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The Cottage At Glass Beach

by Heather Barbieri (Goodreads Author)

3.13 of 5 stars 3.13 · rating details · 680 ratings · 205 reviews

The Cottage at Glass Beach

Married to the youngest attorney general in Massachusetts state history, Nora Cunningham is a picture-perfect political wife and a doting mother. But her carefully constructed life falls to pieces when she, along with the rest of the world, learns of the infidelity of her husband, Malcolm.

Humiliated and hounded by the press, Nora packs up her daug...more

Hardcover, 302 pages

Published May 15th 2012 by HarperCollins

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Mar 05, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. It felt very unfinished at the end, and I admit that might be because I like things tied up neatly. But it's not so much all of the threads left hanging, it felt like the entire story was left hanging. And it's not the type of book for a sequel.

10 likes · like · see review

Jan 23, 2013 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

From the cover blurb, I was a little hesitant. I was afraid it would be another romance set on a beach. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not the case. It was part coming home novel, part mystery, with a little bit of the supernatural thrown in. The mystery unveils itself a little at a time, and keeps you guessing up to the very last page. I must say that I found Ela to be a bit irritating, and unlikable. As mother of a daughter, I feel guilty saying this, but it is true. She see...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was the title and then the cover that drew me to this book. Those are two very powerful attributes! When I looked at the author's name, I realized that I had read something else by her but couldn't remember what. At the bottom of the cover I saw the name of her previous novel The Lace Makers of Glenmara which was the one that I had read.

This is a story of a mother and her two daughters. Nora is married to the youngest Attorney General in Massachusetts and lives the life of a politician's wife...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 16, 2012 Candy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to love this book, because I chose it on the title alone. I have a thing about sea glass...
The story started out strong. The main character Nora, goes to a remote island to get away from her cheating high profile husband. Her goal is to get her girls away, and enjoy the summer in peace. There she meets her Aunt, whom she has not seen, for reasons she doens't know, since she was about 5 years old.
Once there, a mysterious stranger 'washes' up on shore. From here on in, I found the story...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Leeswammes rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a good read for the summer. There is a great sense of place: a remote island in Maine where the protagonist, Nora, spends the summer with her two young daughters.

Nora is the wife of an attorney general in Massachusetts but a public scandal (her husband having an affair) makes her take her two daughters of 12 and 7 and return to Burke’s Island in Maine where she lived when she was very young. Her aunt still lives there and Nora learns things she never knew about her past.

Her father...more

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May 15, 2012 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

As a small girl of five Nora’s life changed forever when her mother disappeared and her father took her away from the only home she ever knew on Burke’s Island and the Cottage at Glass Beach. Now she finds herself running back to avoid the publicity from the scandal that rocked her world and her marriage and to find sanctuary and refuge for her and her two daughters at least for the summer. As Nora reconnects with family and friends from her past she’s also aware that her mother’s ghost is never...more

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May 14, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nora and her two daughters, Ella and Annie leave for Burke's Island in Maine. Nora used to live here when she was younger. Lately Nora has been feeling a powerful pull to return. Nora and her daughters are staying just for the summer. It is not long before the threee women have a man wash up into their lives...literally. His name is Owen. There is something mysterious about Owen. This will be the summer that Nora and her girls will never forget.

This book was way better than I could have imagine...more

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Jul 11, 2012 drey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, fiction-contemporary

There’s just that little bit of something that calls to you in Heather Barbieri’s The Cottage at Glass Beach, and I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s not just the story, though it tugged at the heartstrings. It wasn’t just the characters – while I liked Nora, her daughter Annie, and her aunt Maire; everyone else was just there… And it wasn’t the romance, because that wasn’t the main focus of the book.

I think it’s that little bit of everything that melds into just the right mix to keep you inte...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Angel rated it 3 of 5 stars

4 Stars for Chapters 1-23
2 Stars for Chapter 24

I really wanted to like this book, however, the ending was a huge disappointment.

I appreciated that the storyline had twists and turns and was not predictable. I enjoyed all of the main characters. Certain elements were too drawn out and then other elements left unanswered completely.

In summary, the ending left me feeling like I was supposed to understand everything, but I did not.

