The Beach Hut by Cassandra Parkin

It is autumn time and on a peaceful Cornish beach, Finn and his sister Ava defy planning regulations and achieve a childhood dream when they build themselves an illegal beach hut. This tiny haven will be their home until Ava departs at midwinter for a round-the-world adventure.

In the town, local publican Donald is determined to get rid of them. Still mourning the death of his wife, all he wants is a quiet place where he can forget the past and raise his daughter Alicia in safety. But Alicia is wrestling with demons of her own.

As the sunshine fades and winter approaches, the beach hut stirs old memories for everyone. Their lives become entwined in surprising ways and the secrets of past and present are finally exposed.

REVIEW:
This lyrical novel traces all manner of love and loss, and the complicated ties that bind us to family. From the moment I started reading, I couldn't put it down. The characters were wonderfully drawn- fragile and full of life, wrestling with the realities of life and death decisions. Donald's anger at the world was almost painful, as was Alicia's desperate effort to find love and acceptance in the wake of her mother's death. Finn and Ava were quirky and wonderful, yet they soon revealed their own demons through the sad tale of their past. The tension was palpable as the story built to a powerful conclusion. I confess I never saw the twist in Donald's story coming, yet once I read it, I knew how true to the story it was. Highly recommended!