The Orphan of Salt Winds
by Elizabeth Brooks
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Pub Date Jan 15 2019 | Archive Date Dec 31 2018
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Description
England, 1939. Ten-year-old Virginia Wrathmell arrives at Salt Winds, a secluded house on the edge of a marsh, to meet her adoptive parents—practical, dependable Clem and glamorous, mercurial Lorna. The marsh, with its deceptive tides, is a beautiful but threatening place. Virginia’s new parents’ marriage is full of secrets and tensions she doesn’t quite understand, and their wealthy neighbor, Max Deering, drops by too often, taking an unwholesome interest in the family’s affairs. Only Clem offers a true sense of home.
War feels far away among the birds and shifting sands—until the day a German fighter plane crashes into the marsh, and Clem ventures out to rescue the airman. What happens next sets into motion a crime so devastating it will haunt Virginia for the rest of her life.
Seventy-five years later, she finds herself drawn back to the marsh, and to a teenage girl who appears there, nearly frozen and burdened by her own secrets. In her, Virginia might have a chance at retribution and a way to right a grave mistake she made as a child.
Elizabeth Brooks’s gripping debut mirrors its marshy landscape—full of twists and turns and moored in a tangle of family secrets. A gothic, psychological mystery and atmospheric coming-of-age story, The Orphan of Salt Winds is the portrait of a woman haunted by the place she calls home.
A Note From the Publisher
LibraryReads nominations due by 12/1 and IndieNext nominations due by 11/5.
Advance Praise
“The Orphan of Salt Winds is a beautifully written, atmospheric novel—reminiscent of Jane Eyre with its wild, bleak setting and houseful of mysteries. . . . Bewitching and haunting.” - Eowyn Ivey, author of THE SNOW CHILD
“The Orphan of Salt Winds is an atmospheric, beautifully paced novel about sacrifice, the urge to belong, and revenge. It’s full of well-drawn characters I loved to hate, and those that I didn’t want to let go, even after I closed the last page.” - Claire Fuller, author of SWIMMING LESSONS
“Filled with unexpected twists, beautifully rendered characters, and told with great style, The Orphan of Salt Winds will seep into your soul.” - Keith Donohue, author of THE STOLEN CHILD
“Like Daphne du Maurier, this novel powerfully conjures up a place, a time and a story that are unforgettable.” - Rosamund Lupton, author of SISTER
“Elizabeth Brooks’s writing has a quietly magical quality that conjures the atmosphere of Salt Winds effortlessly. This novel is a tenuous and thrilling unfolding of how events in Virginia’s past shape her actions in the present. An excellent blend of psychological mystery with a coming-of-age story, packaged in a unique historical setting—The Orphan of Salt Winds genuinely gave me goosebumps.” - Johanna Albrecht, McIntyre’s Bookshop
“I love this story! It captivated me from the first page and I was mesmerized until the last! Elizabeth Brooks has developed such wonderful characters and I developed strong feelings about all of them. . . . And then add to that some mystery with an unexpected twist at the end! What more could you ask for? A must read!” - Stephanie Crowe, Page & Palette
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781947793224 |
| PRICE | $15.95 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Stephanie M, Librarian
Orphan of Salt Winds
My thanks to #NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review. The Orphan of Salt Winds is a dark and tense mystery set in the marshes of pre-WWII England. Reminiscent of Kate Morton’s descriptive style, The Orphan of Salt Winds carries the reader through the life of Virginia, the orphan who comes to live with Clem and his wife Lorna. The book moves from childhood to present day and back again as the story slowly unfolds. Family secrets, war, and liberation are all explored with haunting results. This book is lovely and dark at the same time, if that makes any sense at all. It is a warm cup of tea with old friends . . . but with chipped cups and a bitter wind blowing. An amazing book all the way to the very end.
Sharyn B, Educator
This book was a two day-er, it would’ve been a one day-er, if life hadn’t interceded. I just could not put it down. I felt that this was a well planned out, well written, study of two life-changing periods in Virginia’s life. The narrator describes life from the time 10 year old Virginia is adopted and at the same time, tells of her life as an 85-year-old woman. Nothing is mentioned of her life before coming to Salt Winds and not much is mentioned about her life between the ages of 12 and 85. Perhaps this could be another book or two in the making, and I would be the first in line to read it! All of the characters in the book are troubled in their own way, but the author helps you to know each of them well enough to form your own opinion of their character and motives. The marsh, itself, cannot be overlooked as an important character in this tale of a life that began in pre-World War II England and continues through current times. I rarely give five stars, but this book earned it, as I am finished reading the book and I just can’t get it out of my mind. That, to me, is the true test of a great book. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy to review.
Fran W, Reviewer
There seems to be a slew of novels recently, set in this time period. I have to say that this story creeps up on you. What may seem like a slow start, sets up the development of relationships between the characters. Tension builds, and while many readers may guess one twist, the ending is still a punch to the gut.
Anya L, Reviewer
At first, I wasn’t sure about this novel. The first few pages had me a bit discombobulated. However, once I got into the story of Virginia, a 10 year old orphan who was going to live with Clem and Lorna at their house at the beginning of the United Kingdom’s involvement in the second world war, I was intrigued. The story was very different than others of World War II I have previously read. I enjoyed the feeling of being unaware of what was really going on in different situations and feel that it greatly benefitted the portrayal of Virginia as a young woman. The innocence was very clear in the book.
I would definitely recommend this, it is a fairly quick read and definitely something with which to curl up along with a cup of hot chocolate, under a blanket.
Librarian 253116
This is a book I could not put down. It is narrated by an 80 year old woman who retells her story of coming to a secluded house at the edge of a marsh to meet her adoptive parents. She arrives in England 1939 and now she tells family secrets and facets of the war and liberation are explored. It is well paced and the characters are well defined.
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