Leaving the reader with lingering thoughts is ideal for me. Leaving t...more

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May 16, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, myths, romance

GENRE: Fiction
THEME: Myths/Family Drama
RECEIVED: Received for Review from HarperCollins
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
3.5 stars

REVIEW:
The cottage at Glass Beach was a little out of my norm of genres, but it had that kick of mythology and romance that I absolutely love. The major premises of this novel are really about family and healing from the heartbreak in the families past and present. This was my first novel by Heather Barbieri and definitely not my last.

Nora Cunningham has just be...more GENRE: Fiction
THEME: Myths/Family Drama
RECEIVED: Received for Review from HarperCollins
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
3.5 stars

REVIEW:
The cottage at Glass Beach was a little out of my norm of genres, but it had that kick of mythology and romance that I absolutely love. The major premises of this novel are really about family and healing from the heartbreak in the families past and present. This was my first novel by Heather Barbieri and definitely not my last.

Nora Cunningham has just been dealt with a major blow, her husband a well-known political figure has cheated on her. It’s been all over the news and she just has to get away. Taking her two daughters to the island where she was born, just trying to make it through the summer to heal and maybe mend her relationship. But the past of her mother’s disappearance and a man, who washes in with a storm, brings a whole lot more drama into Nora and her daughter’s lives.

Nora is a very strong woman whom is devoted to making sure her daughters don’t see what there father has done. But sadly has to deal with one daughter in particular who thinks her mother is at fault. I felt so bad for Nora; she has a good heart and really loves her daughters. Her husband is a selfish and horrible man, who really only thinks of what he wants and not his family. She slowly uncovers her mothers past and what kind of woman she really was.

Owen is a man who is all about mystery, washing up from a ship wreak and taking in my Nora’s aunt. He becomes someone who helps heal not only Nora, but also her Aunt whom is damaged a bit from her sister’s disappearance. He is kind and really tries to connect and help Nora. I absolutely loved his character and his connection to the myths of the island.

My only issues were that Nora didn’t explain more to her daughters. She was the victim and her daughters kept asking for their father who hurt their mother. Ella, Nora’s eldest daughter was cruel and extremely hurtful to her mother, I really didn’t like her at all and she pretty much angered me through the whole book. Also the ending fell flat and felt unfinished for me, in some ways people who see it as finished but for me I wanted more explanation. The readers do get a hint about Owen and what happened to Nora’s mother, but for me more would of been better.

Overall I enjoyed the mystery and the myth behind Nora’s family, both Owen and Nora’s aunt really pulled the story along and kept me reading. This is a story about a family that needs to heal and is trying to find that strength to help each other. This is the perfect summer read that you’d be able to relax and dig into a story, really making you pull for these characters to find that piece that’s missing in their lives.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult book that’s a perfect summer read, the island details make you wish you were there with the characters. Fans of Nancy Thayer of Heat Wave and Mary Alice Monroe of The Beach House will enjoy The Cottage at Glass Beach.
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Mar 25, 2013 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

The Cottage at Glass Beach is a lovely, magical novel that would be perfect for a summer read. After a very public infidelity on the part of her husband, Malcolm, Nora takes her two young children, Annie and Ella, back to her ancestral family home on an island off the coast of Maine. She hopes to find the space to regroup and decide what to do about her marriage and her future. She also wants her children to be insulated from the scandal unfolding in Boston.

On Burke's Island Nora must face her...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was interesting but not as good as I had hoped. Nora escapes to a small island off the coast of Maine, fleeing the media who have chased after her because of an affair her husband, an up and coming political star, had. She brings her two young daughters with her to her birthplace. There are many mysteries in Nora's past, not the least of which is what exactly happened to her mother when she disappeared on the island many years ago. Throughout her stay, Nora learns many answers to quest...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Tamara rated it 2 of 5 stars

I loved the idea of this story and was very interested in reading it based on the blurb on the inside cover. Folks, don't be fooled...it wasn't nearly as good or interesting as I had expected. The story moved quickly enough and was interesting enough but I just kept waiting for the big twist or finish that never happened. The end felt tacked on and I turned the last page expecting something more....oh and selkies. Don't count on that featuring much either. There was more alluded to in this book...more

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May 13, 2013 Kay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, fiction, womens-fiction, own

The Cottage at Glass Beach was a very pleasant read. It has a soft, quiet quality to it and from the start gives you a hint of magical realism. Burke's Island is rich in history, and I found the numerous characters to be all equally intriguing; as Nora, Ella and Annie (Nora's daughters) meet them, I wanted to know more about them and their life on the island.

