Secrets of the Tides in Aussie Readers

May 04, 2013 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own-read, aussie-authors, contemporary-fiction, 2012-release, won

Helen and Richard were in a fledgling relationship, but were very close, so when Helen discovered she was pregnant, and Richard declared they should get married, she wasn’t sure. But they decided they loved each other, and would be married before their baby arrived. Visiting Richard’s childhood home to tell his parents of their upcoming marriage, and Helen’s pregnancy proved more difficult than they had hoped. Richard’s parents were of the old school, especially his mother, who declared Helen no Helen and Richard were in a fledgling relationship, but were very close, so when Helen discovered she was pregnant, and Richard declared they should get married, she wasn’t sure. But they decided they loved each other, and would be married before their baby arrived. Visiting Richard’s childhood home to tell his parents of their upcoming marriage, and Helen’s pregnancy proved more difficult than they had hoped. Richard’s parents were of the old school, especially his mother, who declared Helen not good enough for her beloved only son. She had a very acidic tongue, and Helen continually felt inadequate.

The family lived in London, and would visit Clifftops in country Dorset periodically, with Helen uncomfortable during each visit, and always glad to leave. Time moved on, and after Cassie, Dora was born, and the family settled into a routine which was happy in the main. But suddenly, they found themselves moving to Clifftops, having inherited it on Richard’s parents’ deaths, with Helen having to give up her job to become a full-time Mum, while Richard commuted. She was angry and bitter, and grudgingly followed her husband’s wishes.

With Dora and Cassie occasionally at odds with one another, especially as Cassie grew toward becoming a teenager, Dora felt lonely. Their father wasn’t often there, as his hours in London were long and arduous, and Helen’s unhappiness was palpable. Little did they know their lives were heading toward a catastrophe so horrific, so devastating, that they would never be the same again.

With a young twenty year old Dora now living in London with her boyfriend Dan, suddenly finding herself pregnant was an unexpected shock. Dan was thrilled, but Dora was terrified. She realized she needed to confront her past, needed to see and speak to her estranged family members before she could come to terms with her own future.

Hannah Richell has written a masterful debut novel. The events move back and forth between the time frames past and present, and the different characters in the story. The complexities that are involved in one family are intense, and the plot is powerful. I felt deeply invested in the characters, and thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns.

This is one book I have no hesitation in recommending highly. I won my copy, signed by the author!
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Oct 12, 2012 Kathryn rated it liked it

Shelves: australian-authors, fiction

On the whole, I liked this. I did however, feel the writing was a little cliched at times - I caught myself mentally rolling my eyes on a few occasions, and just poor writing in general at other times. The example that stuck in my mind most was something along the lines of "She screamed horribly. It was horrible."

I enjoyed the premise, although, once we discovered what the tragic event was that caused such dysfunction in the family, the reaction of one of the characters seemed rather unbelievabl ...more

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Jan 16, 2015 Josie rated it liked it · review of another edition

A wholehearted family tale of tragedy, loss and misunderstanding.
The book held my attention throughout, however my not being a fan of neat and tidy, happily ever after wrapping up of a novel, stopped this from being rated higher in the enjoyment scales.
It reached a fork in the road where it could have turned either down the mystery path, or taken the chick-lit route....unfortunately for me, it took the chick-lit 'it'll all work out alright' path.
Now there is nothing wrong with that, it simply is ...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Kate Forsyth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, parallel-narratives, contemporary

Secrets of the Tides is a suspenseful page-turner of a family drama, taking place mainly in Cornwall and London, and moving back and forth between the past and the present. It begins with a girl jumping off a bridge into the Thames. We do not know who she is or why she is jumped, or even if she lives or dies. Slowly the answers to these mysteries are revealed, some of them very surprising. I absolutely loved it, and look forward to more from this debut author.

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Oct 24, 2017 Jenny (Bookbookowl) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Jan 08, 2016 Tango rated it really liked it · review of another edition

An absorbing tale of a family coping with tragedy.

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Sep 09, 2022 Karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Two stories running in parallel about the Tide family, the present and back 10 years + when a tragic event that changed them and their lives forever. Richard and Helen Tide and their children live in Richards parents house, Clifftops, perched high on the Dorset coastline. Cassie the eldest, and Dora the younger daughter and their young son Alfie. The girls are looking after Alfie down at the beach and Alfie disappears, and his body was never found. Richard is overwhelmed with grief, Helen is ful ...more

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