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  • The Sea Gate

  • By: Jane Johnson
  • Narrated by: Anna Cordell
  • Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,144 ratings)

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The Sea Gate cover art

The Sea Gate

By: Jane Johnson
Narrated by: Anna Cordell
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Summary

One house, two women, a lifetime of secrets....

Following the death of her mother, Becky begins the sad task of sorting through her empty flat. Starting with the letters piling up on the doormat, she finds an envelope post-marked from Cornwall. In it is a letter that will change her life forever. A desperate plea from her mother's elderly cousin, Olivia, to help save her beloved home.

Becky arrives at Chynalls to find the beautiful old house crumbling into the ground and Olivia stuck in hospital with no hope of being discharged until her home is made habitable.

Though daunted by the enormity of the task, Becky sets to work. But as she peels back the layers of paint, plaster and grime, she uncovers secrets buried for more than 70 years. Secrets from a time when Olivia was young, the Second World War was raging and danger and romance lurked round every corner....

The Sea Gate is a sweeping, spellbinding novel about the lives of two very different women and the secrets that bind them together.

©2020 Jane Johnson (P)2020 Head of Zeus

Critic reviews

"I was completely swept up in this.... Quite magical." (Rachel Hore)

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What listeners say about The Sea Gate

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beautiful

this wasn't my usual listen but it was a beautiful story and i absolutely loved it. thank you for a wonderful listen.

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A really lovely story.

A thoroughly enjoyable listen. A wistful tale of deep love and wartime divides. Lovely narration, and great imagery.

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What I find

Bought in the sale and shall be reading more by this author. Really enjoyed this , read well by Anna Cordell.

Crime and thrillers are my usual thing but now and again I go for something different and this fitted the bill. Credible story and not too flowery .

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Enjoyed

Enjoyed the interweaving stories. Gentle storytelling despite some colourful language! Slightly irritated by the mispronunciation of a few words or perhaps I’ve been mispronouncing them all these years!

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Thrilled to ‘meet’ a new author

I had not come across Jane Johnson’s books before and am delighted that I did. I thoroughly enjoyed The Sea Gate and will look out for more of her books. She handled both the WW2 era and modern day authentically. The book was gripping to the end. There are SO many novels out there that I am ruthless about abandoning a book if it does not keep me engaged. The Sea Gate certainly held my attention right to the epilogue. Highly recommended.

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Lovely story with great characters and some brilliant twists

Great narration, super characters, some great drama and loved the history. Really enjoyed it. Will be looking up other books by this author.

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A story that gets under your skin

I do love a dual timeline story, especially when the characters are drawn in detail which Jane Johnson did with incredible skill.

Olivia was a young girl during the second world war which meant that she lived apart from her dear parents, had a young evacuee billeted with her alongside land girls from London. Life is very different to life 'before'

Meanwhile Rachel goes to the aid of the elderly Olivia in the modern day. Summoned by letter she finds the Cornish house, Chynalls, in a state of disrepair. On order from social service, a list of improvements are to be made if Olivia is to return to her house, and her beloved parrot Gabriel. Rachel calls in the builders whilst she contemplates the life she has left behind.

The plot, the characters and the narrator all combined to bring this story to life, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Great story

I enjoyed this book. Interesting story to keep me page turning. Not the usual romance. Well read.

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My first read by this author - loved it!

Terrifically engaging great characters binge listened and loved it. Highly recommended. I’m off to seek more from the same author.

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The Sea Gate

This story was a little slow to start but there were intriguing points that kept me listening. I am so glad I did. As the story unfolded it became a tale of love and passion, which told two stories, one from the present day and one from the war years. The ending was strong and in good Christie fashion, explained everything to everyone's satisfaction.

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7 people found this helpful