Yesterday's Sun: A Novel

Yesterday’s Sun, a poignant debut novel from British author Amanda Brooke, finds a young woman having to choose between her own life and the life of her future child.When newly married Holly and her husband Tom move into a charming old manor house in the English countryside, she couldn’t have predicted that a mystical moondial would change her life—and her destiny.In the style of Jodi Picoult, with memorable characters, and tender, warm, prose, Yesterday’s Sun is a brilliant, suspenseful tale of free will versus fate; a heart-wrenching story of family and the risks we take to break from the past.

From Booklist

Holly Corrigan’s death is foretold early in this limited, occasionally charming novel; indeed, she knows of it herself well in advance. Stumbling upon a “moondial” in her new garden, she is able to see a future in which she dies in childbirth. She must then choose to either die or prevent the birth of a child she comes to love in her visions. This seems a static and unpleasant premise from the get-go—and it is—so it is a happy surprise to find that, despite the premise, Brooke’s humble, engaging prose is enough to propel one through a good portion of the book. Holly and Tom are a likable pair, and her investigation of the dial’s magic, as well as her emotional progression, is initially interesting. Eventually, though, her vacillations become tiring and the book becomes suffocating, since it consists chiefly of these internal movements. Its weaknesses are more evident the longer it is drawn out, with characters and relationships beginning to feel flat and the ending a formality, though Brooke does have a few twists up her sleeve. --Meg Kinney

From the Back Cover

A suspenseful tale of free will versus fate—an extraordinary story of love and family, and the risks we take to break free from the past Newlyweds Holly and Tom have just moved into their dream home, a charming English carriage house in the London suburbs. A rising television journalist, Tom can't wait to fill the house with children. Holly, a budding artist, isn't so sure. She fears that as a mother, she will repeat the terrible mistakes of her own neglectful parents. But Holly and Tom are young and deeply in love, and they have time to decide. While renovating the house, Holly finds an unusual crystal orb—the missing top to the moondial in their garden. She soon discovers this is no ordinary timepiece. Under the full moon's brilliant light, it reveals the future—a future in which Tom cares for their baby daughter . . . alone. Holly's new friend in the village, an elderly woman named Jocelyn, reveals the cursed secret of the moondial's power. Now Holly must choose between herself and her future child—a painful decision that will ultimately teach her about motherhood and sacrifice . . . and reveal how far she will go in the name of love.

About the Author

Amanda Brooke lives in Liverpool with her teenage daughter, Jessica. When her three-year-old son died from cancer, Amanda was determined that his legacy would be one of inspiration. Yesterday's Sun is inspired by her experiences of motherhood.

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