The Forgotten Shore

by Sarah Maine

We never leave the places we love - we carry them with us . . .

1940. Wounded and guilt-ridden, war hero Archie Maxwell returns to Rosslie, his beautiful family estate in Argyll, where he finds himself in the uneasy company of his father's young new wife - and his own nightmares.

1965. In the Newfoundland fishing harbour of Heart's Repose, eleven-year-old Eva Bayne strikes up an unlikely friendship with the local outcast, Tam Nairn. But against the threat of change, and the hostility of Tam's son, suspicions flare - until a crisis threatens to rip all their lives apart.

1980. The disappearance of Rosslie's heir has cast a shadow over the Maxwell family for almost 40 years. When Eva, now a fledgling journalist, is drawn into the mystery, the glimpse of an old photograph unlocks painful childhood memories. Will the past give up its secrets?

Atmospheric, sweeping and poignant, this is a spellbinding story of family secrets, love and redemption

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Scotland, Historical

355 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 2023

About the author

Sarah Maine was born in England and emigrated to Canada with her family at the age of ten. A small northern Ontario community was home for the next two years before the family moved south, and Sarah went to high school in Toronto. She returned to England to study archaeology, stayed on to do research and work, married there and has two sons.
Books were always important. She grew up on a diet of Arthur Ransome and Robert Louis Stevenson but also the classics, Jane Austen and the Brontés and, of course, Daphne du Maurier - but now enjoys a wide range of contemporary fiction.
She has publlished three books - The House between Tides, Beyond the Wild River and Women of the Dunes and is currently working on her fourth, set partly in New Zealand.

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Rosslie, Argyle, Scotland.

An auction selling paintings from Rosslie House is abruptly halted over the legitimacy of the sale, following the death of Sir Andrew Maxwell, with his heir apparent, Archie, having been missing for decades. Eva Bane, a journalist present at the ill-fated auction, starts to investigate and discovers there may be a connection to Newfoundland, where she grows up. The story is told in three timelines, by Archie in 1940, Eva in Newfoundland in 1966 and Eva in 1980.

This is another immersive page turner from the talented author, Sarah Maine. She is so adept at storytelling from different timelines that the narrative flows. She creates a rich atmosphere in both the Canadian setting and in Scotland, with some excellent descriptions so you can visualise the landscape and the scenes. The tone constantly changes and encompasses souls in pain, strain or unsettled too sharply sceptical and then despair and everything in between.

The characterisation is exemplary and most are easy to like. When we first meet Archie, he’s a tortured soul, but I love how he changes through the circumstances he finds himself in. Eva is terrific, for one so young she is intuitive and can think on her feet and both main characters face tough times.


The plot ebbs and flows going through periods of comparative calm followed by huge storms which often seem to come out of nowhere. It’s very moving in places and sad and much of this fits into the context of the times. There are many suspenseful moments and tense encounters. The storyline builds and there are some surprising revelations right to the end.

I thoroughly enjoy this beautifully written novel, it’s evocative and immersive reading and one I can recommend for all readers not just of historical fiction.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Archie Maxwell is severely wounded during the Second World War, he returns home to his father's Scottish estate Rosslie and every night he has terrible nightmares. Archie fought in France, with the 51st Highland Division, they were corned by the Germans on the cliffs of St Valery and only a few men survived.

His father, the Baronet of Rosslie or Sir Andrew Maxwell has recently remarried his much younger wife Jillian and she seems happy growing her victory garden and sharing the produce. Archie and his older brother Andy lost their mother when they were young, the Baronet is a rather stern man and not one to show his emotions.

The story has a dual timeline and it’s told from the points of view of the two main characters, Archie and Eva, it's set in the 1940’s, 1966 and in 1980 and it's easy to follow.

Eva Bayne is a journalist, her boss discovers the Baronet of Rosslie has passed away at the age of ninety six and the family are holding an auction and he's sends Eva to investigate. The heir of Rosslie, Archibald Maxwell disappeared decades ago, he has been heard from since 1945, they need to know if he could possibly be alive and to settle the debt riddled estate.

As a child Eva’s father was a doctor, he worked in Canada and in a small town called Heart’s Response in Newfoundland. Eva can remember a man living in Heart’s Response in the 1960’s, his name was Tam and after seeing a picture of Archie Maxwell she's positive it’s the same person. Of course they think Eva was too young to be sure it was Archie, it was fifteen years ago and causes a lot of debate.

I received a digital copy of The Forgotten Shore by Sarah Maine from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review. The dual timeline fictional narrative looks at the odd and strained relationships between the characters of Archie, his older brother Andy, their father Sir Andrew Maxwell and his second wife Gillian. It centers around the Second World War and Archie struggling to cope, life in the small villages in the West Coast of Scotland and Northumberland.

