While I love fantasy the most as a genre, I have a real strong affinity for all things family drama. Dark family secrets that tear families apart and leave either the reader or a new generation to uncover the twisted past that scarred every generation proceeding. Gothic Americana, a genre I truly hold dear to my heart, yet struggle to find good, recent representation from. Silver and Salt by Elanor Dymott, though not American, does succeed at capturing the very feeling I search for.

For those that aren't fans of a slow moving suspense, Silver and Salt might not be the story for you. This is a very gradual build, but in my opinion, so worth it. It's this creeping pace that builds the tension, keeping the reader wondering what that horrific end event is. Even after you learn what it is, you're still vested in learning how. How it happened, even as you already know why.

This is definitely a character driven story. Everything revolves around the Hollingbourne family -- the relationship between patriarch Max and wife Sophie, their relationship with daughters Vinny and Ruthie, and the relationship between the sisters themselves. Though the physical settings play a part, influencing and heightening the tension between the family, it seems almost inconsequential to the story because of how intricately detailed and well developed the characters. Max, charismatic photographer better suited for transient life than as a family man. Sophie, a starlet who abandoned everything to start a family that could never happen, Vinny, the elder daughter who just wants to get away to a normal life, and Ruthie, the younger daughter who is a combination of all of her parents' flaws.

Told through a series of cuts between time, the narrative slowly uncovers the tragedy of what should have been a golden family. Silver and Salt by Elanor Dymott is such a heartbreaking tale of love gone wrong, of love not being nearly enough. Definitely recommended for fans of dysfunctional family dramas and family secrets that end in tragedy.

Wading through Elanor Dyamott's Silver and Salt was slow-moving and not worth the hype. Starting this book, I knew there would be a secret that tore a family apart; there are several "secrets" but not one over-arching one that readers have a lot of emotion or opinions regarding. Vinny and Ruthie's father Max is a jerk, their mother Sophie is sadly incapable of living a 'normal' life with her family, and Aunt Bea has great intentions, but keeps secrets and isn't overwhelmingly interesting. You don't find yourself rooting for either of the sisters in their childhood or their adult lives, and the secondary characters Dymott introduces don't really enhance the story. She flashes back and forth from their days as young children to the present and in doing so, makes reading this book an unpleasant experience. I had high hopes for her descriptions of their sprawling villa in Greece, but even that wasn't well done. Do yourself a favor and resist the hype: this one is not worth your time. If you're looking for a book instead of this one, read Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters, The Map that Leads to You by JP Monniger, or Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch.

On the death of her father, a celebrated photographer, Ruthie returns to his villa in remote, wild Greece. After 15 years in exile she is welcomed by her older sister, Vinny. Together they build a fragile happiness in their haven above the sea, until the arrival of an English family at a neighboring cottage, and one young girl in particular, triggers a chain of events that will plunge both women back into their dark pasts, and entirely derail their present lives. This is a story of love and violence, and of what happens when a child is lied to by someone who has their trust.

Max is a photographer, who marries Sophia, an opera singer, and then takes her away from her career in London and on his work trips with him. Eventually the couple have two daughters and while Max is frequently traveling, when he is home, he is abusive to both his wife and his children. This eventually pushes Sophia into mental illness and Beatrice, Max's sister, eventually comes to care for the children. Their two daughters Vinny and Ruthie, are very different; while Vinny is older and focused on school, Ruthie is younger and still craves her father's attention, although he continues to be abusive. After their father passes away, the sisters meet at his villa in Greece to reconnect. Things are going fairly well until a family arrives at a neighboring villa, which triggers both the girls to remember the violence from their past.

I typically stray away from adult or contemporary fiction, but this book sounded interesting so I gave it a chance and I did enjoy it. The book does deal with some very serious issues, such as abuse and mental illness, so reader be warned. This is the first I have read by the author and enjoyed her writing style. The book moves along at a steady pace and I felt like I got to know both Vinny and Ruthie fairly well. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of this genre, just be prepared that it does deal with some hard topics. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced reading copy of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for granting my wish and giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a difficult, painful read but a wonderfully-written look into a family fraught with dysfunction and mental illness.

Max is a celebrated photographer who meets and marries, Sophia, an opera singer. He whisks her away from London and her singing world and goes off on his photography trips, eventually leaving her with two small girls. Max is never around and when he is, he's distant and abusive to his wife and girls. Sophia eventually lapses into mental illness. Beatrice, Max's sister, eventually swoops in to care for the girls.

Vinny is the oldest and strongest daughter. She excels at school and is focused on her study of languages. Ruthie is the youngest and doesn't cope well with her parents' absence. Max eventually tries to teach Ruthie photography, but is still abusive and mean in his methods while Ruthie strives for his attention and praise.

When Max passes away, the sisters meet at their villa in Greece. A family is also on the compound vacationing, and Ruthie becomes obsessed with the young daughter, Annie. Annie's brother, Edward, is cruel to Annie and it opens up a plethora of past memories, spiraling Ruthie into the same mental illness as her mother.

A remarkably-written book about such a painful subject.

The roots of the Hollingbourne family were on shaky ground. Max, a noted globetrotting photographer, was physically and emotionally absent from wife Sophie and their children. Sophie, a budding opera singer, gave up her career to raise Vinny, an easy going child and Ruthie, very needy but often ignored.

Sophie was the first to unravel. Seemingly in a trance, she began to drop pieces of coal into a bucket and carry bucket after bucket into the home library. Vinny was told to care for Ruthie and to keep the library doors locked. Sophie was unable to cope with Max's continual absences and unwillingness to devote time to their family. She came undone. Max's sister, Beatrice, a financially secure war widow, took charge and tried to provide the children with some stability. Beatrice insisted that Max talk with his children. Max and daughter Vinny connected. Max and Ruthie did not. Ruthie started displaying an interest in photography to try to develop common ground with her father. His photography tutelage was often verbally and physically abusive.

Upon Max's death, estranged daughter Ruthie and sister Vinny returned to the Greek villa where they spent their summers. They try to reconnect. Ruthie, however, starts to experience memories that have long been buried. The floodgate of memories intensifies when Ruthie notices the patterns of interaction between a young girl, Annie, and her brother who live in a nearby villa.

Max and Sophie were unable to nurture their children. "Silver and Salt" by Elanor Dymott explores the grief and suffering the sisters endured. This tome is a dark, gut wrenching window into a family in crisis.

Thank you W.W. Norton & Company and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Silver and Salt".

I would to thank Elanor Dymott, W.W. Norton & Company and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review.
Review By Stephanie
Ruthie returns to the villa in Greece that she was exiled from some fifteen years ago. She is returning after the passing of her father Max Hollingbourne, who was a famous photographer. She is at the villa with her older sister Vinny and they are trying to rebuild their own happiness. Which is very hard with the villa bringing back memories of the mother that went mad and secrets from their childhood.
Then an English family comes to stay at a cottage nearby and one of the girls triggers a chain of events that force Ruthie and Vinny back into their past that they so desperately don’t want to relive.
Elanor Dymott did an amazing job with this emotional tale! Silver and Salt is full of “OMG traumas that will leave you speechless. Elanor’s characters will haunt you even after finishing. I look forward to read more from Elanor!

I did not finish reading this book. I'm sure some will like it, it just wasn't for me.