I'll Weave a Song For You

What a stunning book. I absolutely loved it.
It reads like a tapestry, the author weaving stories this way and that and intertwining the threads as you learn more about the characters.
Emily - the talented painter, our protagonist who loses her twin to cancer.
Alice - the gentle calming presence Emily meets in her favourite cafe who has a gift and a story to share
Jon - the beguiling man Emily meets on the beach whose presence in the small town is soon to be felt by more than just one.

The feeling of peace the author left me with is profound. Her description of Emily and her grief, the paintings she does are so beautifully described. Beautiful.

She holds the verse in the palm of her hand and tells a story she died in.

When Megan dies, she leaves a promise with her twin Emily: ‘I’ll weave a song for you…it may take a while, but I’ll come back to you Em, somehow’. Her song threads a tapestry, spinning through a mosaic of memories and weaving into the present day, touching the lives of Alice and Jon.

The Café by the Oak is in the heart of Crayshead, a Cornish seaside town with a sleepy tortoise, a vocal parrot, and a dog named Wellington. Emily is charmed by Alice, an old lady with secrets hidden behind the walls of a convent. Jon’s life lacks purpose. After taking up a new teaching post he feels settled enough to begin unravelling his past, but when he finds something he isn’t looking for it causes him to question everything.

Emily seeks comfort in her art, reflecting on her childhood, and helping Jon pursue his past. And as Alice slowly reveals her secret, Emily breathes life into a painting on canvas… Can Megan weave a song without leaving them all with a sense of betrayal?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Matador for the opportunity to read this lovely, quiet novel.
I'll Weave a Song for You by Sandra Leavesley is one of those rare novels you hope never ends. Reading it brought me peaceful reflection with its poetic and lyrical phrasing and descriptions. I loved it.