A Book A Week

The enduring fascination between humanity and the vast sea has a rich literary history. Renowned authors like Ernest Hemingway and Jules Verne delved into its mysteries, while Herman Melville, most famously, crafted his monumental fictional quest for the great white whale within the unforgiving oceanic expanse. Now, Daniel Kraus joins this literary tradition of exploring the depths of the sea. His work, Whalefall, stands as an epic tale, not unlike the classic tomes before it. It is distinguished by a contemporary, scientific angle that is gripping the hearts and minds of readers. I was immediately captivated by this narrative and couldn't put it down until I had reached the final page.

Jay Gardiner has spent his entire life immersed in diving. His father, Mitt, a notable diver in his own right, ensured that Jay became intimately acquainted with the ocean's depths. Their relationship flourished beneath the waves, with Mitt imparting knowledge about the vastness of the sea, its beauty, and its perils. While these lessons instilled in Jay a profound respect for the ocean, Mitt's almost compulsive obsession with oceanic facts sometimes seemed to eclipse everything else. It was a surprise when Mitt defied all the rules he had instilled in his son and embarked on a solo dive from which he never returned. Jay and his family were left grappling with why an experienced diver like Mitt would undertake such a reckless expedition.

Haunted by guilt and unanswered questions, Jay resolves to undertake a daring dive of his own. His mission is to retrieve his father's remains from the depths of the Pacific Ocean, a seemingly impossible task. While searching the deep waters of Mitt's last believed location, Jay becomes entangled in a swarm of squids escaping from a hungry sperm whale. In a whirlwind turn of events, he is swept away by a powerful current directly into the maw of the massive mammal. With a rapidly depleting oxygen supply, Jay realizes he has only one hour to confront his inner demons and make a harrowing escape from the belly of the whale.

In Whalefall, Daniel Kraus plunges readers into an oceanic adventure that's as much about survival as it is about self-discovery. Yes, it revolves around a man's unlikely ordeal of being swallowed by a whale, but this incident also serves as a catalyst for a much deeper exploration of his past, his intricate relationship with his father, and his sheer determination to endure. Admittedly, one must embrace a certain suspension of disbelief from the start, but once engrossed in the narrative, any reservations become inconsequential. The novel boasts its "scientific accuracy," though I have some reservations about this claim. Nonetheless, the story's entertainment value is undeniable.

Whalefall reads like a hybrid of Moby Dick and The Martian, blending the epic scope of the former with the survivalist science characteristic of the latter. This unique blend culminates in an emotionally gratifying conclusion that compliments the unfolding grand adventure. Ultimately, Whalefall delivers a captivating oceanic odyssey that skillfully harmonizes thrills with a profound emotional undercurrent, leaving a lasting mark as an unforgettable adventure.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2024, 7)

"I've lived my whole life with a land mind. Thinking land thoughts. But I want to think sea thoughts. I want to have a sea mind."

What defines a summer read? For me, summer reading is a mindset, a shift to addictive page-turners that pull on my emotions through either strong character drama or twisty thrills. I think a good summer read should also have some relationship to the season. That could be as simple as a book taking place in the summer or even just a tropical or vacation-like setting. The best even have both. As I've had more time to read than ever before (thanks COVID-19), I've ventured into the kinds of books I normally wouldn't read. Usually, my reading time is so limited that I choose books that I'm certain I will love. Now I have the time to explore those titles that I would normally be on the fence about. As the summer reading season begins to set in, I've vowed to be more adventurous and try to redefine what a summer read means to me.

Sea Wife by Amity Gaige is the perfect starting point for this endeavor. I mean, look at that lush tropical landscape on the cover! I'd much rather be exploring that island than being quarantined at my house, but at least I can turn to a book to transport me there. Sea Wife adheres to some of my preconceptions of a summer read while simultaneously redefining them.  This is the literary tale of a family who decides to escape the banality of suburban life by purchasing a sailboat and sailing across the waters of the Caribbean. It combines the adventure of a high seas expedition with the more intimate reflections of family life and the drama that comes within. In short, a truly riveting read that won't soon be forgotten.

