Synopsis

When Zoe Barlow finds the four antique hatboxes in the huge attic of her Grace Point home, she is horrified to discover that inside, still carefully wrapped in crumbling newspaper, are the fragile skeletons of four infants. But what Zoe and the local investigators at first don’t realize is that the delicate remains represent more than four murders committed a generation before. And when Zoe’s son abruptly disappears, she is forced to delve deeply not only into her own family’s past, but into the town of Grace Point’s as well. For Grace Point has a secret.

Rosalina Santos was born in Grace Point more than a generation earlier, and firmly knit into the tight web of the Portuguese fishing community. Married to Jaoquin, a man utterly devoted to her, Rosalina was sure she would love her husband forever. Then Fenris Boak, an artist, arrives in the New England beach town – and for the second time in her life, Rosalina falls passionately in love. She knows she will pay a price for her choice – but only too late does she realize how devastating her decision will be. For her, and for her unborn child, the town’s vengeance will be utterly unforgiving.

For Zoe to find her own son again – and discover the truth behind the bodies in her attic – she’ll have to unravel the secrets of Rosalina’s life as well, as their stories come together in an unforgettable twist – bound by betrayal, tragedy, and the family lies that have been handed down from generation to generation.

Inspiration

When I was a reporter in the late 70s, I remember being haunted by a story out of a small town in New Hampshire. A couple had gone up to clean out their attic and discovered a locked trunk left by a previous owner. When they opened it, they discovered the skeletal remains of six infants. The mystery of these babies – who they were, how they had died – was never solved in spite of extensive investigations by local and state police and the F.B.I. I think I wrote Grace Point in part to put those infants to rest.

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