The Cliffs

Sullivan’s provocative latest is the story of a purple Victorian and the land on which it sits, overlooking the ocean in Maine. The story begins in the present, when a disgraced Harvard archivist retreats to her hometown after torching her marriage and career in one foolish act. The house’s owner asks her to research its history; she’s convinced it’s haunted and wants to get to know her ghosts. Jane’s research uncovers the female artist who lived and worked there in the 1960s and the former Shaker who worked there as a hired girl in the 1850s, and ultimately takes her back to the time when the Wabanaki people lived on the land. The present day storyline doesn’t hold the same allure as the past dramas, but this juicy summer tale remains immersive, nuanced, and oh-so-discussable.