The Girl on the Cliff: A Novel

$11.63
by Lucinda Riley

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From the author of the international bestseller The Orchid House , comes a mesmerizing story about two Irish families and the tangled ties that have bound them since World War I. From the author of the #1 international bestseller The Orchid House , the mesmerizing story of two Irish families entangled by a tragic past that seems destined to repeat itself To escape a recent heartbreak in New York, Grania Ryan returns to her family home on the rugged, wind-swept coast of Ireland. Here, on the cliff edge in the middle of a storm, she meets a young girl, Aurora Lisle, who will profoundly change her life. Despite the warnings Grania receives from her mother to be wary of the Lisle family, Aurora and Grania forge a close friendship. Through a trove of old family letters dating from 1914, Grania begins to learn just how deeply their families’ histories are entwined. The horrors of World War I, the fate of a beautiful foundling child, and the irresistible lure of the ballet give rise to a legacy of heartache that leaves its imprint on each new generation. Ultimately, it will be Aurora whose intuition and spirit may be able to unlock the chains of the past. Sweeping from Edwardian England to present-day New York, from the majestic Irish coast to the crumbling splendor of a legendary London town house, The Girl on the Cliff introduces two remarkable women whose quest to understand their past sends them toward a future where love can triumph over loss. *Starred Review* Troubled by a recent miscarriage, Grania Ryan leaves her loving boyfriend in New York and seeks solace at her family’s home in Ireland. Despite the soothing effects of her mother’s cooking, countless cups of tea, and long, contemplative walks along the coast, Grania still can’t imagine returning to her old life in America. When Grania meets a tiny, redheaded girl wandering the same stretch of rocky coastline, the two strike up an unusual friendship. The young girl turns out to be Aurora Lisle, an inhabitant of the mysterious Dunworley House and the youngest member of the oft-discussed Lisle family. As Grania’s relationship with the Lisle family grows stronger, she’s forced to make choices that will not only affect her time spent in Ireland but potentially the rest of her life. Riley, author of the best-selling The Orchid House (2012), has crafted a spellbinding family drama full of long-buried secrets and set against the wind-swept Irish coast. Riley’s authorial voice is lyrical yet driven, familiar to fans of Carol Cassella and Jodi Picoult. Tautly paced yet picturesque, The Girl on the Cliff is a compelling and romantic novel of recovery, redemption, new opportunities, and lost love. --Stephanie Turza "Tautly paced yet picturesque, The Girl on the Cliff is a compelling and romantic novel of recovery, redemption, new opportunities, and lost love." ― Booklist (Starred Review) " The Girl on the Cliff firmly establishes Lucinda Riley as one of the most compelling and gifted storytellers working today." ― The Paramus Post “Colorful writing…Keeps the pages turning.” ― Kirkus Reviews Lucinda Riley was the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels, including The Orchid House , The Girl on the Cliff , and the Seven Sisters series. Her books have sold twenty million copies in thirty-five languages globally. She was born in Ireland and divided her time between England and West Cork with her husband and four children. Visit her website at LucindaRiley.com. The Girl on the Cliff 1 Dunworley Bay, West Cork, Ireland The small figure was standing perilously close to the edge of the cliff. Her luxuriant, long red hair had been caught by the strong breeze and was flying out behind her. A thin white cotton dress reached to her ankles and exposed her small, bare feet. Her arms were held taut, palms facing out toward the foaming mass of gray sea beneath her, her pale face looking upward, as if she were offering herself as a sacrifice to the elements. Grania Ryan stood watching her, hypnotized by the wraithlike vision. Her senses were too jumbled to tell her whether what she was seeing before her was real or imagined. She closed her eyes for a split second, then reopened them, and saw that the figure was still there. With the appropriate messages sent to her brain, she took a couple of tentative steps forward. As she drew nearer, Grania realized the figure was no more than a child; that the white cotton she was wearing was a nightdress. Grania could see the black storm clouds hovering out over the sea and the first saltwater droplets of impending rain stung her cheeks. The frailty of the small human against the wildness of her surroundings made her steps toward the child more urgent in pace. The wind was whipping around her ears now and had started to voice its rage. Grania stopped ten yards from the girl, who was still unmoving. She saw the tiny blue toes holding her stoically to the rock, as the rising wind whipped and swa

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