Shorecliff

Book excerpt: A winning debut novel about a 1920s New England family and the secrets revealed when they reunite over one long summer. Spending the summer of 1928 in a big house on the Maine coast with his 10 older cousins and a gaggle of aunts and uncles seems like a dream come true to lonely 13-year-old Richard. But as he wanders through the bustling house, Richard witnesses scenes and conversations not meant for him and watches as the family he adores disintegrates into a tangle of lust, jealousy, and betrayal. At first only an avid spectator, Richard soon finds himself drawn into the confusion, battling with his first experience of infatuation and forced to cover for his relatives' romantic intrigues. With jump-off-the-page characters and a captivating sense of place, Shorecliff examines the bonds of loyalty and rivalry that can both knit a family together and drive it apart.