There's also a beautiful mix of styles; the book isn't straight romance, and in fact I would say it mostly isn't about the romance. There's...more The Cottage at Glass Beach was a very pleasant read. It has a soft, quiet quality to it and from the start gives you a hint of magical realism. Burke's Island is rich in history, and I found the numerous characters to be all equally intriguing; as Nora, Ella and Annie (Nora's daughters) meet them, I wanted to know more about them and their life on the island.

There's also a beautiful mix of styles; the book isn't straight romance, and in fact I would say it mostly isn't about the romance. There's the mystery of Nora's mother's disappearance, the story of Maire (the aunt they are living with), the family aspects, the mystery of Owen, etc. While the book isn't a mystery novel, there are enough unanswered questions to keep you guessing all along.

While I loved the setting and enjoyed the story, there were two aspects that kept me from truly loving the book. The first was my inability to connect to Nora. I felt for her, sure, but I was unable to reach over that wall that exists between reader and character and really understand her. That was a bit unfortunate since she was the main character, and I am not sure where the fault is since I actually liked the author's writing, which I found to be poetic in places. The second point was Nora's daughters. Again, I understood they were going through a lot, but I had a hard time sympathizing with them, especially Ella. Also, I found their conversations to be a bit too adult-like, and until I went back, confused, to reread the first few pages, I actually thought they were both teenagers.

This being said, I mostly enjoyed the book. I went through it quite quickly and its dreamy, mysterious atmosphere stayed with me thorough the days. It reminded me how much I love magical realism, and it was nicely done here. The story gave me a taste of summer and made me wish I could go hang on the beach, too!

In the end, while it wasn't a perfect read, I closed the book feeling satisfied. I would definitely read more of this author - which is great since I already have one of her books on my ereader!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 29, 2012 Itsjustme-wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This was, in a word - Amazing! A beautifully written story, excellently developed characters, clearly painted scenes, a page turner from beginning to end. This book did it for me - it had it all.
A dysfunctional family - a cheating husband, a rebellious mouthy teen, and a family with a sordid past. It also had a little mystical, magical quality to it that was very unexpected! I loved it.

This story was sweet in parts, sometimes made you mad, and was sad in others. I kept tearing up in spots, not...more This was, in a word - Amazing! A beautifully written story, excellently developed characters, clearly painted scenes, a page turner from beginning to end. This book did it for me - it had it all.
A dysfunctional family - a cheating husband, a rebellious mouthy teen, and a family with a sordid past. It also had a little mystical, magical quality to it that was very unexpected! I loved it.

This story was sweet in parts, sometimes made you mad, and was sad in others. I kept tearing up in spots, not sobbing, but just little sad moments.
I think maybe this is the kind of book that you won't like as much if you can't relate to it - if you don't have children, if you have never had a man cheat on you, if you have never just wanted to run away and get away from the situation.
This book got a lot of negative reviews - I just don't see it. I really liked it! There were a lot of things left unsaid, but what the author doesn't say almost speaks louder than what she does say, the things left unsaid are just as important. And I understand why she did this. In a situation like this you don't know everything. You aren't meant to.

The character development was so good.One reviewer said that the kids didn't seem their age. I totally disagree with this! I thought the author got this spot on! They were smart kids, yes. But to me they certainly seemed age appropriate. Seven year old Annie was sweet, loving, and wanted so much to believe in something more - magic. Mouthy 12 year old Ella was... a brat! Aren't most 12 year old girls? They talk back to their mothers, think they know everything, try to rule the world. And even though they act like they know better about every situation than you do - they really don't have a clue. Nora, the mom, I loved her. I thought she made very smart decisions, she did not act quickly or on impulse, I think she had a plan, and I agree with what she did. I also liked the way she handled her children. I was always saying, in reference to my own daughter, you have to choose your battles. You can't yell at them about everything. You have to let some things go, and I thought she did this well.
There were also a few minor characters that were also excellently developed. Maire, Nora's Aunt, whom I loved - she reminded me of Stockard Channing (in Practical Magic). And then there was Owen, the mystery man. Yes, he was a mystery, and he was never fully explained but I don't think he needed to be. I think it was better left as a mystery. It was more fun that way.

