Noëlle Harrison
Eithne is the keeper of secrets in her family. When her sister Beatrice disappeared from her home in the dark woods of County Meath, it was thirteen year-old Eithne who uncovered the forlorn evidence of her life: a string of pearls, a pink beret, a compact and her beloved sketchbook. Their mother, Sarah, was so grief – stricken that she did not speak for five years, and their father, Joe, sank further into drink-filled rage.
Now an adult, Eithne is an artist, and tries to remember her sister in her sketches of the dark wooded bogs behind her house. For there was something else about Beatrice that was rarely spoken of in the household, a dark, guilty secret that her disappearance only made worse. And now, almost twenty years later, all could be revealed when a stranger appears….
Framed by Eithne’s journey to discover the truth about her sister, with the magic and beauty of art running through it, this is a richly compelling story of family secrets, passion and, ultimately, redemption.
Appreciation for Beatrice
Vivid and powerful, Beatrice is a novel told in gleaming moments, like a string of pearls brought one by one out of the dark. It has the compelling power of a detective story, following a trail of ghosts into the past.
Niall Williams
It totally grips the reader’s attention quite literally to the very final paragraph….
Dermot Bolger, Independent on Sunday
Noelle Harrison deftly leads through the stories of these three women, their desires, and the men they love.
The Irish Times
A promising and enjoyable first novel
Irish Independent
This is a haunting story of a family full of love, sadness and secrets, with beautifully -drawn characters, a lyrical style and scenery so clear you could almost touch it
Choice Magazine
I enjoyed every minute of this novel. My advice is: wait for a rainy day, take the phone off the hook, and dive in.
Dublin Evening Herald
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