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Breakwater
First published in 2001, Breakwater is the critically acclaimed debut novel by the author of The New Ships (VUP, May 2018).
A young woman and the baby she didn’t plan, an older woman and the daughter she might lose, are brought together by the accidents of life in this moving first novel.
In her first year of university Ella finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, and coincidentally finds herself a comfortable place in the home of a new friend, Tessa. But no sooner is the baby born than Tessa is seriously injured in a car accident, and as her mother, Louise, struggles to cope, Ella becomes more withdrawn and preoccupied. Relationships become strained and then sundered—until finally a chance moment of reconciliation in Louise’s Breakwater Café.
A young woman and the baby she didn’t plan, an older woman and the daughter she might lose, are brought together by the accidents of life in this moving first novel.
In her first year of university Ella finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, and coincidentally finds herself a comfortable place in the home of a new friend, Tessa. But no sooner is the baby born than Tessa is seriously injured in a car accident, and as her mother, Louise, struggles to cope, Ella becomes more withdrawn and preoccupied. Relationships become strained and then sundered—until finally a chance moment of reconciliation in Louise’s Breakwater Café.
272 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2002
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 5, 2023
As a Kiwi myself I loved how it was set in Wellington. The style of writing matched my taste perfectly and I absolutely loved it. I loved the characters and how it portrays life in a way that makes it look realistic and relatable. The main protagonists went through the normal routine of life and it really humanized them which I loved.
Definitely a 10/10
Definitely a 10/10
September 3, 2016
I read Kate Duignan's "Breakwater" because she is related to a friend of mine and because I set a goal of reading and reviewing more New Zealand fiction this year. More than that, Duignan was the 2004 Robert Burns fellow at the University of Otago, so I was curous about her 2001 book.
The book centres around Louise, owner of the Breakwater cafe in Wellington and single mother of adult children. Their lives are first impacted by the introduction of Ella, a newly inpregnated university student brought home by Louise's daughter, Tess. Louise is the significant adult in the story of young twenty-somethings sorting out their pathways in life with regards to careers and relationships. A car accident interupts all of this, diverting attentions and priorities.
It is a very well written book. Her prose is clean with an uncomplicated vocabulary, both which I appreciate. "Breakwater" is written in third person perspective with present tense. I found this awkward to read until about the last quarter of the book. I felt physical relief during flashback scenes written in the past tense. This is one of those things that are difficult to highlight as either positive or negative in a book because of the subjective response of the reader. There are good reasons for writing in this way, but I was just slow to adapt or resistent to adapting.
The prose suited the storyline and characters who, for the most part, are very ordinary. This is realistic fiction, with realistic dialogue. In one sense, the book should be admired for this as Duignan captures a real slice of life for these characters. However, with persistent realistic dialogue or long narrative passages about a character's choice of career or an entire chapter detailing a child's birth, comes the risk of dwelling on the mundane. Not that child-birth is a mundane event - it just didn't make for fascinating fiction for me. I found myself skimming sections. The car accident and teen birth should serve as more dramatic events, but these are two storylines that draw yawns from me, probably because I read about these in my students' writing to excess.
This is a character-driven book, however, and there are some good ones. While I didn't truly appreciate the Ella story-line or learn to love the stolid Louise, I did enjoy Tess as soon as I met her as well as Chris. Unfortunately, both characters recede into the background through the middle of the book. But the end scenes with Chris and Jacob in the car and when Chris finally visits Tess in hospital are almost powerful.
I sense "Breakwater" could be enjoyed by a lot of people, depending on taste and interest. I would recommend it to those who enjoy books by Anne Tyler and Amy Tan.
Antony Millen is the author of "Redeeming Brother Murrihy: The River to Hiruharama" and "Te Kauhanga"
The book centres around Louise, owner of the Breakwater cafe in Wellington and single mother of adult children. Their lives are first impacted by the introduction of Ella, a newly inpregnated university student brought home by Louise's daughter, Tess. Louise is the significant adult in the story of young twenty-somethings sorting out their pathways in life with regards to careers and relationships. A car accident interupts all of this, diverting attentions and priorities.
It is a very well written book. Her prose is clean with an uncomplicated vocabulary, both which I appreciate. "Breakwater" is written in third person perspective with present tense. I found this awkward to read until about the last quarter of the book. I felt physical relief during flashback scenes written in the past tense. This is one of those things that are difficult to highlight as either positive or negative in a book because of the subjective response of the reader. There are good reasons for writing in this way, but I was just slow to adapt or resistent to adapting.
The prose suited the storyline and characters who, for the most part, are very ordinary. This is realistic fiction, with realistic dialogue. In one sense, the book should be admired for this as Duignan captures a real slice of life for these characters. However, with persistent realistic dialogue or long narrative passages about a character's choice of career or an entire chapter detailing a child's birth, comes the risk of dwelling on the mundane. Not that child-birth is a mundane event - it just didn't make for fascinating fiction for me. I found myself skimming sections. The car accident and teen birth should serve as more dramatic events, but these are two storylines that draw yawns from me, probably because I read about these in my students' writing to excess.
This is a character-driven book, however, and there are some good ones. While I didn't truly appreciate the Ella story-line or learn to love the stolid Louise, I did enjoy Tess as soon as I met her as well as Chris. Unfortunately, both characters recede into the background through the middle of the book. But the end scenes with Chris and Jacob in the car and when Chris finally visits Tess in hospital are almost powerful.
I sense "Breakwater" could be enjoyed by a lot of people, depending on taste and interest. I would recommend it to those who enjoy books by Anne Tyler and Amy Tan.
Antony Millen is the author of "Redeeming Brother Murrihy: The River to Hiruharama" and "Te Kauhanga"
November 14, 2022
As a Kiwi myself I loved how it was set in Wellington. The style of writing matched my taste perfectly and I absolutely loved it. I loved the characters and how it portrays life in a way that makes it look realistic and relatable. The main protagonists went through the normal routine of life and it really humanized them which I loved.
Definitely a 10/10
Definitely a 10/10
December 1, 2009
This is the first novel I've read that takes place in Wellington. Really enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews