A Sudden Light
Garth Stein
Rated: 3.63 of 5 stars
3.63
· 24 ratings · 416 pages · Published: 28 Aug 2014
Twenty-three years after the fateful summer of 1990, Trevor Riddell recalls the events surrounding his fourteenth birthday, when he gets his first glimpse of the infamous Riddell House. Built from the spoils of a massive timber fortune, the legendary family mansion is constructed of giant whole trees and is set on a huge estate overlooking Seattle’s Puget Sound. Trevor’s bankrupt parents have separated, and his father, Jones Riddell, has brought Trevor to Riddell House with a goal: to join forces with Aunt Serena, dispatch the ailing and elderly Grandpa Samuel to a nursing home, sell off the house and property for development, and divide up the profits.
But as young Trevor explores the house’s hidden stairways and forgotten rooms, he discovers secrets that convince him that the family plan may be at odds with the land’s true destiny. Only Trevor’s willingness to face the dark past of his forefathers will reveal the key to his family’s future.
Spellbinding and atmospheric, A Sudden Light is rich with vivid characters, poetic scenes of natural beauty, and powerful moments of spiritual transcendence. “Garth Stein is resourceful, cleverly piecing together the family history with dreams, overheard conversations, and reminiscences…a tale well told,” (The Seattle Times)—a triumphant work of a master storyteller at the height of his power.
Tagged as:
- fantasy 4
- mystery 3
- historical 3
- historical fiction 3
- paranormal 3
- ghosts 3
- coming of age 2
- gothic 2
- supernatural 2
- family 2
- horror 2
- magical realism 2
- suspense 2
- literary fiction 2
- spooky 2
- drama 1
- lgbtq+ 1
- great outdoors 1
- action / adventure 1
- secrets 1
- haunted places 1
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- format - reader age
- audiobook 3
- young adult 3
- book 1