The Cliffs

By J. Courtney Sullivan

Genre

Contemporary Literary and Historical Fiction

Book Summary

The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan is a rich, emotionally layered novel that intertwines themes of history, identity, and personal redemption. Set in a small coastal Maine town, it follows Jane Flanagan, a Harvard archivist, who returns to her childhood home after her mother's death. Jane is grappling with professional and personal setbacks, including an alcohol use disorder and a deteriorating marriage. Her journey is both a literal and metaphorical excavation of the past. This emotionally riveting tale examines how personal and collective histories shape identity, offering readers a meditation on the weight of the past and the possibility of redemption.

Characters:

1. Jane Flanagan: The protagonist, Jane is a deeply flawed yet relatable character. Her role as an archivist mirrors her internal need to understand and reconcile with the past, both her family's and the wider historical narratives of the region. Her struggles with sobriety and grief are central to her arc, culminating in a hard-fought attempt at self-redefinition.

2. Genevieve and Benjamin: Genevieve, a wealthy newcomer, hires Jane to research her historic home, which she believes is haunted. Her brash modernizations of the property clash with its historical roots, symbolizing a disregard for the past. Her son, Benjamin, becomes a medium through which Jane explores the house's mysteries.

3. Eliza and Hannah: Through Jane's research, the story reveals the intimate, loving relationship between Eliza, a maid, and Hannah, the wife of the house's original owner. Their partnership in raising Hannah's children after her husband's death embodies resilience and queer love in a repressive era. Their story adds depth to the novel's exploration of hidden histories and marginalized voices.

4. Shirley and Mary: Jane’s late mother and grandmother are crucial to the novel's themes of inherited trauma and familial legacy. The revelation of Mary’s alcoholism and her affair upends Jane's perception of her family, forcing her to confront her own demons.

5. Naomi Miller: A Penobscot historian, Naomi helps Jane uncover Indigenous stories tied to the area, including the tragic tale of Kanti, a woman whose husband was abducted by colonists. This subplot enriches the novel’s exploration of how history is shaped and silenced.

6. Clementine: A psychic who connects Jane with her mother’s spirit, Clementine plays a pivotal role in pushing Jane to confront unresolved emotions. Her character adds a spiritual dimension, bridging the tangible and the spectral.

7. David: David is more than a character; he symbolizes the "path not taken." His presence in the narrative serves as a reminder of what Jane could have had if she had chosen to confront her problems earlier. However, his ultimate forgiveness also reflects the novel's broader themes of second chances and the enduring possibility of redemption, even after significant loss. David’s grounded personality contrasts with Jane’s chaotic life, emphasizing the novel's exploration of imbalance—between the present and the past, between control and disorder, and between hope and despair. His arc supports Jane's emotional reckoning, making him an essential figure in her eventual growth

   1. As a Catalyst for Jane’s Downfall: David and Jane’s failed marriage represents one of Jane’s most significant losses. Their divorce is attributed in part to her alcoholism and emotional distance. This broken relationship underscores Jane’s self-destructive tendencies and sets the stage for her journey toward recovery.

   2. Symbol of Stability and Lost Potential: David embodies a sense of stability and normalcy that Jane yearns for but feels unworthy of achieving. His patience and support during their marriage highlight Jane’s internal turmoil and inability to accept help, emphasizing the gap between the life she could have had and the reality she created for herself.

   3. Forgiveness and Closure: David reappears later in the story, offering Jane a chance at reconciliation—not romantically, but emotionally. His willingness to forgive her, even as he moves on with his life, symbolizes the possibility of growth and healing. This interaction becomes a pivotal moment for Jane, pushing her to finally face her issues with a sense of responsibility.

She told her children stories from Wabanaki mythology. About Gluskabe. About Azban the Raccoon, who challenged a waterfall to a shouting match and, receiving no reply, jumped into the waterfall to show he could shout louder, and was swept away. Every story contained a lesson. The moral of that one was: don’t get too cocky.​

Symbolism: The symbolism in The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan enriches its themes of identity, history, and self-discovery. Below are some of the key symbols and their deeper meanings within the novel:

1. The Abandoned Victorian House: The house serves as the central symbol of the novel. Once abandoned and later modernized, it represents:

   1. Forgotten Histories: The house holds the stories of Eliza, Hannah, and the original family, symbolizing how personal and collective histories can be buried or erased.

