Reed's Beach

by Bret Lott

Hugh and Laura Walker could never have anticipated that the single greatest source of joy in their lives could so suddenly fill them with such unrelenting grief. The death of their only child, seven-year-old Michael -- struck by a car just seconds after stepping off his school bus -- has left them stranded in a sea of sorrow. With no emotional compass to guide them, the Walkers retreat to an old cottage near Cape May, New Jersey, where, separated from the daily reminders of their numbing loss, they hope to reenter the world of the living.
But lurking just below their sanity and resolve are memories -- not only of the simple joy that Michael brought to their lives, but also of the horror of his fatal accident. Buffeted by the conflicting winds of mourning and renewal, the Walkers see the once-solid foundation of their marriage begin to loosen. And Laura harbors a secret -- one essential to her self-preservation, but which could destroy all she and Hugh have ever been to each other. Reed's Beach weaves domestic tragedy with a strikingly original thriller of the heart, revealing the truths hidden deep within each of us, while holding out the elusive promise of love and hope.

Genres: Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Bret Lott is the bestselling author of fourteen books, most recently the nonfiction collection Letters and Life: On Being a Writer, On Being a Christian (Crossway 2013) and the novel Dead Low Tide (Random House 2012). Other books include the story collection The Difference Between Women and Men, the nonfiction book Before We Get Started: A Practical Memoir of the Writer’s Life, and the novels Jewel, an Oprah Book Club pick, and A Song I Knew by Heart. His work has appeared in, among other places, The Yale Review, The New York Times, The Georgia Review and in dozens of anthologies.

Born in Los Angeles, he received his BA in English from Cal State Long Beach in 1981, and his MFA in fiction from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1984, where he studied under James Baldwin. From 1986 to 2004 he was writer-in-residence and professor of English at The College of Charleston, leaving to take the position of editor and director of the journal The Southern Review at Louisiana State University. Three years later, in the fall of 2007, he returned to The College of Charleston and the job he most loves: teaching.

His honors include being named Fulbright Senior American Scholar and writer-in-residence to Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv, speaking on Flannery O’Connor at The White House, and having served as a member of the National Council on the Arts from 2006 to 2012. Currently he is nonfiction editor of the journal Crazyhorse. He and his wife, Melanie, live in South Carolina.

Reviews

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm skimming through a lot of this book cos frankly, not much to hold my interest. I've already thought about putting it aside (on page 119 currently) or at the least, picking up another book to read between readings of this one. You'll excuse me if my head hits the table?

Hugh and his wife Laura lost their only child - young Michael. He got hit by a vehicle as he was getting off the school bus. This story is a day in the life of Hugh and Laura as they struggle to make sense of it all. This story moves back and forth in time between present and past and also between Laura and Hugh.

(I finished reading/skimming through the book, by the way.)

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an incredibly sad story, but it certainly gave hope. It tells the tale of a couple dealing with the death of their only child. The couple is lost in their grief, as anyone would be, but through the help of those around them, begins to move forward. I can't even imagine this pain. But, I do understand how one could get lost in the grief. I found this an inspirational story and, as always, am empowered by the effects of love and compassion. Also, since I live local to the setting location of the novel, I had fun recognizing all the landmarks.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

A real struggle for me to read. I did something I don't like doing. I read the ending; it was the only way I could continue the arduous journey that slogging through this book became. Knowing that the book was going to come to a resolution was the only reason I didn't quit on this book. And, I've only quit on 2 or 3 books in my lifetime :) I'm not saying that there's not an audience out there; but, good luck to those of you that give it a try!

[Joanna Bergen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not fond of the ending

[AnonymousReaderPerson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't intend to diminish grief, which serves as the emotional fulcrum of this story. We've all felt it, and its power is not to be mocked.

But I struggled to find any value into the character's journey with it. I ended this story feeling that I learned only what had happened to cause their grief, and little about how it shaped them. Could it be that I'm just shallow and didn't "get it"? Perhaps. If so, maybe this rating is the victim of my own shortcomings. So be it.

This one is sitting in my trunk, and will be donated to the library in the near future.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very in depth look at heartache and loss. Bret Lott is a talented author! Glad that I made the effort to get this hard-to-find book.