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    The Winter Sea
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    The Winter Sea
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    The Winter Sea
    Ebook566 pages10 hours

    The Winter Sea

    By Susanna Kearsley

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    New York Times and USA Today Bestseller!

    "Powerful, atmospheric, enthralling, and simply mesmerizing, [The Winter Sea] is one of the best books you'll read this year!"
    -Singletitles.com

    "Susanna Kearsley's obvious love of history is infectious … The Winter Sea is an acknowledgement that so many of us are haunted by the deeds of our ancestors, perhaps literally …"
    —Gail Anderson-Dargatz, international bestselling author of A Recipe for Bees

    History has all but forgotten …

    In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

    Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

    But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth—the ultimate betrayal—that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her …

    What readers say:

    "Kearsley weaves an airtight spell that alternates and mingles the past with the present … Kudos go to her ending that, believe it or not, had this jaded reader blinking back both tears and smiles of surprise and approval. Well done."

    "A perfect concoction of history and romance. Susanna Kearsley has to be one of my all-time favorite authors-she captures the audience's attention from the start."

    "The book is so beautifully written the reader will feel they are right there on the northeast coast of Scotland; one can almost taste the salt-laced wind …"

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSourcebooks
    Release dateDec 1, 2010
    ISBN9781402261084
    Unavailable
    The Winter Sea
    Author

    Susanna Kearsley

    New York Times, USA Today, and Globe and Mail bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is a former museum curator who loves restoring the lost voices of real people to the page, often in twin-stranded stories that interweave present and past. Her award-winning novels have been published in translation in more than 25 countries. She lives near Toronto.

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    Reviews for The Winter Sea

    4.5/5

    227 ratings77 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I'm a long time fan of Kearsley and I very much enjoyed this book. I love the entertwining story lines and how they interacted. I love the historical mystery aspect of it as well.

      I'm just not sure why the child had to be left behind. That was just so sad for me and somehow the characters were ok with it.
    • 5/5
      This was a brilliant piece of historical fiction with romance on the side. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's beautiful writing style and was treated to vivid images of Scotland all the way through the book. The story itself starts out a little slow, but the author is laying the foundation for two stories that intersect across time in a way that makes sense. I was reminded a bit of Peter May's writing style, even though his genre is far different. ****More detailed review pending****
    • 5/5
      Loved it! A new favorite author!
    • 5/5
      Such a perfect blend of history and romance with a new concept I had never heard of before - "genetic memory" a perfect way to explain the knowing without the kookieness!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this captivating historical fiction and romance novel. Unfortunately, I read it with a four-week break (and four other books) in between, but I was able to get back into it when I returned to it. It would have made great travel reading if I hadn't already been more than half-way through it when I left on my trip!
    • 5/5
