That Night at the Beach
Kate Hewitt
398 pages
Bookouture
published January 19, 2023
Amazon | Audible US | Audible UK | Goodreads
Listen to a sample here
Book Description:
As mothers we never dare to delve into our worst-nightmare scenarios. What if… we might murmur to each other, and then shake our heads, telling ourselves it’ll never happen to us if we’re just good enough mothers. Yet here we are. And the steady beep of the heart monitor is the only evidence the child in front of us is alive…
It’s Labor Day weekend, so of course we went to the beach. Like we do every year. For a barbecue picnic with my best friend Rose. It’s the perfect tradition—drinks, games, burgers, music, laughter. Together with our husbands, my two teenage sons and her two daughters, we all arrived as the sun was still shimmering over the water, the whole evening ahead of us.
But nothing goes to plan. Old secrets emerge, tempers flare. And so we parents decide to leave the beach, telling the teenagers to enjoy themselves, reassuring them someone will be back to collect them in an hour or two.
But when I return a little while later, I know something is really wrong. Our teens are slurring their words, stumbling to the car. It’s clear they have been drinking and I’m shocked. I never expected our kids to behave this way. I’m bracing myself to have firm words with them in the morning, but the next day my concerns fade to nothing, when seventeen-year-old Bella claims my son Finn assaulted her.
Finn insists he would never do that. And I so want to believe him. Because I brought my son up right. Because a mother would know, wouldn’t she?
What I don’t know is that the answer to what happened that night on the beach may be a matter of life and death for one of our beloved children…
An absolutely heartbreaking story about friendship, parenting and betrayal. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Jojo Moyes and Susan Lewis.
My Review:
I’ve waffled over what to write in this review. I really think the less you know about the book, the better. Such a timely subject and something every parent should think about.
Two families that used to be close, have drifted apart but try to do their annual back to school barbecue. With dire consequences. The prologue has an unnamed Mom with her child in the hospital. All stemming from that night at the beach. I had forgotten what the description said when I got to the morning after the night at the beach. Not where I thought it was going.
There are multiple versions of the story and it takes on a life of its own. This would be a great book club book as there is so much to discuss. Which family did you believe? Who’s in the bed and which mother is with them? What happened to put them there? Did anyone go too far?
It’s a heartbreaking story that could have been ripped from the headlines.
Author Bio:
Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.
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