It's the summer of 1990 and everything is about to be forever changed for Trevor Riddell.... With his parents newly separated, Trevor visits his Grandpa Samuel's home for the first time. Family secrets have been buried in Riddell house for generations and Trevor's inquisitive nature has him questioning if there is a ghostly presence lingering. Meanwhile, Trevor's father, Jones, has teamed up with his sister, Serena, to try to force the sale of Riddell House. Will Trevor uncover the long-hidden family secrets and discover his own heritage?
A SUDDEN LIGHT is told from the perspective of an adult looking back on one summer in his childhood. We delve deep into the Riddell family's past, seeing their rise to power with lumber baron Elijah Riddell. I particularly love the journals and letters that Trevor uncovers in his explorations as it is through these writings that we get a real sense of the Riddell family's painful history and what the house and land actually mean to Trevor's ancestors.
Garth Stein beautifully evokes memories and emotions through his rather quirky characters. We have likable characters like Grandpa Samuels and Benjamin contrasted with the detestable Serena. I hated Sister Serena and her penchant for referring to her brother as "Brother Jones" from the first moment Trevor sees her but I couldn't stop turning the pages fast enough to see what was in store for her.
A SUDDEN LIGHT is a thoroughly satisfying read with a very startling but oh-so-satisfying conclusion. Garth Stein has a gift for pulling the reader into the storyline and allowing the reader to see the awe and wonder of nature through his characters. A SUDDEN LIGHT encompasses multiple genres as Garth Stein crafts a tale that is as memorable as it is beautiful.
The bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
presents a long-awaited new novel in which a boy trying to
save his parentsβ marriage uncovers a vast legacy of
family
secrets.
In the summer of 1990, fourteen-year-old Trevor Riddell
gets
his first glimpse of Riddell House. Built from the spoils
of
a massive timber fortune, the legendary family mansion is
constructed of giant whole trees and is set on a huge
estate
overlooking Seattleβs Puget Sound. Trevorβs bankrupt
parents
have begun a trial separation, and his father, Jones
Riddell, has brought Trevor to Riddell House with a goal:
to
join forces with his sister, Serena, dispatch the ailing
and
elderly Grandpa Samuel to a nursing home, sell off the
house
and property for development, divide up the profits, and
live happily ever after.
But as Trevor explores the houseβs secret stairways and
hidden rooms, he discovers a spirit lingering in Riddell
House whose agenda is at odds with the family plan. Only
Trevorβs willingness to face the dark past of his
forefathers will reveal the key to his familyβs future.
Spellbinding and atmospheric, A Sudden Light is rich with
unconventional characters, scenes of transcendent natural
beauty, and unforgettable moments of emotional truth that
reflect Garth Steinβs outsized capacity for empathy and
keen
understanding of human motivationβa triumphant work of a
master storyteller at the height of his power.
No excerpt available.
© 2003-2026