      First of all, how has this book been out since 2010 and not been in my hands yet?! Also, I think this is going in my top 10 favorites. I think I need more from Susanna Kearsley.This book was recommended to me by people with “if you like Outlander, you’ll like Winter Sea”. I am usually skeptical of these types of recommendations because I’m a fan of Outlander and I know that those books don’t fit neatly into one genre or even two. I expected a cheesy time travel novel, a raunchy Scottish romance, or a boring historical fiction. I’ll admit that I was wrong to judge. This book totally came through on that promise and surprised me! This book is kind of science fiction…sort of. It is a romance but in a sweet way that doesn’t go into heavy breathing descriptions. It is a historical fiction that managed to teach me Scottish-English history without boring me. I will now recommend this for my fellow Outlander fans.I’m still recovering from this one. I got to the end of the book and I was sobbing…and I know you are wondering: happy tears? sad tears? Well, the answer is BOTH- ha! No spoilers here! My husband gave me a consoling hug when he saw the mess that I was and then asked me if I was pregnant. (nope!)This book is a two-fer. The main character of the book is an author, Carrie, written in first person. Carrie is writing a book and ends up in Scotland to write it and do her research. The characters start speaking to her and the story starts to flow, but when she goes to research for facts, she begins to realize that much of what she is writing is not coming from her imagination, but rather a sort of memory that she thinks is Sophia’s, her ancestor. When Carrie begins to write, we get to read Sophia’s story too (in third person). Both are compelling, though I admit it took me a while to get completely hooked, and by the end I was completely invested in all the characters and felt like I was saying goodbye to friends at the end.The dual perspective was easy to transition through and I didn’t ever feel confused by the switch in the time periods. Kearsley wove the stories together so well too that though it could have seemed like two separate novels, it was the opposite. There was a beautiful transition each time the stories switched. There are parts of the book too, that could have gone the way of cliche’ but Kearsley navigated it with such deft skill that instead of making me roll my eyes, it carried me along and I lost my heart to it. This book was a very unique and novel take on “time travel”. I’m so excited to read her other books!
    • 4/5
      Being truly a fan of Susanna Kearsley’s work, I was anxious to read The Winter Sea to languish in the picturesque settings and heartfelt romance that she so masterfully creates. In this particular work, I thought that Ms. Kearsley presents her most ambitious writing. She slowly weaves many historical details about the Jacobite efforts to restore the exiled Stewart King James to the throne. The novel is lengthy at 527 pages, and is slow to read at first, but the effort one extends to continue on is well rewarded in the story’s resolution. This tale is certainly more than merely a romance novel; it is a historical portrayal involving intrigue, heartache, and characterizations of those that did and might have lived during these times.Throughout the novel, I was slightly annoyed at how the story moved back and forth between Sophia’s life long ago and Carrie’s present day life. I would get so involved in one setting, only to be removed to another era in the next paragraph. However, without giving too much away, let me just say that in the story’s resolution, the author very definitively gives justification for presenting the story in this way. I very much liked the way the story was resolved and how the past was bridged to the present.
    • 5/5
      Its really hard to concentrate on packing away your bookshelves, we you find a fascinating book to read.

