Given the subject matter of this book, I can't really say I 'enjoyed' it but I do think it's well-written and structured and an important book to read.

Three sisters, Alex, Colleen and Riley tell their stories in alternate chapters. Despite being adults in their 30s, they are all still struggling with the grief and mystery of their mother's suicide when Alex, the eldest, was just 11 years old. Each has handled it in different ways given that suicide remains a largely unspoken event filled with guilt, shame and regret by those who are left behind. The author approaches this topic with compassion and honesty and through the narrative insists that the subject of suicide must be brought out from the shadows, confronted and talked about. The way the narrative is resolved is also totally in keeping with the tone of this story so that the reader feels as if they have known these three women intimately.

The narrative explodes all those myths that still surround suicide: that the person who suicides is selfish, emotionally manipulative or melodramatic. It shows the devastating and inter-generational effects of suicide without blaming the person who feels they have no other option to escape their pain. Suicide is a major public health problem in many countries, particularly amongst indigenous communities in first world countries. Despite some progress now being made in dealing with depression as a society, we are still making little impact on suicide rates because, as De Veer illustrates so well in this novel, it is still not talked about publicly. In educating people about suicide from all sides of the equation in a relatable way, this novel is a must-read.

“The Ocean in Winter” by Elizabeth de Veer is a captivating family drama set in a seaside town in Massachusetts about three sisters Alex, Colleen and Riley, struggling to survive despite the lingering effects of childhood trauma and present-day challenges.

The book begins 25 years after their mother’s suicide and I really enjoyed that each chapter was dedicated to one sister and written in first person, giving the reader profound insight into their lives, relationships with each other, and how they are still dealing with the tragedy from their childhood. Jumping from sister to sister also helped to carry the story along, although this structure did make the book a bit repetitive at times. I enjoyed Riley’s story the most, perhaps because she was the most obviously affected by their mother’s suicide and her life ended up so differently from her the other sisters.

Overall, I thought the writing and story could have been a bit tighter—I thought there were too many unnecessary details and too many side storylines—but the book’s concept was intriguing, the character well-developed, and the setting beautifully described. I would recommend this book for fans of “The Dutch House” by Ann Patchett, “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens, and “The Guest Book” by Sarah Blake.

What a heartbreaking read. This is a novel of three sisters growing up after their mother's suicide. Part ghost story, part tragic family rebuilding. There are three narrators, each of the sisters, and the author did an amazing job detailing each of their unique experiences. This novel was deeply touching and felt so real. Being a woman who has lost my mother, I felt like I could connect to their grief processes throughout the book.

At times this was a slow read but it could be that it was so emotionally heavy that it took me longer to process and move forward.

Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is such a beautiful and eloquently written novel. I loved it! It’s about three sisters Alex, Colleen and Riley who lose their mother to suicide when they were very young. Each chapter is told in a first person perspective alternating between the three of them. Each coping with all that life throws at them in the best way they know how. Alex is a nurse hoping to go to India and use her skills to help the people there but her family always seem to need her and getting the chance to do what she wants for herself seems to come last. Colleen’s marriage is falling apart and raising two children comes with its own struggles. Riley is the youngest. She’s a model in New York. Her life isn’t nearly as glamourous as one would think. There a lot of topics that are very real in this book such as depression, mental health and drug addiction. There is also a lot of hope, love and determination. The dialogue is superb and so incredibly authentic. It was truly a deeply touching novel. There were a few times when the tears came on whilst reading. I hope there will be many more novels by Elizabeth de Veer.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced copy of this beautiful book for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three sisters grow up in the shadow of their beautiful mother's suicide. As they face their own struggles in life, choices are made by each as to whether to follow in their mother's footsteps or to choose life.

Poignant novel. The ending is both hopeful and heartbreaking.

This is a touching story of three sisters effected by their mothers suicide during childhood.
The eldest, Alex, has always had the responsibility of "taking care" of the families needs after their mothers death. In the beginning of the book Alex is in India finally trying to have a life for herself. Alex inherits a home from an acquaintance which requires her to return.
Colleen, the middle sister, seems to have a perfect family, home and life. You find out all is not what it seems.
Riley the youngest, a beautiful model in New York, cannot remember much about their mother. Riley has her own demons to deal with.
This novel describes family dynamics due to tragedy.

A story of three women, sisters, who live very independent lives but remain forever under the shadow of their mother's suicide. It's a story of secrets and losses but is also about the closeness of families. and the rebuilding of relationships.

