What do you think?
Rate this book
Separated From the Sea
Separated From the Sea is the debut short story collection from award-winning author, Amanda Huggins.
Crossing oceans from Japan to New York and from England to Havana, these stories are filled with a sense of yearning, of loss, of not quite belonging, of not being sure that things are what you thought they were. They are stories imbued with pathos and irony, humour and hope.
Evie meets a past love but he's not the person she thinks he is; a visit to the most romantic city in the world reveals the truth about an affair; Satseko discovers an attentive neighbour is much more than that; Eleanor's journey on the London Underground doesn't take her where she thought it would.
Crossing oceans from Japan to New York and from England to Havana, these stories are filled with a sense of yearning, of loss, of not quite belonging, of not being sure that things are what you thought they were. They are stories imbued with pathos and irony, humour and hope.
Evie meets a past love but he's not the person she thinks he is; a visit to the most romantic city in the world reveals the truth about an affair; Satseko discovers an attentive neighbour is much more than that; Eleanor's journey on the London Underground doesn't take her where she thought it would.
- GenresShort Stories
158 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 2, 2018
2 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Huggins
26 books11 followersAmanda Huggins is the award-winning author of the novellas All Our Squandered Beauty and Crossing the Lines, both of which won the Saboteur Award for Best Novella, as well as five collections of short fiction and poetry.
(Kindly note, she did NOT write any of the yoga/wellness books misattributed to her on this profile and has tried unscuccessfully to have them removed . . .)
Her travel writing, fiction and poetry have been widely published in anthologies, English textbooks and travel guides, as well as newspapers and magazines including Harper's Bazaar, the Guardian, The Telegraph, Wanderlust, Reader’s Digest, Writers’ Forum, Tokyo Weekend, Popshot and Mslexia. Her short stories have also been broadcast on BBC radio.
She has won a number of awards for her travel writing, most notably the BGTW New Travel Writer of the Year in 2014, and has been placed in numerous short story and poetry competitions including Harper's Bazaar, Bridport and Fish. In 2018 she was a runner-up in the Costa Short Story Award and her prize-winning story ‘Red’ features in her collection, Scratched Enamel Heart. In 2019 her novella, All Our Squandered Beauty, was shortlisted in the Best Opening Chapter Competition at York Festival of Writing and in 2020 she won the Colm Toibin International Short Story Award, was included in the BIFFY50 list of Best British and Irish Flash Fiction 2019-20, and her poetry chapbook, The Collective Nouns for Birds won the Saboteur Award for Best Poetry Pamphlet. In 2021 she won the H E Bates Short Story Competition, was a runner-up in the Fish Short Story Prize, and All Our Squandered Beauty won the Saboteur Award for Best Novella.
Amanda Huggins also writes as Mandy Huggins - please see her separate Goodreads profile under that name.
(Kindly note, she did NOT write any of the yoga/wellness books misattributed to her on this profile and has tried unscuccessfully to have them removed . . .)
Her travel writing, fiction and poetry have been widely published in anthologies, English textbooks and travel guides, as well as newspapers and magazines including Harper's Bazaar, the Guardian, The Telegraph, Wanderlust, Reader’s Digest, Writers’ Forum, Tokyo Weekend, Popshot and Mslexia. Her short stories have also been broadcast on BBC radio.
She has won a number of awards for her travel writing, most notably the BGTW New Travel Writer of the Year in 2014, and has been placed in numerous short story and poetry competitions including Harper's Bazaar, Bridport and Fish. In 2018 she was a runner-up in the Costa Short Story Award and her prize-winning story ‘Red’ features in her collection, Scratched Enamel Heart. In 2019 her novella, All Our Squandered Beauty, was shortlisted in the Best Opening Chapter Competition at York Festival of Writing and in 2020 she won the Colm Toibin International Short Story Award, was included in the BIFFY50 list of Best British and Irish Flash Fiction 2019-20, and her poetry chapbook, The Collective Nouns for Birds won the Saboteur Award for Best Poetry Pamphlet. In 2021 she won the H E Bates Short Story Competition, was a runner-up in the Fish Short Story Prize, and All Our Squandered Beauty won the Saboteur Award for Best Novella.
Amanda Huggins also writes as Mandy Huggins - please see her separate Goodreads profile under that name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 6, 2018
SEPARATED FROM THE SEA by Amanda Huggins is an eclectic collection of short stories that span the kaleidoscope of emotions and is a book to be treasured.
Spanning continents, these stories are brimming with emotions and you will feel these character's sorrow, loss, yearning, as they search for what is missing which is often impossible. From old lovers to a grieving mother, from familiar places and situations to the exotic, there really is something for everyone among these pages. Some stories are more powerful and haunting than others but there is something about each and every one which will make you stop and take your time to really get to the heart and meaning of the tale in question.