A story about love, loss, post traumatic stress disorder, lies, deception, forgiveness, a big cover up and a secret is revealed. My favourite characters were Archie, Eva, Ross and Kenny the gardener and perfect for fans historical mysteries, set in remote places and four stars from me.

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book by Sarah Maine & I thought it was well told and well constructed. The settings were beautiful & the characters interesting. The interaction & weight of feelings between characters was particularly skillfully portrayed. It was however quite slow in places and others in our buddy read group really struggled to get in to it. I found some sections flowed really well and others were harder work but it’s tricky to put my finger on why. Overall I did enjoy it and I loved the descriptions of Newfoundland and Scotland.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a way I'm torn between two scores, and since I enjoyed the journey so much, it breaks my heart to score this so low given the memories I have of such a wonderful walk across the Forgotten Shore.
I guess the best way to explain my decision is to say that I have been questioning, in all artistic formats, why I find myself frustrated by an artist's need to surprise, and at often times shock me, like the story wasn't strong enough to convince me of its creation.
I won't give away spoilers, but simply say that this story was strong enough, the author skilful enough, without such shock or surprise.
And so I find myself questioning again why I, unlike so many, it seems in the world of selling stories, desire simplicity from a story. Am I seeking a lost dinosaur, or indeed the lost dinosaur itself?

My conclusion for now is I'll continue to follow my heart.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE FORGOTTEN SHORE by Sarah Maine is an utterly gripping dual time story about secrets, mistakes, redemption and possible forgiveness. It features a mysteriously missing heir, a girl who’s always been a bit of an outsider, and an unlikely but forbidden friendship. The book covers the horrors of war, Highland clearances, forced removal of people living in remote coastal villages in Newfoundland and various environmental issues that engage the reader. It all blends into a fabulous tapestry that will keep you spellbound until the very last page - I absolutely loved it and couldn’t put it down.

[Dorine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really good novel by one of my favorite authors. I loved the mysteries woven into the plot and how the surprises kept coming until the very end. The characters were well-rounded but carried enough secret about themselves that made it entertaining to find out what they were hiding next. I like how the author made me dislike them at one moment then understand how they got there next.

I guessed a couple things, or thought I did until I was proven wrong. I can see myself reading this again because I already miss being with the characters. This one is a toss-up between 4.5 and 5 rating, but I'm leaving it at 4 because there's no way to mark it 4.5. Overall, I highly recommend this one for being unexpected entertainment. Fun read!

[Sharon Valler: Live Love Read Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the first few chapters, I wasn’t sure if this book was for me and then, I was suddenly hooked! The immersive writing and the characters drew me in so deep, I didn’t stop reading and finished it in a day!

Set in 1940, the 1960s and in 1980/81, the story centres around injured war veteran, Archie, who flees his family estate in Scotland and heads to Newfoundland where he drowns his sorrows in alcohol until an unexpected bond with 10 year old Eva, over their shared love of books changes the whole course of his life.

Historical fiction with stunning descriptions and evocative detail, combined with family drama, mystery and some clever twists, make this a gripping read. I was invested in every character’s life, from Miss Sinclair, to Susie!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Sarah Maine and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wounded whilst on active service in 1940, Archie Maxwell returns to his family home in Scotland to convalesce however, with his nightmares haunting his sleep, Archie finds little solace and is often belligerent with those who seek to help him recuperate. Archie's tempestuous relationship with his father's new wife only adds to the uneasy atmosphere which pervades Rosslie House.

Forty years later, journalist, Eva Bayne finds that her childhood memories of living in Newfoundland have been triggered by a glimpse of an old photograph which brings back memories she thought she had forgotten. Intrigued by these memories Eva is determined to uncover the past which reveals far more long buried secrets.

This beautifully evocative story takes us from the wilds of a Scottish ancestral home, to the cloistered and rather forbidding atmosphere of the Newfoundland coast and does so with a detailed imagining of what it was like to live through two very different time frames. The author brings both to life so well that I was equally comfortable reading of Archie's recuperation at Rosslie as I was spending time with Eva during her unusual childhood living at Heart's Repose in 1966.

The Forgotten Shore is an emotional and thought provoking read about the long buried hurt which people carry with them and the inevitability of the shedding of secrets which if left too long can fester and destroy.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed to tick all of my favourite book boxes but sadly it fell short for me. I found it quite slow and not engaging at all. Great descriptions and settings but didn’t quite hit the mark.

