and themes and characters that I feel it gets bogged down. We have the history of the shakers/ native Americans/ women’s rights whilst also dealing with topics of alcoholism and addiction. It ties in beautifully at the end but it’s a lot to pack into a fiction book. I did appreciate the historical aspects of it but also it felt very preachy at times. It did led me to research about epigenics. I also had a hard time dealing with an alcoholic FMC - like I wanted to shout at her so much but then that probably means it was very well written as that’s what relatives of alcoholics feel like all the time. The description of the area and the land is gorgeous.

Review to follow. I'm reading, reading, reading, but not through yet. I wanted to make sure I got my rating in on time.
After completing the book, I dropped my rating to three stars.
This was not the book for me. It started out great. Set in Maine, high schooler Jane discovers an old abandoned mansion, probably built by a seafaring captain. Leaving Maine to attend college and with a job as an archivist in Boston, she returns many years later, her professional life as well as her personal life in shambles. As she is trying to get her late mother's house ready for sale, she is approached by the current owner of the mansion. It has been remodeled in such a way that nothing original is left. The current owner knows the house has ghosts and wants Jane to research the history. What Jane finds out about the house and about her community has the potential to change a lot of things for a lot of people.

There is a great deal of history about the Indigenous people, about the Shakers and other mystic groups. Several women have been involved in the ownership of the house over the years and some of their stories are not pretty. Jane puts her archival skills to work to find answers.

The story, for me, seemed to drag and at times it became very much the lecture platform. This, combined with the terrible decisions Jane was making, served to make it a slog to get through.

This was one of those books that I almost didn't want to read on my Kindle. Feels like a must to have a physical copy!

Regardless, I became completely enthralled in this story! The first half moved a bit slow for me, but around the halfway mark, I literally couldn't put it down. I loved how the author weaved in different perspectives and cultural history, which gave the novel so much more depth. I would highly recommend this book to friends and family (in physical form, of course!).

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for sharing an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A study into the frailty of human nature and inherited trauma wrapped in an engaging historical mystery. The author weaves together the compelling stories of women across decades - all of whom are connected to a singular house in coastal Maine. The through line is Jane, historian, researcher and alcoholic who returns home after her professionals and personal life implodes to tackle the remnants of her recently deceased mother’s estate. Compelling characters, fascinating history, and great storytelling!

I raced through this story about an old Victorian house that sits atop a cliff in coastal Maine. At first glance, The Cliffs seemed similar to Daniel Mason’s “North Woods”, but of course great authors will come up with unique stories that don’t tread in the same plot points. Jane Flanagan was an archivist at Harvard before her life came crashing down. She grew up in Awadapquit, Maine (a fictional town), and now has to clean out her deceased mother’s home before selling it. Meanwhile she is hired by a wealthy woman to research the history of an old house on the cliffs: the same house (abandoned at the time) Jane used to explore when she was a teenager. From there, we get a grand mosaic of the people who have lived in that house, as well as a soliloquy on the native peoples who inhabited the land before it was settled by the British. This book is equal parts a character story about Jane and a historical interrogation of the land that was colonized. I was deeply moved by the revelations in the book (including an excellent chapter on the Shakers) but I really wanted to know how Jane would face all her personal challenges. I have seen some criticize Jane’s academic speak about Native American history as off putting or as a lecture. It didn’t hit me that way. It’s more about how uncomfortable American history can be and how difficult it can be to talk about it. The stories, in the end, speak for themselves.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

I learned a lot reading this novel. I learned about the indigenous people of Maine and their history, especially how they were exploited and abused. I learned about Shakers and the history of their founding by a woman who was killed for her beliefs. I learned about the history of Spiritualism and the present day camps where communication with dead loved ones, past life exploration, etc. has become a way of life for many and a lucrative business for some. I learned about historical grave robbing and how the sale and exhibition of items taken from graves continues today. Most of the present day story was about generational alcoholism and the trauma of divorce. If this sound like a lot of subjects for one novel, you're right, it is. The Cliffs refers to a cliff jutting out from the Maine coast. The people, historical and present day, are connected in some way to that same piece of land. Even the ghosts. Yes. There are also ghosts.

This book had a lot of everything and while at times I felt it was maybe a little too much and too all.over the place ultimately I liked it. I really liked the little bits of history that I knew next to nothing about prior to this such as the shakers. I like historys mysteries and ghost stories both of which were well done. I also really enjoyed how the reader got to know the full story of each of the ghosts but Jane didn't really.

J. Courtney Sullivan's books are either a hit or miss for me. This one was unfortunately a miss. I really enjoyed the Jane story line and the flashbacks to the old, original owners of the house. The Native American story lines and information were important and interesting but I felt no connection to it. It was almost like Sullivan decided to give a history lesson periodically throughout the story. The Native American chapters could honestly be a completely different book. Because of this I felt like the conclusion of Jane's story line was rushed and therefore a bit of a let down. I see what the author was trying to do with the book, it just didn't work for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All words and opinions are my own.

I had high hopes for this novel but I ultimately did not connect with the story. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

I really wanted to enjoy this book because I heard so many great things, but it took me a bit to get into it and I found the characters a bit too unlikeable. I want to revisit this one and reread to see how my perception of the book changes

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

I requested this book because I usually love J Courtney Sullivan books. This one read a bit like a textbook at times and the plot was pretty meandering. I really struggled to get into it. I thought it was interesting but also just a lot of dry info that I didn’t get as sucked in as I usually do.

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.

🏡Review🏡
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.