Between the Sound and Sea: A Novel

Amanda Cox

Aug 2024 · Baker Books

About this ebook

Every family has its secrets. Josephina Harris wouldn't mind if her family still had a few of their own after a lawsuit tarnishes their name. When an opportunity opens to become a temporary keeper of a decommissioned lighthouse on a North Carolina island, she jumps at the chance to escape her small town to oversee its restoration.

As the work begins, "Joey" discovers strange notes tucked deep in the crevices of the old stone walls--pages torn from a lighthouse keeper's log signed by someone named Mae who recounts harrowing rescues at sea. Fascinated by a woman lighthouse keeper, Joey digs into the past only to discover there's never been a record of a lighthouse keeper by that name.

When things start to go amiss on the island, locals are convinced that it is the ghost of the lighthouse keeper and his daughter who were lost at sea during World War II. As Joey sifts through decades of rumors and legends and puts together the pieces of the past, what emerges is a love story--one that's not over yet.

Multiple Christy Award winner Amanda Cox is your guide upon the raging seas of young love, heartbreaking loss, and learning to risk it all for a chance at happiness in this timeless novel.

Ratings and reviews

A beautiful, romantic, faith filled mystery! Between the Sound and Sea completely grabbed hold of my imagination and didn’t let go. Full of secrets, legends, history, and restoration, this dual time line romance takes place on North Carolina’s Outer Banks in 2007 & the 1940’s. I enjoyed both timelines and how the past & present were woven together with plenty of twists along the way. It’s a lovely story about regrets, fear, and moving forward with romance & a touch of humor. Highly recommend!

With characters as weather-worn as the lighthouse itself, readers take a front row seat as friends and family are providentially transplanted together to search for the truth of Bleakpoint Island and Saint Mae. Add a little wisdom, capricious folklore and a few well placed, mysterious happenings and you end up with another restored, Amanda Cox community you want to be a part of. I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

Masterfully weaving history with mystery along with contemporary fiction, this book hooked me from page one and would not let go. Set in the Outer Banks, it is the story of a young woman who takes on the daunting task of restoring a lighthouse that holds many secrets. The book has a touch of romance in it, but mostly I was drawn to the themes of resilience, forgiveness and perseverance during hard times. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the author

Amanda Cox is the Christy Award-winning author of The Edge of Belonging, The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, and He Should Have Told the Bees. She holds a bachelor's degree in Bible and theology and a master's degree in professional counseling, but her first love is communicating through story. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and their three children. Learn more at AmandaCoxWrites.com.