The Forgotten Farmhouse by the Sea: An emotional and uplifting tale of secrets and second chances

Written by Caroline Young

Narrated by Bronwen Price

Following the gentle curve of the cliff through soft tussock grass, the old farmhouse lies ahead of her like a beacon. Drawing near, she sees cracks in the sash windows and buddleia seedlings sprouting from chips in the rendering. Years have passed since she visited the house as a child – and yet here it is, still standing, waiting for her…

‘You need rescuing,’ she says, unlatching the wooden gate, ‘and so do I.’

Nan Green has been visiting the island of Anglesey for as long as she can remember, drawn back to its windswept beaches and hidden coves every summer. The island is her refuge, a place where as a child she could escape her controlling father, if only for a few weeks.

When a ramshackle old cliffside farmhouse she remembers from her childhood comes on the market – complete with a wind-blasted hawthorn tree and endless sea views out towards the Irish coastline – Nan convinces her husband, Robin, they should buy it.

But Nan’s dream of a perfect family home by the sea soon starts to crumble. Robin is increasingly distant and dismissive, echoing the past behaviour of her father. Meanwhile, Nan’s mother refuses to visit her new home. What history does she have with the old house? Could it be the same secret that makes islanders say the farmhouse is cursed? And what has it got to do with local craftsman and single father Harri? Locals say he has a troubled history, but when they meet walking along a pebbled beach Nan feels a strange connection to him. She can tell he’s a little broken, just like her.

As Nan finds her place in the island community, old wounds begin to heal. But can she let go of her past after so many years? And by rescuing the farmhouse and setting its secrets free, can Nan save herself too?

A heart-warming and unputdownable tale about old dreams, new beginnings and finding your own happy ending. Perfect for fans of Susanne O’Leary, Amanda Prowse, Liz Eeles and Sheila O’Flanagan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Storm Publishing
• Release date: Oct 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9781805082200

Caroline Young

Caroline Young has always written stories and found inspiration in the world around her, be it a bustling city or a windswept beach. She has worked for many years as a writer of non-fiction books for children, which allows for few adjectives or creative expression, so she keeps these things for her fiction. As the mother of three grown-up daughters, she now has the time to focus on her own writing, and tell the stories she wants to tell. Caroline has a degree in English from Cambridge University where she was exposed to wonderful writers from every age, and she aims to relate just some of their ideas and language to her life and writing. Caroline's idea of paradise is a bright day with a bracing wind and the sea, waiting for her to dive into it (even in January!). She hopes to write stories that the reader can lose themselves in, which take them somewhere different and fill them with joy in the beauty of the natural world, and all the amazing people in it.