After Surfing Ocean Beach

by Mary Soderstrom

In a brief, panicked moment, Rick mistakes the kindness of an apparent stranger for a threatening act, and inadvertently commits murder. He flees the scene, and tries to keep secret from his family the unfortunate event that has occurred. Little does he know that not only has he killed an innocent man, but the man is the son of Annie, with whom Rick had an intense relationship in his youth. As Rick and Annie struggle to come to terms with the tragedy, each recalls the life they once led, and pines for a life that never was. This haunting and engaging tale is Mary Soderstrom at her masterful best.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Mary Soderstrom is a Montreal-based writer of fiction and non-fiction whose most recent book--her 19th--Before We Forget: How Remembering Will Get Us Through the Next 75 Years was published by Dundurn Press in March 2026. It follows in the footsteps of Against the Seas: Saving Civilizations from Rising Waters (Dundurn, 2023) and Concrete: From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future {October 2020. University of Regina Press.}

In 2019 the UofRegina Press published her Frenemy Nations: Love and Hate between Neighbo(u)ring States which is an examination of why ten pairs of political entities--ranging from the formerly two Vietnams, through Haiti and the Dominican Republic and Vermont and New Hampshire to the US and Canada--are so similar in some respects, yet so different.

As Katia Grubisic writes about it in the Montreal Review of Books: "Soderstrom is interesting because she is interested... Her frequent asides – musings on language, geology, genetics, twins, what have you – are sharp and illuminating, sparking reflection and lightening the informational load."

Her Road through Time: The Story of Humanity on the Move (University of Regina Press) was published in 2017 to laudatory reviews in Quill & Quire, Publishers' Weekly and The Library Journal which called it "a must-read for all interested in society, past and present."

Her most recent work of fiction is River Music, a novel published by Cormorant Book in May 2015. In fall 2013 Oberon Press brought out her collection of short stories, Desire Lines: Stories of Love and Geography. Her last non-fiction book was Making Waves: The Continuing Portuguese Adventure (Véhicule Press, 2010) . Cormorant published her novel The Violets of Usambara in 2008. About a Canadian politician who is kidnapped in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, it is particularly relevant now in an era of terrorism around the world.

And for nearly a decade she has maintained an eclectic chronicle about politics, nature, cities and life, Recreating Eden (http://marysoderstrom.blogspot.com)

Reviews

[Alliebass · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the story After Surfing Ocean Beach by Mary Soderstrom, the reader goes back and forth through the main characters Annie and Rick's perspectives and personal trials. This story focuses on the high school sweet hearts Annie and Rick, but everything changes when Rick's mother passes away. When Annie finds out she is pregnant she goes on a quest to find Rick who had already gone away for college. After many years pass, Rick returns to Ocean Beach to end up in an accidental murder that leads to a life he could have had with Annie. Since there are two main characters and the story bounces between their perspectives, I would have to say Annie and Rick are the most interesting because we get to know them on a more personal level and get to understand their thoughts and motives for different situation throughout the story. My favorite part of the book was when they started to unravel the murder and find the unknown embedded secret between the murderer and his victim, because all chaos breaks loose and the characters start to intertwine their secrets. I would recommend this book, for those who like romantic stories but also like mysterious murders. Personally I was surprised I enjoyed the book as much as I did, because I was hoping the book was going to be about surfing like most of the books I typically read but was pleasantly caught off guard with the well written novel.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of the book was a slow start. However once things got rolling, I found it difficult to put it down. I look forward to reading another of Mary Soderstrom's novel.