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.

2 stars

I can tell that the author did a lot of historical and anthropological research. Unfortunately, it seemed like this was about 4 books mashed together with no real plot or direction. I literally had to force myself to finish at the 92% mark. The ending felt rushed and completely unsatisfying.

I do appreciate the opportunity to have read this in return for an honest review. Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Jane’s teenage life wasn’t so happy due to her mother’s inability to be kind and attentive to her. She happened upon an old abandoned house on a cliff one day. She was mesmerized by the haunting comfort and mystery it exuded. It solaced her each time she arrived at the house to do her homework or to just get away from it all.

She got married, became an archivist. She went back home to Maine two decades later. Surprisingly, she found out that the mysterious house had been refurbished. It was turned into something that barely resembled what she found so much comfort in as a young girl. In time, she found a way to get in touch with the new owner, Genevieve, who in turn hired her to find out the history of the home.

On her journey, she uncovered many secrets from the past. She solicited help from a psychic and it fit the story so well. We learned fascinating stories about the women who lived there and things they endured so many years ago; ghosts that will always be present in and around the places they once found solace in, or experienced tremendous turmoil and now their souls are unsettled.

This story is a history lesson covering many topics such as colonialism, old-time Maine and what it was like for those living many eras before us. At times, it was so deep, that I began thinking of the footprints I may one day leave and those that will be affected either positively or negatively by them. Fantastic read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC of this book.

Started slow but turned into a good story. Characters were well written and interesting. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book!

J. Courtney Sullivan’s latest novel The Cliffs drew me in so quickly to the lives of the women living in a remarkable purple Victorian house, on the edge of a cliff in a small town in Maine. I very much enjoy historical fiction, and The Cliffs delves into the Shakers and the Native Americans of Maine. It also touches on topics such as alcoholism, as the main character Jane struggles to find her way to sobriety.

Overall this was a well researched and interesting book, with an incredibly beautiful setting. But J. Courtney Sullivan peels back those layers to reveal some of the ugliness and pain behind the surface the house, the area, and the women in the story. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction and literature, although I wish the author had scaled back a little the focus of the story. There were so many topics and characters touched on, that it dilutes the plot too much.

J. Courtney Sullivan is one of my absolute favorite authors. Her novels always thoughtfully explore the histories of complex women and while her latest, THE CLIFFS, does much of the same, it feels like her most ambitious work yet.

In THE CLIFFS, an oceanfront home full of secrets takes center stage. The novel opens with Jane Flanagan, a teenager who uses the abandoned home as a refuge. Twenty years later, she is a Harvard archivist whose marriage and career are threatened by one alcohol-fueled night. When she meets Genevieve, a wealthy woman who has unrecognizably remodeled the house, Genevieve calls on her to explore the home’s history, as she believes there is a ghost trapped inside. As Jane dives deeper into the home’s secrets, she uncovers a story of heartbreak and tragedy dating back centuries.

While this book will work for everyone, it ultimately worked for me. The first 30% of the novel is slow and relies a lot on background. Once we’re acquainted with the characters and have a deep understanding of their relationship to the house, I was hooked. This is never an action-packed book, but instead a portrait of various women through history whose lives were shaped by the house. The way their stories wove together by the end was stunning.

I frequently turn to Sullivan’s work when I want something character-driven and well-written. As always, THE CLIFFS fit the bill, as it takes Sullivan’s usual New England narrative to another level with the addition of paranormal elements. While this book never gets too supernatural (the ghost story is confined to psychics and mediums), it was refreshing to see one of my favorite authors explore something new. In keeping with tradition, THE CLIFFS explores complex family dynamics, centering on addiction and grief. There is also discussion of colonialism and Indigenous narratives, which added a researched bent to the narrative.

I’d recommend this if you want a slow burn to savor, so long as you stick through the beginning.

The Cliffs is not my normal read but I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it so much. There are multiple characters and timelines that all merge together to make an interesting story about women, families and native culture in Maine.