There are few authors whose novels I look forward to as much I do Emylia Hall’s. I read, and adored, her debut – The Book of Summers – a few years ago, eagerly awaited her second – A Heart Bent out of Shape, and was then thrilled to hear via Twitter that she was spending time in Cornwall researching her third book. I had high expectations for The Sea Between Us, and was thus amazed that yet again Hall’s novel left me quite spellbound.

Set on the remote Cornish coast, The Sea Between Us fuses the elements of both a love story and a coming of age tale to offer readers an enchanting story of love lost and found again. The story starts when strong and silent Jago saves his new neighbour Robyn from drowning; a moment that forms an unbreakable bond that will change them both forever. The tale follows the ebb and flow of their relationship over the years and their hometown of Merrin, much like Du Maurier’s Cornwall, is a character in itself.

The tale itself is both atmospheric and evocative; and so swept away was I by the rugged Cornish setting that had I not already booked a one way ticket down under to start a new life in Sydney, I would have packed up my bags and set sail for a quaint and quiet life on the Cornwall’s beautiful coast.

Hall writes with such wonderfully lyrical prose, that she effortlessly transports her readers to the sandy shores which form the backdrop to this tale. Charming, poignant, and all things a novel should be, I savoured every last page of this wonderful, wonderful book.

Love this post? Click here to subscribe.