Books › Gentlehands
Gentlehands
208 pages
A breezy summer romance across the tracks slowly unravels into a chilling confrontation with a horrifying historical legacy.
What it feels like
This novel begins with the familiar, sun-warmed texture of a summer romance, contrasting the cramped, year-round reality of a coastal town with the lavish estates of the wealthy. The mood is initially nostalgic and earnest, capturing the heady rush of first love across class lines. However, the narrative pace quickens as an unsettling mystery bleeds into the idyllic setting. The atmosphere shifts from breezy to dread-soaked, forcing the reader to grapple with the chilling realization that horrifying historical atrocities can hide behind a refined, aristocratic facade. It is a sobering, suspenseful read that explores the loss of innocence and the heavy burden of family secrets. This book will captivate readers who appreciate coming-of-age stories that seamlessly blend youthful romance with dark, historical gravity.
- Mood
- summery
- tense
- ominous
- unsettling
- Tone
- earnest
- suspenseful
- sobering
- reflective
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- class differences · dark family secrets · loss of innocence · the shadow of history · first love
- The writing
- Accessible and engaging, balancing the breezy observations of youth with the gravity of historical trauma.
- The arc
- Begins with the heady rush of summer romance across class lines before plunging into a chilling confrontation with a horrifying family legacy.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate coming-of-age stories where innocent summer romances collide with dark, real-world historical mysteries.
Content notes
- war crimes
- Holocaust themes
- Auschwitz references
- family betrayal
About the book
Buddy Boyle lives year-round with his family in unfashionable Seaville, New York, in a cramped little house on the bay. Skye Pennington spends the summers nearby on lavish estate complete with ocean view and a butler named Peacock.But Skye and Buddy fall in love anyway. And every once in a while they visit Buddy's estranged grandfather, who makes them forget they're from opposite sides of town. Then a reporter appears, searching for a man known as Gentlehands, a man with a horrifying past. Who is Gentlehands? And what is his connection to Buddy's handsome, aristocratic grandfather? The mystery threatens to shatter Buddy and Skye's relationship, and change their lives forever.
Description from Open Library.
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