Bellewether

In the aftermath of her brother's untimely death, 30-year-old Charley Van Hoek moves to Millbank, NY, a quaint seaside town on the North Shore of Long Island, to help care for her teenage niece. She takes over as curator of the Wilde House Museum, where the historical events she studies become entrenched in her present-day world. Hundreds of years earlier, Lydia Wilde lived with her father, her brothers, and two captured French soldiers, including a lieutenant, in the house. According to local stories, Lydia and the lieutenant began a relationship that ended tragically. When Charley uncovers artifacts, she realizes that some of the former inhabitants of the Wilde house may not be entirely gone. As she puts together the intricacies of the Wildes' lives, she makes sense of complex issues within her own family. Kearsley's comprehensive research is evident in the book's close attention to the details of the 18th century. Told from three viewpoints—Lydia; the French lieutenant, Jean-Phillipe; and Charley—the plot seamlessly weaves together the past and present. Though the topics are fascinating and the characters well developed, the action is slow to build, especially in the beginning. The author occasionally reverts to clichés and predictable formulas.