[Jill E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Well-written Novel

There is no doubt that this is a very well written book. Sarah Maine is a remarkable storyteller. If you are looking for a book that has twists and turns, that deals with the tragedies, the challenges, and the absurdities life often can throw at one, this will definitely be a book that you would enjoy.

With that said, while I admire the author’s consummate skills in weaving a narrative that is filled with the ups and the downs life often presents, this is not my kind of book. First, Archie’s shell shock, what we would today call PTSD, is very difficult to read about. There is a great deal described encompassing the horrors of the war as Hitler moved across Europe. I found it devastating to be drawn so close to the horrors that he relived almost every night when he tried to sleep.

Suicide and attempted suicide are addressed several times in this book.

The story is artfully told with dual timelines. This story spans 40 years, and Sarah Maine’s movement between 1940, 1960, and 1980 felt flawless.

Tam and Eva have an unlikely friendship, but we find over the years that the seeds of friendship endure and survive under some of the harshest and most unlikely circumstances. That was something that I really appreciated about this story.

There is a great deal of depth to Tam‘s character—with all of his “faults,” there is much to be admired. Certainly, the reader can understand that we all make mistakes that can have long arms and far reaching consequences.

Eva has such a good and kind heart, is a devoted friend with a strong sense of fair play, and possesses a voice that will not be silenced when someone is wrongfully accused.

There are surprises aplenty. In fact, though artfully delivered, the story often felt (for me) like a soap opera. Emotionally, I felt like a pretzel, all twisted up. I like books that are a little more straightforward, like murder mysteries. In this kind of story, the line between “good and bad“ is often blurred… And it’s not very pretty, much like life. Simply put, when reading I would prefer to escape rather than confront.

There was much to be mourned in this story: time and relationships wasted, and/or destroyed; opportunities lost; abiding regrets, named and unnamed.

There is particular attention played to providing closure to the story, which I very much appreciate.

If you are interested in an emotional “food fest,” this is your kind of book. This is something that you can sink your teeth into (no pun intended), take to the pool, perhaps even share with a friend—I expect it would elicit marvelous discussions and perhaps even some debates.

Excellent writing.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the shores of western Scotland to the wild coast of Newfoundand comes an evocative story of family secrets, love, betrayal and redemption

Newfoundland and Labrador are in the easternmost province of Canada,in the country's Atlantic region. The island of Newfoundland (and its smaller neighbouring islands) is home to a majority of the province's population, with more than half residing in the Avalon Peninsula. St. John's is its capital and largest city.Explorers quickly realised the waters around Newfoundland had the best fishing in the North Atlantic.In 1907,Newfoundland acquired dominion status,or self-government,within the British Empire or British Commonwealth.Newfoundland officially joined Canada on March 31, 1949.Those working the fishing boats were not wage earners but commodity producers,reliant on merchant credit.Working in small, competitive, and often family,units,scattered in isolated communities,they also had little occasion to gather in large numbers to discuss common concerns.In 1908,the Fishermen's Protective Union (FPU) was formed.From the early 1950s,the provincial government pursued a policy of population transfer by rural population centralisation.A resettlement of the many isolated communities scattered along Newfoundland's coasts was seen as a way to save rural Newfoundland by moving people to what were referred to as "growth centres". It was believed this would allow the government to provide more and better public services such as education, health care, roads and electricity.The resettlement policy was also expected to create more employment opportunities outside of the fishery, or in spinoff industries,which meant a stronger and more modern fishing industry for those remaining in it.Three attempts of resettlement were initiated by the Government between 1954 and 1975.It was denounced as poorly resourced and a historic injustice.During WWII, the 51st (Highland) Division,commanded by Major-General Victor Fortune,fought and surrendered to Erwin Rommel at the Saint-Valery-en-Caux commune in Normandy on 12 June 1940.But on 11 September 1944,the 51st Highlanders re-formed and liberated the area.The unit also served in El Alamein and Sicily commanded by Major-General Douglas Wimberley aka Tartan Tam.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Forgotten Shore is the third Sarah Maine book that I have read and in each she has used similar ingredients to produce very different stories. Remote Scottish manor houses, their wild surroundings, dual timelines and a some kind of mystery. Luckily for me I absolutely love all these things and if Sarah Maine could keep writting books with these same elements in different configurations I would be quite happy.

The Forgotten Shore switches between 1940, 1966 and 1980, and the voice of Archie Maxwell and Eva Bayne. I found Archie to be a particularly interesting character, complex and flawed, and I enjoyed getting to know him. The bones of the story is about a missing heir to an old scottish estate, but it deals with choices and their consequences and how events in the past can influence the future.

