The Secret of the Brighton House by Cathy Hayward

 

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

On Sale Date: November 1, 2024

Pages: 300

I reviewed a digital review copy from the publisher

The main character of the book, Joanne, always was told by her father and his wife (who she always considered as her mum), that her biological mother died at childbirth. Joanne and her husband are finally expecting a baby after experiencing several miscarriages in the past years. But now, in her forties he pregnancy seems to go well, and her father brings her a box of her old baby things that she can use. In the box is also her own baby journal. There are pictures of her and her birth mother, Grace, holding her weeks after her birth. Joanne is shocked, as she never seen these pictures, and apparently Grace didn't die at her birth, but as she discovers through research, years after. When she goes to her dad for more explanation, she is met with silence, and later on closed doors, and eventually estrangement from her dad Mike, who apparently is hiding many secrets. We travel back in time to the 1970, when Mike and Grace where expecting a baby. Grace was truly looking forward to become a mom, and sewed many sweet baby clothes for her coming baby, and had good times with her best friend Susie talking about both their upcoming motherhood. Back in that time, women where induced at the hospital to acommodate the schedule of the doctors, and their husbands where not welcome during the childbirth. Treated very badly by the hospital staff, and alone and very frightened when Joanne was born, she got bad psychological  and psychotical issues after her birth and eventually is locked up in a psychiatric hospital. And this was always kept a secret in the family.. and Joanne goes on a search to find out what happened to her mother and what was always kept away from her..

The Secret of the Brighton House is a moving and thrilling novel about motherhood and mental illness . The story alternates in chapters between Joanne's pov in the present time and Grace's in the 1970's. I really liked the storyline, it truly had depth and it switched from the two different time periods very well, and I just liked how the book ended. The characters are also very realistic and I loved how the author connected the characters of Joanne and Grace, altough they never truly seen each other later in life. The search of Joanne for answers about Grace was very moving, and I loved how she forgave her father in the end and their relationship was good again after alll that happened.

Overall, a beautiful novel that I recommend reading!