The Sea Gate

Johnson’s time-shifting narrative transports readers between the present and 1940s while anchoring them to a place, engrossing us in both periods. Rebecca’s mother, Geneviève, has died unexpectedly. Helping her brother clear their mother’s flat, Rebecca unearths a pale blue envelope out of place amid bills and junk mail. The undated letter from an elderly cousin beseeches “Jenny” to come to Cornwall to help her. Bereft, disparaged by her family, and disregarded by a self-absorbed boyfriend, Rebecca resolves to help Cousin Olivia in Geneviève’s stead. Bolstered by Olivia’s trust, Rebecca assumes responsibility for refurbishing Olivia’s ancestral home to permit her discharge from the hospital. From attic to sea gate, Rebecca restores more to Olivia than merely a house while reclaiming her own sense of worth and purpose in the process.