When sisters Addie and Susanna receive an invitation to their aunt's funeral, it isn't a done deal that they would attend. Gayle might have stepped in to care for the girls when they were orphaned, but it wasn't smooth sailing. Susanna, in particular, was resentful of having to move to Anchor Island in the Channel Islands, and she could not wait to get out of there when she was old enough. Addie was more settled living with Aunt Gayle, and she had a burgeoning love of baking as she helped in her aunt's pudding bar until she was forced to choose between staying on the island or heading to the mainland with her sister.
Having arrived on the island, the two girls are shocked to find Aunt Gayle alive, although not necessarily well. A small but crucial word was missing from the invite - it was meant to be a living funeral! For Susanna, this accidental oversight feels like manipulation and she is reminded of why she wanted to get away from the island in the first place. However, Susanna's life is a bit of a mess right now with her marriage seemingly on the rocks, so maybe she can stay for a short time while she thinks about what might come next. What she doesn't need is to run into her first true love but Anchor Island is a very small place!
Addie is a single mother. She lives in London with her young son, and she worries about how she can give him a life where he has the freedom to play in a garden or ride his bike. It all feels like a long way from anything she can achieve now. Could spending time on Anchor Island help her define what her next steps in life are.
Having agreed to stay for a short time, Addie and Susanna take on the task of clearing out their late father's belongings. Addie adored her father but the two sisters can't talk about him without tensions boiling over. Addie can't understand why Susanna has issues when it comes to him. And Gayle is the keeper of even more of their father's secrets. What happens when the truth is revealed?
I have read quite a few books set on the Channel Islands but most of them have been set during the German occupation during WWII. As far as I can remember none of them have had a contemporary setting. Anchor Island sounded like an idyllic place with it's mix of sea and land and interesting characters!
I loved the sound of Aunt Gayle's pudding bar. The food sounded amazing! From jam roly polys to fruit crumbles, lemon meringue pies and so much more. I would love to visit a place that specialised in all of these different desserts!
I have read a number of books by Helen Rolfe, and I do enjoy them. This was a different setting, and had a different feeling. It took a little while to get going, and it took me even longer to warm to Susanna in particular. Whilst this book is being billed as a standalone novel, it does feel like it could be the start of a series or a duology at last, and I would love to see what happens with one of the characters we met.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog and Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story. And of course with Weekend Cooking which I host. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
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