The Fabled Earth
In 1959, Frances Flood arrives on Georgia’s Cumberland Island at the behest of her recently deceased mother, Joanna Burton. She has lived her life in the shadow of family secrets, and by fulfilling her mother’s dying wish to commission a painting from the reclusive artist, Cleo Woodbine, she hopes to put to rest questions about her own origins, and discover why Cleo has kept Joanna’s heirloom pearl necklace since the terrible events at Plum Orchard in 1932. As a folklore researcher, Frances is fascinated by the mystery of the siren-sighting in the East River, and how that connects to the two boys who drowned that fateful night.
Seen from the point of view of three women, Frances, Cleo and Audrey, a young widow who runs the local inn, Brock weaves her saga through the myths and legends of the 1930s, the rapidly changing times, and the chancy randomness of life. On the eve of a predicted mega-storm, the island is ushering out old ways to make way for a new world, one which Cleo has shunned for thirty years. Her patronage from the Carnegie family in 1932, to reside permanently at Kingdom Come studio to pursue her art, means she must now face her culpability in Joanna’s fate, as it was Cleo who was tasked with chaperoning the young ingenue to ensure her safety at Plum Orchard. This poignant tale is wonderfully redolent of a bygone era, with its timeless setting in which the waves of history come crashing upon Cleo’s quiet shore, in the wake of Joanna’s death. As Cumberland past and present comes alive for Frances, she begins to rewrite her own story about who she really is. This engaging novel sent me searching for more information about the Carnegies, Cumberland, and its historic houses and stately ruins; always a good sign of a fulfilling read.
