After her mother’s death twelve years ago, Lynette Carlisle watched her close-knit family unravel. One by one, her four older siblings left their Nantucket home and never returned. All seem to harbor animosity toward their father, silently blaming him for their mother’s death. Nobody will talk about that dreadful day, and Lynette can’t remember a bit of it.

But when next-door neighbor Nicholas Cooper returns to Nantucket, he brings the past with him. Once her brother’s best friend and Lynette’s first crush, Nick seems to hiding things from her. Lynette wonders what he knows about the day her mother died and hopes he might help her remember the things she can’t.

But Nick has no intention of telling Lynette the truth. Besides the damage it might cause his own family, he doesn’t want to risk harming the fragile friendship between him and the woman he once thought of as a kid sister.

As their father’s failing health and financial concerns bring the Carlisle siblings home, secrets begin to surface—secrets that will either restore their shattered relationships or separate the siblings forever. But pulling up anchor on the past propels them into the perfect storm, powerful enough to make them question all they ever believed in.

My Thoughts

Y’all, I have three sisters so I thought I knew all about family drama but the Carlisle family dynamic blows our little tiffs right out of the water! Everyone has issues, right? Well, after the death of their mother, everyone except the baby of the family, Lynette, runs as fast and as far as they can. Running away from problems? I’ve done that and it usually doesn’t solve anything!

Lynette might be the baby of the family but she is tough as nails. This girl is managing the burden of her father’s health, their bleak financial situation, and disturbing dreams from repressed memories with little to no help from her siblings.

When family friend and neighbor Nick returns to the island, he does everything he can to help Lynnie out. Eventually, the siblings start trickling back home and it’s apparent that they have grown apart over the years. True to life, each sibling is dealing with problems of their own as different and complex as their personalities, relationships, and secrets.

The Things We Knew is a beautiful and redemptive family drama. I’m looking forward to reading more titles by Catherine West!

I received a copy of this book from the author for the purpose of providing an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Catherine West is an award-winning author who writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. Her first novel, Yesterday’s Tomorrow, released in 2011 and won the INSPY for Romance, a Silver Medal in the Reader’s Favorite Awards, and was a finalist in the Grace Awards. Catherine’s second novel, Hidden in the Heart, released in September 2012, was long-listed in the 2012 INSPY’s and was a finalist in the 2013 Grace Awards. Catherine’s latest novels, Bridge of Faith and The Things We Knew, are now available on Amazon.

When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two grown children. Catherine loves to connect with her readers and can be reached at Catherine@catherinejwest.com

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