Maine has produced a fast paced and enjoyable storyline but also fleshed it out by including a backdrop of the second world war and the resettlement scheme in the Labrador Coast and its fall out. She managed to successfully depict the impact of these events on people without making the story too heavy.

The character development is brilliant, the story is full of twists and turns, secrets and revalations, a likeable cast of flawed characters and interesting insights into many different issues from different time periods. The only thing I have to complain about is I would have liked a bit more of Eva and her love interest, it seemed a bit rushed and last minute, I would have liked more of a build up but then again I am a fan of a slow burn romance. Evas seemed a bit too much like tieing up loose ends.

Overall The forgotten shore is a real page turner and I devoured it in one day.

[Ashley Cloninger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Forgotten Shore is another dual time period family saga by Sarah Maine.

The Forgotten Shore takes place in three time periods, 1940, 1966 and 1980. The novel opens at Rosslie a Scottish estate belonging to the Maxwell family, whom have fallen on hard times. An auction is taking place to raise money to assist with the upkeep. Eva Bayne is a journalist covering the auction. Jilly Maxwell and her son Duncan are trying to maintain their dignity and their home. Then a gentleman stands up and says the auction cannot continue as Duncan is not the true heir, his older half-brother Archie is. Archie has been missing since after WWII and no one knows what has happened to him. Eva sees a picture of Archie and is taken back to her childhood in Newfoundland where she befriended the local drunk Tam Nairn. Why does the picture of Archie remind her of Tam Nairn? Eva decides to return to Newfoundland to solve the mystery, The story takes the reader through the different timelines as we follow Archie, Jilly, Eva, Ross and Duncan through the tragedies and betrayals that shaped them.

The writing as with all Ms. Maine’s books is lyrical, and the unfolding of the storyline keeps you turning the pages until the final resolution,

Thanks to Netgalley, Hodder and Stoughton and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating family drama spanning decades & the Atlantic🌊

4.5🌟stars
This historical fiction drama grew on me and won me over. After the first few chapters, this novel took off and thereafter kept me thoroughly engrossed. In switching from Western Scotland in the early years of World War II to 1960's Newfoundland and then both locations in the early 1980's, author Sarah Maine took me on an educational journey that included the horrors of war & PTSD, the government-orchestrated demise of the small fishing settlements of Newfoundland, the Scottish clearances, and the struggles of sustaining rural estates in modern times. All this as the backdrop to a Scottish family's dramatic transformation through wartime injury and death; the uncertainty and disruption of a patriarch's death without a clear heir; and the touching, forbidden friendship between a lonely, young, doctor's daughter and a rough, hard-drinking expat fisherman with hidden depths. I found the characters, especially young Eva and damaged Tam/Archie, fascinating studies.

A real treat of a story in my eyes, after a dramatic and nightmarish wartime start. Excellent writing, fascinating plot and really great main characters: definitely recommended.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

a dual time line book
1940: Wounded in action, Archie Maxwell returns to his Scottish family estate of Rosslie. But between the uneasy company of his father's new wife, and the nightmares that haunt him, he finds the house more of a battleground than a refuge.

1980: Journalist Eva Bayne arrives at Rosslie looking for a story. Since Archie's disappearance forty years ago, the Maxwells have lived in the shadows - and Eva is drawn to their mystery. Especially when a glimpse of a photograph stirs up long-buried memories of her childhood in Newfoundland . .

The first third of this book dragged a little. In fact I had started this book about a year ago and lost interest but my kindle didn't have any charge & I didn't have anything better to read.
Once the present day story started hotting up I became invested and the rest of the book flew by. I enjoyed the dual time line- only 40 years apart so the characters feature in both. Although I guessed a few of the twists I will still surprised. I found the ending very satisfying.

[Tractor Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set over. a 40 year period, the book is based on Eva Bayne a young journalist who spent some of her childhood in Newfoundland, and Archie Maxwell a reluctant heir who was injured in the war, and after a quick fling with his new step-mother flees the Uk to Newfoundland .

Eva is trying to make her mark as a journalist, when she is asked to go to an auction at the Maxwell estate with a colleague. Archie has not been heard of for 40 years, and is presumed dead, however when Eva seems a picture of him, she recognises him as the 'mad drunk' who lived in the same town as she did as a child.

An interesting read....