   2. Jane’s Inner World: For Jane, the house reflects her own state—neglected, filled with secrets, and yearning for renewal. As she delves into the house’s history, it parallels her journey to confront her own past.

   3. The Tension Between Preservation and Progress: Genevieve’s renovations, stripping the home of its historical charm, highlight a broader societal debate about respecting the past versus adapting for the future.

2. The Sea and Cliffs: The cliffs and the ocean are recurring images throughout the novel, symbolizing:

   1. Danger and Transformation: The cliffs represent a threshold between stability and change, a place where characters face literal and emotional peril.

   2. The Unyielding Passage of Time: The waves eroding the cliffs parallel the way history and trauma persist, shaping the present while threatening to vanish entirely.

3. Jane’s Role as an Archivist: Jane’s profession symbolizes the novel’s exploration of memory and the importance of uncovering hidden narratives.

   1. Preservation of Stories: Her work reflects the need to give voice to marginalized histories, such as Eliza and Hannah’s relationship or Kanti’s story.

   2. Her Personal Struggle: As an archivist uncovering others’ histories, Jane is also metaphorically forced to archive and confront her own past.

      
      

4. Kanti’s Story: Kanti’s tale, as revealed through Naomi Miller’s research, is a symbol of Indigenous erasure and resilience.

   1. Colonial Trauma: Her story underscores the broader historical displacement and silencing of Indigenous voices, connecting to the novel’s themes of reclamation and acknowledgment.

   2. Jane’s Awakening: Kanti’s narrative pushes Jane to see beyond her personal struggles and recognize the layers of injustice embedded in the land she inhabits.

5. Alcohol as a Generational Symbol: Alcoholism is a recurring theme in Jane’s family and represents inherited trauma.

   1. Cyclical Pain: Jane’s struggles mirror her grandmother Mary’s, highlighting the cyclical nature of addiction and its roots in unresolved emotional pain.

   2. Breaking the Cycle: Jane’s eventual efforts toward recovery symbolize the possibility of overcoming familial patterns.

      
      

6. The Psychic Connection: Clementine, the psychic, symbolizes a bridge between the tangible and intangible, the seen and unseen.

1. Connection with the Past: Through Clementine, Jane connects with her mother’s spirit, reflecting her need to reconcile with her family history.

2. Acceptance and Healing: The psychic interactions suggest that acknowledging the emotional and spiritual remnants of the past is essential for moving forward.

   
   

7. The Archival Records: The documents Jane uncovers in her research act as symbols of truth and the persistence of memory.

1. Hidden Truths: These records illuminate forgotten lives and marginalized voices, underscoring the novel’s theme that history must be actively uncovered to be preserved.

2. Empowerment Through Knowledge: As Jane pieces together the house’s history, she also pieces together her own understanding of herself, finding strength in acknowledging the past.

8. The House as a Metaphor:

   1. The Victorian home at the center of the novel is a potent symbol of forgotten histories and personal secrets. Once Jane's refuge as a teen, it now represents a site of layered stories—from familial tragedies to Indigenous displacement. Its haunting underscores the novel's theme that the past, if ignored, demands reckoning.

   2. As Jane untangles the house’s history, she also unravels her own, leading to moments of self-awareness and healing. By the novel’s end, she finds a semblance of peace, working at a women’s history museum and embracing her role as a storyteller of marginalized narratives​

You have to hand it to men, they’ve managed to convince us that the things that make women powerful are weaknesses.

Book Club Questions

1. Exploring Family Legacy and Personal Responsibility.

1. Jane discovers layers of trauma and secrets in her family history. How do her mother Shirley’s struggles with alcoholism and her grandmother Mary’s affair influence Jane’s own challenges with addiction and relationships?

2. Discuss how generational trauma shapes individuals and the decisions they make.

3. Can Jane be seen as breaking the cycle by the end of the novel? How does her journey reflect modern conversations about confronting inherited emotional burdens?