A lot of reviewers also complained about the ending so I was prepared - again I strongly disagree! I thought the ending was just right. I didn't feel left hanging at all! You all know how much I hate a non-endings, but this one definitely was tied up in the end, not everything, no, there some things that you aren't meant to know. That's the whole mystical quality about it.

One of my favorite quotes -

"Annie began waving. "I'm waving at the waves. They always wave back." - LOL I loved this line!

All in all I thought this was a great book! I really enjoyed reading it, every page of it. I loved the "magical realism" and all the angst of it. I loved the beach and the way the author describes everything so you feel like you are right there.
Hmm from what I remember, I don't think there was any swearing, there was one sex scene but not graphic at all, you just know that it happened.
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Mar 17, 2012 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

From the first few pages of The Cottage at Glass Beach I felt absolutely entranced. Just like the little island off the coast of Maine that this book is set in there is something magical about this story, an intriguing mystery that made me want to sit and read until I was done with the very last page. It is the story of a wife and mother of two young girls whose life has been turned upside down by her husband's affair. When Nora and her daughters arrive on the island she is quickly reminded of a...more

1 like · like · see review

May 08, 2013 Laura de Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copy, fiction, womens-fiction

This book had solid characters in a great setting, unfortunately the ending knocked it down to 3.5/5 stars for me.

The bones of this book are a standard women's fiction book-- a woman struggling to come to terms with her husband's infidelity, and what that means for their marriage. This aspect of the story is handled well, particularly where it looks at the effect on the children, but there isn't anything compelling or unusual about it.

Where the book comes into its own is when it is dealing with...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, literary-fiction, review-on-blog, romance

Fairy tales meet reality in Heather Barbieri's novel, The Cottage at Glass Beach.

In The Cottage at Glass Beach, with a hazy past and an uncertain future, Nora is a woman facing major life changes. Her husband has been aught cheating and Nora has retreated to the small island home of her late mother. With two daughters in tow, Nora must figure out how to move forward with her life and gain clarity for her life. With the help of her aunt and a mysterious shipwrecked man, Nora begins to find peace....more Fairy tales meet reality in Heather Barbieri's novel, The Cottage at Glass Beach.

In The Cottage at Glass Beach, with a hazy past and an uncertain future, Nora is a woman facing major life changes. Her husband has been aught cheating and Nora has retreated to the small island home of her late mother. With two daughters in tow, Nora must figure out how to move forward with her life and gain clarity for her life. With the help of her aunt and a mysterious shipwrecked man, Nora begins to find peace.

There are definite highs and lows to The Cottage at Glass Beach. It was easy to sympathize with all the characters. Nora's husband is a selfish, clueless man who moved on from Nora, his "starter" wife. Nora is crushed, confused, and at a loss at where to go from there. I really like Nora's character, she is a wonderful mother, dedicated to her girls. However, somewhere along the way, she lost her sense of self. She became a politician's wife and the more engrossed she became in being a wife and mother, the farther away from her true self she became. When she returns to the cottage where she lived with her mother, her childhood memories and her past remind her of what she loves, the sea, art, and a peaceful life. Nora's daughters each have their own quirks and emotions. The older daughter is confused and places blame in the wrong places. The younger daughter is constantly searching for the silver lining and for adventure. The realities of this families situation were quite believable and worked for the story.

Heather Barbieri created a beautiful setting, a small island town filled with caring people and magic in the air. I loved the setting and envisioning the beach was easy to do. The magic and mythology hinted at through the story was quite intriguing. There is a fairy tale like quality to the book that kept me reading and guessing as to the families origins.

While I thoroughly enjoyed much of the book, I did have some problems in a few areas. I was often frustrated with the oldest daughter, Ella. Ella, in typical 12 year old fashion, had a major attitude throughout the book. This is to be expected, however, the problem was that she was never corrected, she was allowed to think the wrong thing and to place blame on her mother. Nora never really sat her down and explained the situation to her daughters, she just let them work it out themselves, and that just didn't sit well with me. The relationships overall in The Cottage at Glass Beach are not fully developed. The romance and relationship between Owen and Nora is slow and unclear. Many of the relationships are never resolved by the end of the book.