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The word that kept popping into my mind as I was reading this tale of family, loss and memory was – ordinary. It’s a reasonably entertaining read, reasonably well-plotted with reasonably convincing characterisation, but oh so ordinary. I felt that I had read something similar so many times. A dual-time narrative - yet again – about a wounded WWII soldier Archie Maxwell, heir to an estate, who is missing, presumed dead, and journalist Eva, who forty years later is looking for a story and suspects she has found one in an old photograph. The writing is competent and Sarah Maine is a competent storyteller but I was only marginally engaged.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 star rating - A WW11 badly injured soldier and 40 years later a journalist who is looking for a mystery and thinks she’s found it after looking at an old photo. I’ve always been ready to read anything this author has written but this one leaves me a little underwhelmed. For me it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary and so I kept putting off reading it. Some great descriptions and I loved the cover, a lot more than the characters sadly! There were some interesting parts but not enough to motivate me to finish the book within a few days. I was given this ARC by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ingrid RB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soldaten Archie Maxwell returnerer til barndomshjemmet i Skottland etter andre verdenskrig. Førti år senere kommer journalisten Eva Bayne over et bilde av Archie og barndomshjemmet hans i avisa. Hun begynner å grave i Archies forsvinning for førti år siden og sin egen barndom. Enkel skrivestil å følge og hoppene mellom fortid og nåtid er elegant skrevet. Karakterene er svært livaktige og det dukker stadig opp nye spørsmål om Archies forsvinning som driver plottet framover. Elskbar og lettlest bok om forbudt kjærlighet, tilgivelse, Skottland, politikk og familiehemmeligheter.

[Nic ONeill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly good read, I enjoyed each decade and definitely didn't see the final plot twists coming. It was lovely to read about the Scottish scenery and that of Newfoundland, which I gather is Canada and the link to each other that was formed before the world wars. It's nice yo think of the peaceful, rural tranquility of both places and how one could lead a simple yet fulfilling life.

I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would and I would recommend it for readers who like historical fiction, action and investigation. 4.5 🌟

[Helen Ashforth-Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice domestic tale by Maine. She nicely creates the settings of Argyll and Nova Scotia as settings. I also liked that she didn't have a too modern setting with it spread between the 1940s, 1960a and 1980s. The story built really nicely even if you can guess where it's going if you have read one of her novels before. The only thing I didn't buy was the ending as the love story between Ross and Eva seemed out of nowhere.

[Lara F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me lo compré en Escocia y me lo empecé a leer simplemente porque estaba ambientado allí y la historia no estaba nada mal. Con dos líneas temporales va dando saltos aunque a mitad libro se fusionan y debo decir que me cautivó bastante los misterios que se iban poco a poco resolviendo.
Además, cuando ya crees que está todo resuelto hay un giro inesperado que cambia el sentido de una gran parte del libro que me dejó bastante sorprendida y me encantó.

[Nella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it- loved the writing style and the story and the characters and the plot evolution. Will definitely read something else by her. Archie /Tam a noblemen in Scotland and a drunk fisherman in Newfoundland. Eva the little girl he mentors but gets accused of abusing. Jilly, Andy, etc impressive how the main character has two names and almost two separate identities and she manages that seamlessly . A Celia Behrens book loaned.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weaving 3 timelines for 2 main characters, Maine takes us from the Scotland of WWII, to the Newfoundland coast of the 1960's, culminating this fabulous tale in both locations in the 1980's
A story of lost love, lost dreams, and trying to find your way in a life that can be cruel and unjust.
Tam and Eva are an unlikely pair, but theirs is a story of finding the best in the other, establishing a devotion that transcends the ages, despite social judgement

[Bee Shoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got into this story quite quickly and it had plenty to keep me interested. I enjoyed the differing timelines, as it was the same characters but at different stages of their life it was easy to follow. I liked how the characters had their flaws and developed through the story. I did feel like the last few chapters went at a faster pace than the rest and I think having a bit more content to make the various life events seem more organic would have been a nice addition.

[HILARY ANDERSON - BELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Hodder and Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I loved it the story sweeps from Newfoundland to Scotland and back again. The characters are believable and I found myself lost in the narrative and time flew by. If you like Daphne du Maurier with a hint of Lucinda Riley mixed up with a pinch of Judith lennox you will devour this like I did.

[Alaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third Sarah Maine book and I just live them. The pace is perfect and her characters fully human and identifiable. You feel that you would know them if you me them. This book is about families and consequences and just when you think that you've got them sorted out another twist comes along. I couldn't put this book down.

[Jean Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Some of it was a bit far- fetched but it worked. I liked most of the characters and could understand why I didn’t like others. They were cleverly written. I liked the different time frames and locations here - sometimes I don’t. I liked that the writer didn’t try too hard to artificially create Scotland and Newfoundland and I liked the similarities.

[DC Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was well written and was enjoyable. The story takes place in dual timelines about Eva a young journalist and Tam a crusty old drunk who has a mysterious past. The more the story develops the more you become drawn in to find out all the hidden secrets and surprise developments in Tams past beginning with his real name.