ALICE gets off a bus in the middle of a snowstorm in Delphi, NY. She is fleeing an abusive relationship and desperate to protect…OREN, ten years old, a major Star Wars fan and wise beyond his years. Though Alice is wary, Oren bonds nearly instantly with…
MATTIE, a social worker in her fifties who lives in an enormous run-down house in the middle of the woods. Mattie lives alone and is always available, and so she is the person the hotline always calls when they need a late-night pickup. And although according to protocol Mattie should take Alice and Oren to a local shelter, instead she brings them home for the night. She has plenty of room, she says. What she doesn’t say is that Oren reminds her of her little brother, who died thirty years ago at the age of ten.
But Mattie isn’t the only one withholding elements of the truth. Alice is keeping her own secrets. And as the snowstorm worsens around them, each woman’s past will prove itself unburied, stirring up threats both within and without.
My Thoughts: I was immediately swept up into the drama of The Night Visitors as Alice and Oren get off the bus and are pulled into the unknown life ahead of them. Fleeing abuse, but not sure who they can trust, Alice braces herself against the challenges ahead.
Alice and Mattie’s stories are told in alternating narratives, and we learn more about their lives and their experiences as their stories unfold.
I could relate to Mattie, having had a career in social work. Her own family life was full of secrets and dark judgments, so I could empathize with how she had struggled.
Alice’s secrets brought darkness into their new lives, and because she wasn’t sure if she could trust Mattie, she almost lost the opportunity to accept the good offered to her.
Mysteries seemed to lurk in the old Victorian house where Mattie offers refuge, and I liked the “ghostly elements” in the story. In the end, I was happy that many of the issues were resolved for the characters. 4.5 stars.
I’m glad it ended well. So many highly charged endings, this sounds nice.
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Thanks, Mystica, I’m glad, too.
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I like the sound of this one, it has enough elements in it to know I’d like reading it.
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Thanks, Kathryn, it was a great page turner.
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The Victorian house is enough to tempt me but the rest of this sounds intriguing and maybe a little heartbreaking as well. I hadn’t heard of this one but you’ve definitely gotten me curious!
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Thanks, Katherine, that Victorian house caught my interest, too. Loved this book!
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I do like this author; this one sounds good to me.
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Thanks, Diane, I loved it!
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I agree with you. I’ve seen a few people say that The Night Visitors wasn’t worth the read, but I’m glad I sat down with it.
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Thanks, Tori, I think the social worker aspect resonated with me because of my career.
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