"Sometimes life just writes you tiny, awful poems."

Juliet traded her dreams of earning her advanced degree in poetry for a life as a wife and mother. Her life just turned out so conventional and ordinary. She was a bright student brimming with promise when she met Michael. One marriage and two children later, and Juliet just couldn't get around to finishing her dissertation. She kept pushing out the deadline until it could be pushed no more. Finally, she had to succumb to the inevitable. The life she planned to live wasn't going the be the life she was given. That's a hard fact for a woman with a history of depressive episodes to face. Her marriage is beginning to strain under the pressure of her perennial disappointment, and Juliet is not sure things can be saved. Then Michael comes to her with a crazy idea.

Michael has a life that most men would envy. He's got a good enough job, a beautiful wife, two healthy kids, and a house in a nice enough neighborhood. Still, he can't shake the feeling that something is missing. His marriage isn't what it used to be, and he fears he is wasting the best years of his life. Inspired by fond childhood memories of sailing with his father, Michael uses his lunch breaks to escape to the local marina. He stares out at the boats, recollecting and wishing for something more. At the marina, Michael befriends an elderly man who quickly takes to talking about boats, the open sea, and the life that could be. Eventually, he presents his plan to Juliet. They can buy a sailboat, take a year off of work, and sail with the family to Panama. Life at sea would give them a chance to break from the rut of their lives, show their children a different part of the world, and maybe even help them begin to mend their broken relationship. Juliet hesitantly agrees. After all, life can't get much worse than what it already is.

"This is it. This is what a life is. A journey with no signposts. The seas roll out in every direction. There but for the grace of God."

In Sea Wife, Amity Gaige writes of a family's emotional journey that is as harrowing as the physical journey they have undertaken. In fact, the adventure at sea can almost be seen as a kind of analogy to the internal story of Juliet and Michael's emotional exploration. Gaige reveals her narrative from two separate perspectives.  The first is of present-day Juliet reflecting upon her time at sea. She is in one of her depressive states spending her days in the bedroom closet, struggling to deal with the ramifications of the family's time at sea. Nestled into this perspective is that of Michael in the form of a captain's log that Juliet is slowly reading. In this log, Gaige presents the time at sea as it chronologically unfolds, allowing her two divergent threads to slowly make their way to convergence. She veils her challenging, emotional story into that of a seafaring adventure, the kind of read that I normally gravitate to this time of year. This combination allows Sea Wife to be both a page-turner and intimate character study, the likes of which had me facing emotions I wasn't prepared to feel. I think I related more to this story because of our current quarantine situation. It was hard not to sympathize with a four-person family confined to the small space of a sailboat. It is safe to say that Sea Wife has helped me to challenge my own perception of what constitutes a summer read by forcing me to expand them. I still need the adventure and the strong character drama, but now I'm more apt to seek out the more introspective emotional aspects too. For that reason, I think Sea Wife is a must-read for any serious summer reader.

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2020, 22)

A review of a book to film adaptation.

Angelina Jolie follows up her directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, with Unbroken, a film adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's account of the fascinating life of Louis Zamperini. I read the fantastic book in 2010, and was enamored with the story of the incredible Zamperini and all of his accomplishments. Jolie seemed like an odd choice to direct this serious drama, but I entered the theater prepared for the inspiring story that the book portrayed.

In The Lifeboat, author Charlotte Rogan explores the actions of a group of people who are forced to survive on a small lifeboat and the repercussions of this event. The premise seems simple enough, but in the dexterous hands of Rogan, the story takes on a larger life that invites readers to join in on this fascinating journey.