      I love both stories in the book. The historical one and the modern one, she blended them so well it was easy to go from on to the other. I have heard several praises about her books from many people on this website, so I thought I would give one a try.

      I wasn't disappointed in the least.

      I am not giving away any details, because I think you should discover them on your own. I do have a favorite parts and I did get a little lost in the history, sort of makes me what to go do some research of my own.

    • 5/5
      Soooooo good! Thoughtful and light and lovely and heartbreaking in places. But a beautiful story.
    • 4/5
      Wow, what a story. Is genetic memory possible. Is it the source of deja vous?The story flows between the current day characters liveswith the dreams of the heroine revealing the events of the past. Romance is found on both sides. Susanna Kearsley has been added to the author list I carry to the bookstore.
    • 5/5
      well-written, great dialogue, interesting storyline
    • 3/5
      I wasn't quite sure what to expect of this book. The cover intrigued me, it was set in Scotland, and the present day main character is a writer of historical fiction, so I thought I'd give it a try. In the end, it was just OK--a bit too heavy on the romance for my taste. The novel centers around a young, successful writer who has gone to Scotland to do research for a new book that will be based on the life on one of her ancestors. Set in the 18th century and focused on the efforts to bring the Stuarts back to the throne of England, the novel shaped some of the more interesting chapters. The modern-day story involves two handsome Scottish brothers who both are attracted to Carrie, the writer. This I could definitely have done without, and I thought the concept of Carrie channeling the memories of her ancestor was also a bit of a stretch.
    • 3/5
      Author Carrie McClelland visits Slain Castle and finds that the surroundings seem very familiar to her. She uses the castle as her setting and places a real ancestor as her heroine, and suddenly her book seems to come to life.This story is past and present with the past set agianst the Jacobites with lots of real people from that time in history. For me I don't really know much about this period as I normally read about the Tudors. I can see that there has been a lot of research done for this story. Although I do enjoy history I felt for me the best parts of the book was the present parts with Carrie rather than the past with Sophia. The past had far too many characters and I did have trouble keeping up with who was who. I have read several books by Susanna Kearsley and enjoy what she does with the time travel, past and present. Her books can be very much like Daphnue du Maurier at times and are very interesting to read and quite enjoyable. This one I didn't enjoy so much. I felt it went on to long and I was getting quite bored. It didn't help really that I don't have a particular interest in that part of history. So I have to say that for me this book started out quite well then just losts it's edge. Shame really as I enjoy the authors books.
    • 5/5
      I picked this up at random after reading the back cover,which had me at Scotland, but didn't realize till I got home it had a big old Romance tag on it and I was terrified I had one of THOSE romance novels (ew). Luckily this book is far from trashy romance books with Fabio on the cover, while there is romance in it, it did not make me roll my eyes and gag. This book was beautifully written and well researched and I was totally enthralled by the magic of Cruden Bay and Slains Castle. (
    • 4/5
      It begins with a simple detour on the way to visit her friend and agent, but when Carrie McClelland sees the castle at Slains on the coast of Scotland she knows that this where she needs to be to write her next novel. Her characters become more vivid as she immerses herself in the place and her historical novel about the Jacobite uprising of 1708 gains far more life than she ever dreamed possible. As she writes and explores the history, she discovers that there may be far more truth to the novel she's writing than even she can understand. She also begins to see parallels between her life and the life of her main character, particularly when an attractive man suddenly arrives on the scene.From the opening pages, this novel enchanted me. With it's dual narratives of Carrie writing in the present and her historical novel, which is also included in the text, you get the magic of getting to have both worlds. Happily, both narratives were equally intriguing and I neveer felt too strongly that I wanted to switch narratives. With fantastic historical detail and a gentle romance subplot in both narratives, I highly recommend this one. I'll definitely be tracking down other Susanna Kearsley books in the future.
    • 5/5
      This book was a very enjoyable read. The characters were very well thought out and fun. I especially like the double story and how the time difference was set up and worked out. Going back in time thru memory trances was a unique way to tie the past and present together. I look forward to reading more of this authors books. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes historical romance with a time element linked to the present.
    • 4/5
      Although the history details were a bit more than I would have liked, it all came together in the end for a beautiful story. I love this author's writing and will definitely read the 2nd book in this series.
    • 5/5
      Great writer! I would compare this to The Winthrup Woman and Catherine by Anya Seton. Beloved books of mine and of course the other writers mentioned. Couldn't put the book down!
    • 5/5
      A wonderful love story with an unexpected twist. A novel that kept me turning pages well into the night
    • 4/5
      Awesome book, takes you a an adventure into the past.
    • 5/5
      Captivating to all who love Scotland or historical fiction filled with war, love, and loss.
    • 4/5
      I love that this wasn’t predictable and had some interesting turns along the way. She stayed in each time frame just long enough for me to want to see what was going on in the other and none of it felt disconnected. Well done.
    • 5/5
      Amazing! I read it in just a week, hardly putting it down except to work and sleep. you are immediately wrapped up in all the intricately described characters, and I felt real emotion for them.
    • 5/5
      This was so wonderful! I loved the two simultaneous worlds and the writing and storytelling were beautiful. Great ending!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This was beautifully written. I'm not a huge romantic or anything but Susanna Kearsley had the perfect touch of adding enough romance without overdoing it at all. The history in it was woven in magically and the different layers of story and characters made it multi dimensional.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I am really not so sure I will have the proper words to do this book justice. It was an absolutely beautiful story, with all the elements that I love best. This is historical fiction at its finest, properly researched with just the right amount of imagination to give it a little extra.