While I loved the hints of magic and mythology throughout the book, the hints were just not enough. I kept waiting for the magic to play a more central role and be clarified. I was disappointed that I was confused and left to come to my own conclusions on this front, the magic could have benefitted from better development through the story. This all culminates with the ending. I was less than satisfied with the ending, I felt that the story was left open. Nora's next steps are not explained, her relationship with Owen is not explained, her relationship with her daughters is still unclear, and overall, I was not pleased.

The Cottage at Glass Beach is a beautiful book, but with a lack of clarity and an unsatisfying ending, this book missed the bar for me. I enjoyed the book enough that I would read more by Heather Barbieri in the future, and I think that The Cottage at Glass Beach would make for a good, relaxing summer read.

*I received this book for review*(less)

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Mar 20, 2013 Tara rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Your mom's book club, precious writerly people, fans of The Mermaid Chair

Shelves: 2013

I was hoping this would be kind of like In The Country of The Young by Lisa Carey, but alas! This book wanted to be The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd, which I absolutely hated. Everything in this book is vague, except the main characters' daughters. Everyone is so precious all the time, and then...(view spoiler)...more

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May 16, 2012 cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book from the folks at Harper. It takes what feels like an all-too-familiar event as its starting place with Nora fleeing the Boston area as the scandal of her politician husband's affair becomes public knowledge. Nora takes her two daughters to the small Maine island where she lived until age five when her father moved her away after her mother mysteriously disappeared. Nora finds guidance from an aunt (the missing mother's sister) whom she hasn't see...more

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May 04, 2012 Sarah Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-giveaways

I won this novel as a giveaway on Goodreads. 2.5 stars.

I tried really hard to like this novel more. It had a promising premise but it ended up greatly disappointing me. The Cottage at Glass Beach is about Nora, a politician's wife, who flees to the remote island of her birth with her two young daughters in the wake of her husband's infidelity. On the island, she reconnects with her aunt and meets a mysterious man, who may or may not be a mythical selkie.

I really liked the summary of this novel...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Roxanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Cottage at Glass Beach centers around Nora and her escape with her two young daughters to Burke's Island, her early childhood home -- an isolated area filled with mystique, legends and family secrets. Nora comes to this home via an invitation of her Aunt Maires, to protect her children from the media after her husband a prominent and well-liked politician who is exposed with having an affair. Actually the book, for me, is one woman's search for her own identity, an identity she lost while li...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Claire rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 10, 2012 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, fiction, read-2012

Nora has taken her daughters to Glass Beach, an island off the coast of Maine, to escape the publicity surrounding her husband’s infidelity, publicity due to his being the attorney general of Massachusetts. A mystery surrounds the disappearance of Nora’s mother from Glass Beach years before, a topic not discussed by her father. A strong female relative helps Nora and her daughters adjust to small-town life and answers questions about island secrets. But Nora herself seems weak and uninspiring—ye...more

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May 06, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Women of all ages

Recommended to Emily by: First Reads/Giveaway

Shelves: first-reads, chick-lit, general-fiction

First Reads Review 3.5 stars

I won a copy during a giveaway. I enjoyed the book, but I kept waiting for more to happen. The book left me with more questions than answers, and I was hoping that the answers would reveal themselves by the end.

I thought the ending was wrapped up too quickly. I was hoping for more of a "wow" moment. Will there be a sequel? I wanted to see how Owen and Nora's relationship played out. I guess I just wanted more, but not in the page-turning-I-don't-want-this-to-end way,...more

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Aug 30, 2012 D Dalton rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I actually read an ARC (advance reader copy) of this book so I was hoping after finishing it, maybe the author would rewrite the ending: a real ending, an ending that didn't ruin the book. I was dismayed when I saw reviews that assured me she unfortunately did not.

I agree with other reviewers that the ending was more than lacking. The plot was completely rushed with, I suppose, the climax of the story coming in the last few pages and left unresolved. I echo what a previous reviewer said: Chapte...more I actually read an ARC (advance reader copy) of this book so I was hoping after finishing it, maybe the author would rewrite the ending: a real ending, an ending that didn't ruin the book. I was dismayed when I saw reviews that assured me she unfortunately did not.