A somewhat slow start, but I hung in there and eventually got hooked.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. What an absolutely stunning debut novel! Ms. de Veer's book about three sisters - Alex, Colleen and Riley - is amazing. Very well-written full of characters with depth and feeling. When I saw this book offered on Netgalley, I knew it was the kind of book I enjoy the most and I wasn't disappointed. The story is dramatic without being overly dramatic and I felt as if I were reading about real people, not just people in a story. The three sisters have survived their share of heartache with the death of their mother while they were still young. Each sister takes a different path in life and faces her own challenges. The Ocean in Winter is perfect in describing real life while being highly entertaining, thoughtful and beautiful. I would rate this book on the level of The Dutch House by Ann Patchett - my favorite book of last year.

The Ocean in Winter gives us first person accounts from three sisters in the aftermath of their mother's suicide. Heartbreaking, yet beautifully written.

I don`t like books with this kind of storyline. It makes me remember certain fond memories. But I
won`t say I did not enjoy reading it. It was a sad and beautiful story that will make you cherish
more the life of your loved ones.

I don’t know where to begin! This story was so detailed from everyone`s perspectives. And we
have three in this story. Alex, Colleen, and, Riley. They lost their mother at a very young age.
The sisters grew close to each other but having none of any advice from a mother while growing
up is a big loss. Especially, for their mental health. Alex, first of the three siblings, is a single mid
30s woman. She was working abroad but needed to go home months earlier because of some
legal matters about inheriting a house. Colleen was the second one, had a family, or barely had
one. One daughter and one son, her marriage is on the verge of collapsing but still manage to
go on for their children. And the last one is Riley, a model and living the best of her life as
someone who does not know her would describe it. But Riley is the one who suffered the most.
They grew close but apart from each other. And most of the time Riley depends on drugs to
sedate herself from the pain and sadness she suffers. She was close with her sisters but
growing up without seeing someone shared their feelings had a great impact on Riley. And now
the two older sisters also suffer the pain of Riley as they try to reconnect with each other.

What a pretty story. A magnificent point of view on life and how one person copes with the pain
of losing someone. Are they going to lose hope or look forward to the days ahead? Or a new life
is what they need? You will grieve, sympathy, and move on with the characters. One heartfelt
story.

The Ocean in Winter by Elizabeth de Veer is a subtle balance between ghost story and family dynamics.

Written with a eloquent pace and tone, I was so content with this read.

A captivating ghost story! But ghosts, in a subtle way, with much more beneath the surface. I loved this book. Writing was refined, and story engaging.

The Ocean in Winter unravels the lives of three sisters: Riley, Colleen and Alex, who are both tied together and separated by the tragic loss of their mother to suicide when they were all very young.

This novel is told in the first-person by each of the sisters' perspectives, which switches between them every chapter. Realizing that initially was daunting, but the author did an excellent job making each of their "voices" unique, so I was never confused about whose perspective I was reading from. Each of their perspectives was interesting enough that I didn't skim through one in order to get to another.

I've removed a star from my rating because there are two sexually explicit scenes, which I'm personally not a fan of.

Overall, this was an incredibly well-written, haunting story that I had to think back over for a while before I could move on.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the free digital copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A beautifully written and poignant book about three sisters coping with the profound effect their mother’s suicide has had on their lives since childhood. Each struggling to cope the best way they know how, Alex can’t escape the fact her sisters and father always need her, Coleen’ s marriage is in trouble, and Riley ran to Manhattan to become a super model. But now Riley’s missing and out of touch for too long Coleen hires a Detective to find her.
The story flows back and forth through time told with the voice of all three sisters which really works as It grabbed me from the first page. The author is very knowledgeable about the disease of addiction, mental health and suicide. You’d expect the book to be dark and depressing with the subject matter but it’s anything but, instead realistically capturing the love of three sisters in an uplifting and loving way. I highly recommend The Ocean In Winter.

This is a story of family and rebuilding.
I liked that we got to see each of the sisters perspectives and their stories. We learned about them separately as adults.
They are all going through some rough stuff, which brings them together, and then back apart.
I thought this would be more of a mystery, but it was more of a familial drama.
There’s a lot I liked about this. The relationship between siblings as adults, the structure, the writing.
But for some reason I didn’t feel myself reconnecting with the story. I wanted the story to take a different direction than it did. It was very heartbreaking.

After finding her mother dead in the bathtub, life changed forever for 11 year old Alex. With her father emotionally unavailable. it fell to Alex to care for her little sisters, Colleen and Riley. Years later, the sisters have scattered to the winds, each battling their own demons. with Riley seeming to drop off the face of the earth. Colleen hires a private detective to try to find her sister; then one cold March night, Riley shows up on Alex’s doorstep only to disappear again a short time later. There are too many questions surrounding Riley’s sudden reappearance and subsequent departure, leaving Colleen and Alex to wonder what Riley might be hiding. This book is hard to categorize; while it sounds as though it might be a thriller, in reality, it’s a story about a family trying to come to grips with the unfathomable loss of their mother