      I was slightly unsure how I was going to feel about it, because I found the actual historical aspect involving King James and the Jacobites and the war all a bit confusing in the beginning. Luckily, Kearsley included a very great scene where a character broke it down a bit, and from that point on I was able to follow along and truly disappear into the lives of the characters. And oh- what lovely characters they all were! Many times, when books go back and forth between time periods and character point of views, it can get slightly muffled in a reader’s mind. That absolutely never happened in this book. The author truly made me care deeply about all the people I met on my journey throughout Slains.

      I think that one of my favorite parts of the whole story was the creativity behind having a protagonist doing research for her own novel, coming across this interesting secret history that traces back in her own lineage, and being able to follow along with her process of writing and learning about her own ancestor. It was executed flawlessly. I am in love with books about books and books within books, so this was absolutely my cup of tea. I can’t wait to read it again, and I highly recommend that others pick it up and do the same.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      It took me a little while to find the rhythm of this book, as I'm not used to Historical Fiction about a period I'm not already familiar with. I usually stick to my Victorians, and Jacobites in early 18th Century Scotland aren't something I know much about. So there was a fair bit of backstory at the start, but not too much and it was handled pretty deftly. But as the story of a present-day historical novelist converges with the story of her ancestor who lived that history, the pace picks up and I found myself enraptured, and by the end I was quite moved. My own SF/F/Paranormal/Gothic Heart *really* wanted it to be ghostier or time-travelly. But asking questions about Genetic Memory is also interesting. And by that time, I was so involved in the characters and their stories there was no room for disappointment.

      Recommended for readers of Historical Fiction and Romance, but don't expect too much steaminess here. More swooniness. And it's actually very hard to make me swoon. And Kearsley does it. I was swept away.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Carrie knows how to weave a tale of fact and fiction, mixing historical narratives with imaginary characters upon a page but are they truly make-believe?Bestselling author, Carrie McClelland is writing a novel on the Jacobite Uprising of 1708. Originally, she thought France was the place to write it but from the moment she steps foot on the Scottish shore, her plans change. Will the exiled James Stewart be able to reclaim the English throne with the help of Scottish soldiers and spies? Carrie knows how history unfolded, thanks to her research, but upon writing she soon discovers her fictional musings are more than mere daydreams.It is two stories in one—present day and 1708—part historical fiction, part fantasy and part romance. I have read several books by the author and enjoy the journey she takes me through- try not to over analyze too much (genetic memory) and just enjoy the ride! As a history buff, who was looking forward to a light girlie read, this fit the bill. ((It also helps that I love Scotland and anything about the Jacobite rebellions))

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I had high hopes for this book. I wanted something to remind me of Jamie and Clair in the Outlander. But this didn't quite make it. Had I read this first - I think it would have been fine. But my hopes were set a bit too high!!This is the story of a writer (Carrie) researching the Slains Castle in Scotland for a book on the reinstatement of King James. She is mysteriously drawn to the castle as she works on the book - and discovers that her attention is taken by a young girl named Sophia. A girl she 'sees' at the castle. No - not as a ghost. Instead Carrie is somehow channeling Sophia and watching the story unfold in front of her. That is interesting and all - but becomes a bit more unsettling when further research shows her that Sophia was a real person and actually was at the castle in the time frame she was writing about. It seems that Carrie has discovered a window into the past. Add to that a love story unfolding both in the past at Slains and in Carrie's current life and this makes a pretty good story!The book is a strong piece of history. The people are real as are the events. It does assume the reader has a rough understanding of Scottish history in the 1700s that I did not have. That made it a bit tricky to really appreciate the history. Kearsley creates scenes that draw the reader in and invite us to understand history through the characters' eyes. I was just looking for a bit more I guess.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Although I haven't finished this novel I felt the need to add my comments because I just love reading it. Kearsley is a master of building romantic suspense! There is a sense of foreboding that is likely to come from an unexpected source and with the two stories, one the writer's life and the other of her characters, happening simultaneously it's nearly impossible to figure out. I am usually very good at plot development and events in novels, or films for that matter, rarely surprise me but I am loving the thrill ride of The Winter Sea.

      1 person found this helpful