Book Review: The Sound of Glass

The Sound of Glass, by New York Times bestselling author, Karen White, was very well done. The pacing was calculated and precise. The characters were well-drawn and believable. Moreover, the plot carried the book along until the final secrets were revealed and pieces were tied down.

Merritt Heyward has just learned that she is the new owner of her deceased husband's family home in Beaufort, South Carolina. Leaving her old life behind in Maine, she embarks on a new one, moving into the home and beginning to clear out the old and renew the ancient house. Although she is unsure why the house didn't go to her husband's younger brother, Gibbes, she agrees to allow him to access whatever he might want from the house. When her step-mother (only a few years older than herself) arrives with Merritt's ten-year old half-brother in tow, she begrudgingly puts them up for a while so that she can establish a relationship with her half-brother, Owen. Demons abound under the surface and there is a past which will rupture Merritt's understanding of the present, once she uncovers secrets long hidden.

I know that description is a bit vague, but there were so many layers to the story and they just have to be peeled back by the reader bit by bit. It is told from the perspective of three different women (the original owner of the house, Merritt, and her step-mother). These characters, bound by a common thread of domestic violence, must make peace with their past and bravely pursue the future.

Although I felt things were a bit too tidy and convenient, I was willing to suspend my disbelief for the genuine pleasure of putting together the pieces of this story. The conclusion was satisfying. The characters achieved a level of reconciliation and redemption in the end. It was definitely a good read.