The year is 1914, and newly wed Grace is traveling with her husband, Henry, across the Atlantic Ocean aboard the luxurious ocean liner, The Empress Alexandra. After a sudden explosion, the passengers frantically evacuate the sinking ship, doing whatever it takes to secure a spot in a lifeboat. As Lifeboat 14 begins its descent into the ocean, it stops just long enough for Henry to put Grace and seaman John Hardie onto the boat. Hardie, who clearly has the most experience with all things nautical, takes lead of the small boat, navigating through the debris, and coldly passing other passengers who struggle to stay afloat in the sea. Hardie is the only one aboard the lifeboat who understands that the small vessel is already overcrowded and to take in even one more passenger would be suicide.

As the days pass, the passengers all follow the lead of Hardie, who has assigned tasks for each of the evacuees. They all seem to believe that despite their misfortune, help will arrive soon. After several days, the solitude of the sea begins to take its toll on the passengers. Hunger and thirst muddy their minds, a looming storm threatens to sink their boat, and different opinions threaten to tear apart the unified effort of the passengers.

The novel is told from the point of view of Grace who is writing a journal of her time on the lifeboat. We learn, through many flashbacks, that Grace is currently on trial for murder. As the novel progresses, we gain further insights into the events that took place on the boat, and are forced to face the question of how far a person should go to further their survival.

Being the debut novel from Rogan, I was very impressed with the strength and clarity of her story telling. The suspense of both the struggle to survive in the ocean and to clear her name in a murder trial kept the pages turning and my attention fully held. Rogan descriptions offer subtle glimpses into human nature and the desire to live. Despite the fantastic build up, I felt a bit let down by the ending. It seemed as if these philosophical ideas about survival were leading to some kind of revelation. Instead we get a resolution to the plot with no emotional punch. That being said, I think this novel is worth the read for that build up alone. Perhaps the lack of a real answer to the questions that come up, in this situation, perfectly captures the reality of the event. Either way, this novel forced me to conjure ideas about life, death, and the will to survive.

For more information, visit the author's website,
http://charlotterogan.com,
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12888599-the-lifeboat, and Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/review/RIX76M7RSLIO5/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0316185906&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=.

(week 21, book 23)

To fifteen-year-old Cal, his father is like a stranger. The family resides on Loyalty Island, a costal Washington community that relies on the Alaskan king-crabbing season to provide economic stability. Each winter, Cal and his mother are left alone while Henry braves the harsh conditions of the Bering Sea. Despite Henry's well intentions, Cal feels a disconnect with his father. His mother, who moved to the island after falling in love with Henry and becoming pregnant with Cal, spends countless hours in the basement, listening to her large record collection and recalling her earlier years.

Now that he is older, Cal is noticing trouble in is parent's marriage. They argue about whether or not he should become a fisherman like is father. His mother unrelentingly insists that he will complete school and find a job away from the community's difficult lifestyle. Even more troubling than the disagreements, however, is the amount of time that his mother spends with local tycoon John Gaunt.

Gaunt owns the entire fleet of crabbing boats and the local cannery. When he suddenly dies, the entire business is left in the hands of his son Richard, who has never embraced the lifestyle of his father. As Richard threatens to disrupt the livelihood of the community, and Cal's mother, now pregnant and distraught with grief, flees to a friend's home in California, Cal is forced to remain with his father. When the winter crap season approaches, Cal discovers information that shows how far his father has gone to protect their way of life. What follows is a harrowing tale of a young man, forced to come to terms with his family, himself, and to decide what is the "right" thing to do.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel. This is author Nick Dybek's debut, but he writes with the confidence and simplicity of a natural storyteller. Each character is believably conflicted and their introspections, during a very unique situation, are subtle and genuine. Overall, the novel asks how far we would go to maintain a lifestyle and to protect the ones we love. The story takes a bit of time to find its legs (oddly appropriate for a novel about fisherman and choppy seas), but the characters are interesting enough to keep the plot moving. The discovery in the middle of the novel left me shocked, and the last half had me completely riveted. This is an extremely solid novel that expertly blends strong characters with a vivid setting, original plot, and a moral awareness that is rarely found in debut novels.

For more information visit the author's website,
http://nickdybek.com/ Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/review/R3RSCK4OII38JE/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12379545-when-captain-flint-was-still-a-good-man

(week 15 , book 17 )