The River Between Us - Liz Fenwick - Blog Tour

 ‘Following the breakdown of her marriage, Theo has bought a tumbledown cottage on the banks of the river Tamar which divides Cornwall and Devon. The peace and tranquillity of Boatman’s Cottage, nestled by the water, is just what she needs to heal.
Yet soon after her arrival, Theo discovers a stash of hidden letters tied with a ribbon, untouched for more than a century. The letters – sent from the battlefields of France during WW1 – tell of a young servant from the nearby manor house, Abbotswood, and his love for a woman he was destined to lose.
As she begins to bring Boatman’s Cottage and its gardens back to life, Theo pieces together a story of star-crossed lovers played out against the river, while finding her own new path to happiness.
The River Between Us beautifully explores the mystery and secrets of a long-forgotten love affair, and will be loved by fans of Kate Morton.’

This book attracted my attention because the summary suggests it  ‘will be loved by fans of Kate Morton’ . Since I am a fan of Kate Morton I thought I might like to see if that accolade could be justified!

It’s a ‘big house’ story and it’s set in Cornwall which always brings Daphne Du Maurier to mind. With a dual time chronology we yo yo between present day and the cusp of WW1 and beyond. In a sense it’s a tried and tested premise - chance finding of some old letters opening up mysteries and secrets of forgotten love. But it works. It’s entertaining and immersive. Escapism at its best. The historical research is detailed and convincing and the reader is drawn back to a different era.

The metaphor of the river endures throughout and the concept of division on several levels and becomes more poignant as the story unfolds. It is a story of duality;  people, times and places. The characters are accessible, none of them perfect which makes them more real and you find yourself questioning their actions and reactions at times. But you’re always rooting for those elusive happy endings.

In both time frames lives are tangled and require unravelling to gain full effect. And I felt the book offered entertaining escapism. But I can imagine people on their ‘staycations’ devouring this book on, hopefully, sunny beaches and on leafy, woodland picnics.