Across the Deep: A Novel

by Lisa McGuinness

A contemporary survivor story.

Raised in Thailand and brought to the United States against her will, quiet and intelligent Suda is hiding from a sex-trafficking ring and the man she believed was on her side.

Claire, admired as bright and beautiful in high school, now hides her striking looks and wears her sharp wit as a protective shield.

Determined to show Suda and Claire a path that allows for a life of their own, Simone, the safe house operator, offers them a haven and a healing path to the future.

Audible Audio

Published December 15, 2020

About the author

Lisa McGuinness is the mother of a 13-year-old daughter as well as a freelance editor and writer who has been working in the children's book publishing field for many years. She lives in Northern California.

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is clearly a lot of heart that went in to writing this book and I am happy I got to read it. What I liked about this book: a lot of care went into the characters and their relationships to each other, I could feel the love they all shared. The relationship dynamics were definitely the selling point of this book for me. What I didn’t like: Though the book states that Simone is flawed, the way she’s characterized most of the time feels too idealistic and she doesn’t feel like a real person. I’m not implying that there aren’t real people who do the work that Simone does. I simply mean, at her core, she’s too perfect to be relatable. It just doesn’t make for a good character in a story. Overall, it was a nice book to start the new year, I appreciate reading books from other perspectives. I’m not very religious so it was interesting to read a book from this perspective. I liked learning how the author views religion in the context of hope and healing. It’s interesting to spend some time in someone else’s shoes, whether or not I agree. Lastly, I wish Claire and Suda got together. I was rooting for them more than I was Chai and Simone. I was sad it didn’t work out that way, but this fact didn’t take away from my experience. Just some food for thought.

[Terri Stanfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Across the Deep is a story of the power of friends, faith and perseverance in the face of unthinkable ugliness. Ms. McGuinness adroitly navigates a sensitive subject and dark reality with compassion and healing. I enjoyed her character development, especially Suda and Claire. This novel reminds us that there is good and kindness in this often, not-so-kind world.

This is the 2nd book from Lisa McGuinness that I have read. I enjoy her voice and her sense of place. Ms. McGuinness is maturing as a writer and I cannot wait to read more from her!

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story and I loved the characters! Human trafficking is such a horrible thing and a world-wide problem. We all need to be more aware and figure out how to put an end to such a terrible & violent business.