2. Queer History and Marginalized Voices

1. Eliza and Hannah’s relationship is a central historical revelation in the novel. Their love story is one of resilience but also of hiding their true selves within a restrictive society.

2. How does their story shed light on the erasure of queer relationships in historical narratives?

3. What parallels can you draw between their experiences and modern-day struggles for LGBTQ+ acceptance and visibility?

3. The Weight of Historical Narratives

1. Through her research with Naomi Miller, Jane learns about Kanti, a Penobscot woman whose husband was abducted by colonists. This story is a microcosm of Indigenous displacement and cultural erasure.

2. How does the inclusion of Indigenous history affect the novel’s broader themes of forgotten or suppressed stories?

3. Discuss how this reflects ongoing societal issues, such as the marginalization of Indigenous communities and their fight for recognition and restitution.

4. Preservation vs. Modernization

1. Genevieve’s efforts to modernize the house conflict with its historical essence, symbolizing a tension between honoring the past and embracing the future.

2. Do you sympathize with Genevieve’s vision, or do you believe her actions represent a disrespect for history?

3. How does this theme resonate with current debates about preserving historical landmarks versus adapting them to contemporary needs?

   
   

5. Forgiveness, Redemption, and Self-Discovery

1. David’s forgiveness of Jane represents a pivotal moment in her journey toward self-acceptance. Similarly, Jane’s ability to confront her past allows her to reconcile with her present.

2. What does the novel suggest about the role of forgiveness (both self-forgiveness and forgiveness from others) in personal growth?

3. How might Jane’s experience inspire conversations about redemption in today’s societal context, particularly around issues like addiction and personal accountability?

Human beings did so much damage to one another just by being alive. To the people they loved most, and to the ones they knew so little about that they could convince themselves they weren't even people.

My Opinion

The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan is nothing short of remarkable, weaving together themes of history, family, trauma, and identity with a masterful touch. It resonated deeply with me, particularly in how it explored the ripple effects of history—both societal and personal—and how those echoes shape mental health, behaviors, and beliefs.

One of the most impactful aspects of the book was its portrayal of colonization in Maine, especially through the narrative of Kanti, a Penobscot woman. Her story highlighted the brutality of displacement and the silencing of Indigenous voices, exposing historical truths like the Candlemas Massacre. This event, a harrowing episode of violence against Native Americans, felt especially poignant as it underscored how colonization wasn't just a historical fact but a living legacy with enduring repercussions. It reminded me how critical it is to not only be aware of such history but to engage with it emotionally and intellectually. The injustices and losses of the past demand acknowledgment, and this book delivered that message powerfully.

Beyond historical events, the novel's themes touched on how personal histories—family traumas and unspoken struggles—are passed down. Jane's journey to uncover her family’s secrets mirrored her own battles with addiction and grief, showing how unresolved pain reverberates across generations. This idea aligns closely with concepts in epidemiology and the science of generational trauma. Studies in epigenetics suggest that trauma can imprint itself biologically, influencing how descendants respond to stress and adversity. The Cliffs brought this science to life in a way that felt intensely personal, showing how both societal and familial histories must be faced head-on for healing to occur.

Perhaps the most important takeaway for me was the book's call to preserve stories—both collective and individual. Sullivan makes a compelling case for why knowing history is not just an academic exercise but a deeply human one, vital for understanding ourselves and others. Just as Jane finds clarity and purpose through her archival work, we too can find meaning in tracing and reckoning with the past.

The book’s emotional intensity reminded me of the importance of processing trauma in healthy ways. Whether through therapy, storytelling, or simply acknowledging painful truths, healing requires an active engagement with our histories. The novel was a vivid reminder that history—whether cultural or personal—is alive, continually shaping who we are. It’s our responsibility to ensure it’s remembered and addressed.

In the end, The Cliffs wasn’t just a story; it was a mirror, reflecting how history is inextricably tied to identity and mental well-being. It left me not only moved but also inspired to better understand the layers of history and trauma that inform both myself and the world around me. Sullivan’s work is a testament to the transformative power of literature.

That is will never come again is what makes life so sweet.