THE SOUND OF GLASS
The New York Times bestselling author of A Long Time Gone now explores a Southern family’s buried history, which will change the life of the woman who unearths it, secret by shattering secret.
It has been two years since the death of Merritt Heyward’s husband, Cal, when she receives unexpected news—Cal’s family home in Beaufort, South Carolina, bequeathed by Cal’s reclusive grandmother, now belongs to Merritt.
Charting the course of an uncertain life—and feeling guilt from her husband’s tragic death—Merritt travels from her home in Maine to Beaufort,
The New York Times bestselling author of A Long Time Gone now explores a Southern family’s buried history, which will change the life of the woman who unearths it, secret by shattering secret.
It has been two years since the death of Merritt Heyward’s husband, Cal, when she receives unexpected news—Cal’s family home in Beaufort, South Carolina, bequeathed by Cal’s reclusive grandmother, now belongs to Merritt.
Charting the course of an uncertain life—and feeling guilt from her husband’s tragic death—Merritt travels from her home in Maine to Beaufort, where the secrets of Cal’s unspoken-of past reside among the pluff mud and jasmine of the ancestral Heyward home on the Bluff. This unknown legacy, now Merritt’s, will change and define her as she navigates her new life—a new life complicated by the arrival of her too young stepmother and ten-year-old half-brother.
Soon, in this house of strangers, Merritt is forced into unraveling the Heyward family past as she faces her own fears and finds the healing she needs in the salt air of the Low Country.
- NAL
- Hardcover
- May 2015
- 432 Pages
- 9780451470898
Buy the Book
$26.95
About Karen White
Karen White is the New York Times bestselling author of eighteen novels including A Long Time Gone, The Time Between, After the Rain, and Sea Change. She grew up in London but now lives with her husband and two children near Atlanta, Georgia.
Praise
“From the mysterious events of the first chapter to the heart-rending revelations of the last, Karen White paints a vivid portrait of a family filled with secrets, strife and–ultimately–love. I adore Karen’s stories and The Sound of Glass may well be my new favorite.”—Diane Chamberlain, USA Today bestselling author of The Silent Sister
“Complex and emotionally rich, Karen White’s Sound of Glass will linger in the reader’s heart long after the last page is turned. A gripping story, beautifully told.”—Karen Rose, New York Times bestselling author of Closer Than You Think
“A richly imagined, multilayered mystery where interlinked stories and unearthed secrets of a damaged family lead to courage and healing. Engrossing from beginning to end.”—Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Me
Discussion Questions
Discuss the effect of the plane crash in 1955 and the effect on Beaufort. How does it effect the lives of the characters in this story for generations? How did it recast Edith’s life?
Of all of Loralee’s maxims found in her truths journal, which rings the most true to you? Do you carry any of your own “truths” around to guide your thinking?
Even after her husband’s death, why does Edith keep her “secret project” under wraps, even though it helps and inspires the police community?
Why do you think Edith makes the sea glass wind chimes so devotedly? And why do you think Merritt chooses to leave them all in place? What do they come to represent, and why might they be called “mermaid tears”?
Why does Merritt blame herself for Cal’s death? How does she transform herself over the course of the book? Is she finally at peace with her journey at the end of the book?
Discuss the tragic connection between the women in the book. How did each survive their circumstances? Do you think a predisposition for domestic violence is a trait you can inherit?
Were you shocked by the “beloved” letter’s contents? Or Merritt’s ties to the letter?
Do you think Edith was right to keep the letter writer’s secret? Was she justified in any way?
Did Cal’s personal struggles and rationale for seeking out Merritt surprise you? Was he justified in feeling wronged by Edith’s secrecy?
Do you believe in fate or coincidences? Is there such a thing in your opinion? Do you think Merritt and Gibbes were meant for each other ultimately?
What is Loralee’s legacy for her loved ones? Do you think she successfully “built” a family or guidebook for Owen?