To mend broken hearts, in the past and in the present

Synopsis

Marina and Hugh were once madly in love. But after the loss of their beautiful little daughter, grief has created a distance between them that feels impossible to bridge. Marina knows leaving Italy is the only way they will be able to move on, but Thorncliffe Hall, Hugh’s family home in England, is so grey and unwelcoming.

Just when life feels like it may never regain colour, Marina and Hugh come across a striking china coffee pot in a London shop window, adorned with a fox flying through the night sky. The coffee pot comes attached with a mystery, one that is connected with Hugh’s own family many years ago.

By digging into the past, Marina is about to discover a story far beyond her wildest dreams. But will the past help her heal the present?

A heart-wrenching, utterly unforgettable story for fans of Lucinda Riley, Dinah Jeffries and Amanda Prowse.

My review

After losing their daughter, Marina and Hugh are struggling with their grief. It even went that far that it has caused a distance between them, while they used to be so much and deeply in love…
As an attempt to move on, they decide to make the move from Italy to Hugh’s family home in England, Thorncliffe Hall.
Yet Marina struggles with adapting in England, as she misses the warmth and sun from Italy. But little does she know that stumbling upon a china coffee pot in a London shop will ignite something inside her. Because that coffee pot, adorned with a fox flying through the night, comes with a mystery attached to Hugh’s house. And Marina is determined to discover the story behind it. And it will be a story Marina never imagined. And maybe the story it will make it possible for Marina to overcome her own grief? 

At the start of this book, my heart went out to Marina. I am not a mother myself, and I cannot even try to imagine the heartbreak when a child dies. But I can comprehend how it broke something inside Marina and Hugh…
It was even painful in a way to see how it took away the light in Marina’s eyes, how it took away her joy of life. And it saddened me to see, even if understandable, it affected a wonderful relationship… 

I perhaps agreed with Hugh that a change of scenery would do the both of them good, but I also knew that any kind of change wouldn’t happen overnight.
And I knew beforehand that the move from warm and sunny Italy to grey England would be rather difficult for someone like Marina. 

While my heart went out to Marina, and her pain was palpable from each page, it also warmed my heart seeing that accidentally stumbling upon a coffee pot would be the incentive for Marina to feel just something once again.
Maybe I didn’t agree with her with keeping her progress concerning the history of the pot a secret, but I couldn’t be possible hold it against her, as it’s clear that it’s exactly that pot that is bringing her back to life again. 

For sure Marina’s story was a sad, heart – breaking one. But for some reason, it was Elody’s story that made me totally invested in this book.
Through Marina’s discoveries and her determination to find more about the coffee pot and its history, we get to know Elody, and her story that took place a century ago. 

Just like Marina, yet differently on the same time, Elody has suffered a great loss. A loss that has forced her to adapt to a new life, with people who weren’t all that welcoming her in the family.
But despite the pain and grief, we also see the strength and determination that Elody has.  

A determination and strength that made Elody fight for women to have equal rights as men, especially after the Great War.
But also, a strength to chase her own dreams, how impossible they may or may not seem. And a strength to follow her heart, even if she has been told to stay away.
What truly touched me, was how much she truly cared and deeply loved a child who hasn’t had the easiest of lives. 

We see Elody having to make impossible choices, making her lose anyway. If she would follow her heart, she would lose a right cause. If she would choose to pursue the right cause, it would mean to lose her heart… 

Marina’s life and Elody’s life are very different from each other’s, yet also the same in a way. They have both lived a great loss, but they have a kind and loving heart, especially towards the littlest creatures around them.
They both have to find the strength to overcome their pain, and to find a way to open their hearts for love (again). 

This story started with a devasting heart – break, but slowly it grew into something inspiring. Because we see that no matter what era we are living in, everyone has to suffer pain. But it’s with finding strength and perhaps a kindred spirit through time, and seeing that hope is always the last thing to die, that we can actually see that there will always be sunshine after the rain. Even if that rain has turned into a monsoon that never seems to stop, yet some day it will…