The sea gate - Jane Johnson

'A beautifully written and intriguing story that stayed with me long after I had turned the last page' Santa Montefiore. 'I wanted to live in this story. Jane Johnson writes with such grace and ease' Carol Drinkwater. One house, two women, a lifetime of secrets... Following the death of her mother, Becky begins the sad task of sorting through her empty flat. Starting with the letters piling up on the doormat, she finds an envelope post-marked from Cornwall. In it is a letter that will change her life forever. A desperate plea from her mother's elderly cousin, Olivia, to help save her beloved home. Becky arrives at Chynalls to find the beautiful old house crumbling into the ground, and Olivia stuck in hospital with no hope of being discharged until her home is made habitable. Though daunted by the enormity of the task, Becky sets to work. But as she peels back the layers of paint, plaster and grime, she uncovers secrets buried for more than seventy years. Secrets from a time when Olivia was young, the Second World War was raging, and danger and romance lurked round every corner... The Sea Gate is a sweeping, spellbinding novel about the lives of two very different women, and the secrets that bind them together. 'I was completely swept up in this... Quite magical' Rachel Hore. 'I can't recommend it highly enough' Katie Fforde. 'I so enjoyed this. It's a treat!' Amanda Craig. 'A beautiful, evocative story... This had me in tears' Liz Fenwick.