SET THE STARS ALIGHT by Amanda Dykes, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

"I can't shake the feeling that we've somehow found ourselves right smack in the middle of one of his tales. But instead of hearing it, we're living it."

Lucy Claremont's beloved father was a story teller extraordinaire. Mesmerizing his young daughter and her best friend Dashel Greene with fireside compendiums, Lucy and Dash often wondered where the truth disappeared and the fairy tale began. Eventually Dash left London to follow his dreams and Lucy became stuck in hers, until in the midst of crippling grief hope reappears and an age-old mystery grabs hold of her heart. It seems that the old watch maker knew how to "set the stars alight", after all.

What a luscious story! Impossible to describe, yet quite impossible to ignore. Words sing off every page, while harmonizing with characters who are so beautifully painted into their settings that readers will instinctively gape at their loveliness. The height and depth of this story's implications are immeasurable, for "God is the pursuer of your heart, Lucy, . . . . In every sunset, in every snatch of birdsong. In everything that stirs deep into you and makes you hungry for bigger, eternal things. . . . . He is there, filling your soul, giving you breath."

This author has the unique ability to take what is seen, and gently fashion it into an imprint of what is unseen, in order to leave a lasting impression on the hearts of her readers in a deeply personal way. It will be nearly impossible to gaze into the heavens, without recalling this story. This is one of the most beautifully written stories that I have ever read. Sure to be a top-tenner!
*I purchased this book and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 

See Paula and Winnie's Review

BackCover Blurb:
Lucy Clairmont's family treasured the magic of the past, and her childhood fascination with stories of the high seas led her to become a marine archaeologist. But when tragedy strikes, it's Dashel, an American forensic astronomer, and his knowledge of the stars that may help her unearth the truth behind the puzzle she's discovered in her family home.

Two hundred years earlier, the seeds of love are sown between a boy and a girl who spend their days playing in a secret sea cave, while the privileged young son of the estate looks on, wishing to join. As the children grow and war leads to unthinkable heartbreak, a story of love, betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption unfolds, held secret by the passage of time.

As Lucy and Dash journey to a mysterious old estate on the East Sussex coast, their search leads them to a community of souls and a long-hidden tale that may hold the answers--and the healing--they so desperately seek.

Bethany House Publishers June 2020

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