I agree with other reviewers that the ending was more than lacking. The plot was completely rushed with, I suppose, the climax of the story coming in the last few pages and left unresolved. I echo what a previous reviewer said: Chapters 1-23 are four (even 4.5 from me) stars; Chapter 24 is 2 (or from me, 1 star).

I felt so taken to the places and lifestyle Barbieri described; her writing was so realistic to me, the dialogue and interactions believable, only touching on romantic interludes (which is good in my taste as I don't like the sappy). But all of a sudden at the end, it all fell apart. Not just that there were parts left up to the reader to conclude, but literally nothing had been decided. The only thing conclusive that happened was that (spoiler ahead) one of the main (and more developed) characters, her aunt, dies (which I truthfully didn't see coming). Otherwise, none of the characters reached full development nor did the direction of the plot take shape.

I got to the end of the book and actually said, "WTF?" when I realized that was it. There were no more pages.

What did Nora "learn" about her mother that day she was lost when Nora was a child? Is Nora going to stay in residence at Glass Beach? Take care of Maire's property? She can't stay on vacation forever... Is she done with her husband and moved on to being open to other suitors (Owen?)? Did everyone survive the storm at sea? Does she ever ask what the hell would make those girls think they could take a little boat alone across the open water safely? Was the business with Maggie Scanlon harassing her really resolutely dealt with? Does she feel safe on the island despite her daughters wandering off all the time, Maggie, and those thug boys that cornered her in the alley one night? None of these questions were given any consideration.

I also wish the character Owen had been more developed, though I could relent that as he was intended to be mysterious. What I would have loved is the story were not left unfinished. It's sad because I enjoyed this book so much except the end.(less)

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May 11, 2012 Linda Bsss rated it 5 of 5 stars

Faced With A Scandal, Nora And Her Two Daughters Left For Burke Island So That She Could Think Of What To Do About Her Politician Husband's Affair And To Shield Her Young Daughters From The Ugly Situation. Their Friends And Classmates Had Distanced Themselves, Thinking The Taint Wouldn't Fall On Them And Nora Was Glad She Accepted Her Aunt Marie's Invitation To Visit The Place Where She Grew Up And Lost Her Free-Spirited Mother. It Had Been Years Since She Returned To The Place Of Her Birth, A P...more

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May 10, 2013 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I agree with another reviewer who said first 23 chapters 4 stars, last chapter 1 or 2 stars.
Loved the first 23 chapters, flew through the book wanting to know what happens at the end. But at the end of chapter 24, the last chapter, you still do not know what happens in the end. SOOOO many unresolved plot turns. I never expect, in fact I cannot stand, endings all happy and tied up in a neat bow, but this book ends like part one of a tv miniseries, only there is not a part two. It really is a love...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Brenda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really liked some parts of this book, others not so much. Nora escapes to a remote island to get away from her high profile husband who has had an extramarital affair. Seeking the solace of her long disappeared mother's family summer cottage, she reconnects with her Aunt, finds a new lover, and discovers that not all is what appears to be on the surface.

I wanted to identify with Nora more and just couldn't, she seemed too much of a victim, not angry enough, complacent in her situation. I thoug...more

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May 21, 2012 Serena rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri is about mothers and daughters and sisters and their tension and love filled relationships. Nora Cunningham returns to Burke’s Island to get away from her scandalous political life in Boston with Malcolm and clear her head in upper Maine. Irish-American immigrant ancestors infuse her memories, memories she barely remembers from her younger childhood of her mother, Maeve, and their life together on the island before her mother’s disappearance. Nora r...more

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About Heather Barbieri

The author of three novels, The Cottage at Glass Beach (Harper, 2012), The Lace Makers of Glenmara (Harper, 2009) and Snow in July (Soho, 2004), Heather Barbieri has been awarded fellowships and international prizes for her short stories. Before turning to fiction full time, she was a magazine editor, journalist, and film critic.

Heather is half Irish. Her paternal ancestors left counties Donegal...more

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title link	preview: The Cottage At Glass Beach
avg rating	preview: The Cottage At Glass Beach Goodreads rating: 3.13 (680 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12959774-the-cottage-at-glass-beach?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327119224l/12959774.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12959774-the-cottage-at-glass-beach?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Cottage At Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri[/url]

The Cottage At Glass Beach

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