SEPARATED FROM THE SEA by Amanda Huggins is a must-read collection for short story fans but also for readers, like myself, that don't always venture into the short story genre - these stories may not be long but they are powerful.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the blog tour organiser
Spanning continents, these stories are brimming with emotions and you will feel these character's sorrow, loss, yearning, as they search for what is missing which is often impossible. From old lovers to a grieving mother, from familiar places and situations to the exotic, there really is something for everyone among these pages. Some stories are more powerful and haunting than others but there is something about each and every one which will make you stop and take your time to really get to the heart and meaning of the tale in question.
SEPARATED FROM THE SEA by Amanda Huggins is a must-read collection for short story fans but also for readers, like myself, that don't always venture into the short story genre - these stories may not be long but they are powerful.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the blog tour organiser
May 17, 2018
Having previously read and enjoyed Amanda Huggins’ flash fiction collection ‘Brightly Coloured Horses’, I was anticipating her new collection of short stories, ‘Separated from the Sea’, published by Retreat West, with the relish you bring to a gourmet meal. I was not disappointed.
Each story is a brilliant jewel, superbly crafted by a word smith who plies her trade and is at the top of her game. Amanda Huggins paints word pictures in just a few lines – which depict both the exterior world of the characters be they in Japan, on the British coast, or Havana and Italy and at the same time, reveal the characters’ interior landscapes.
Each story delicately draws the reader in, spinning its web of word magic, evoking emotions and pinning down the crucial moments of change. There is a world within each tale and each is complete in itself.
They all can be and should be reread, for it takes more than one reading to unpeel the layers of emotion and revelations. The last lines often ring like a bell, remaining in your memory and making you think beyond the story’s conclusion.
We meet disillusioned lovers at the dying tail-end of their affair, teenage girls learning hard life lessons, in a favourite of mine, the wittily titled ‘Sardine Herding’, girls who have lost their fathers, lost loves reunited then betrayed, (in the sadly hopeful ‘Enough’) and women finding the courage to leave.
Several of the stories are linked by the theme of the sea, living by the coast, how life and work there moulds people’s characters and expectations. The briefly beautiful piece, ‘Sea Glass’ spills family secrets from the mouths of children, who treasure the sea glass of the title. The opening story, (which also provides the title of the collection) 'Separated from the Sea', ruminates on how a girl and her mother cope after the death at sea of the fisherman father/husband.
This is a collection to be bought, and treasured, to be read now and in ten years time.
Each story is a brilliant jewel, superbly crafted by a word smith who plies her trade and is at the top of her game. Amanda Huggins paints word pictures in just a few lines – which depict both the exterior world of the characters be they in Japan, on the British coast, or Havana and Italy and at the same time, reveal the characters’ interior landscapes.
Each story delicately draws the reader in, spinning its web of word magic, evoking emotions and pinning down the crucial moments of change. There is a world within each tale and each is complete in itself.
They all can be and should be reread, for it takes more than one reading to unpeel the layers of emotion and revelations. The last lines often ring like a bell, remaining in your memory and making you think beyond the story’s conclusion.
We meet disillusioned lovers at the dying tail-end of their affair, teenage girls learning hard life lessons, in a favourite of mine, the wittily titled ‘Sardine Herding’, girls who have lost their fathers, lost loves reunited then betrayed, (in the sadly hopeful ‘Enough’) and women finding the courage to leave.
Several of the stories are linked by the theme of the sea, living by the coast, how life and work there moulds people’s characters and expectations. The briefly beautiful piece, ‘Sea Glass’ spills family secrets from the mouths of children, who treasure the sea glass of the title. The opening story, (which also provides the title of the collection) 'Separated from the Sea', ruminates on how a girl and her mother cope after the death at sea of the fisherman father/husband.
This is a collection to be bought, and treasured, to be read now and in ten years time.
June 25, 2018
Lost and bewildered souls in a foreign country in a bad relationship seek comfort in the arms of strangers. Sea glass generates an assortment of sea-faring myths in coastal settings. Fish out of water characters immerse themselves in Japanese and US culture , desperately hoping to belong by having affairs with unsuitable men or at least hoping to. These are the recurring themes of Amanda Huggins' beautifully written collection of short stories. I've read a lot of Mandy's work over the years, so I did chance upon a lot of stories I'd encountered before, but there were some lovely new surprises, namely Pink Knickers, which is a spellbounding story of first love and loss. Broken Crow is another fabulous multi-layered story, despite being one of the shortest in the collection. It says so much in so few carefully chosen words. There's no doubt that Amanda Huggins is an immensely talented short story writer, and I hope that this collection will inspire others to persevere with the form, just as it has inspired me.
June 23, 2018
Amanda Huggins' Separated from the Sea is a collection of very short stories. Huggins' style is contemporary realism. Her characters are deftly drawn, mostly women navigating difficult relationships.
The stories are set in various countries, from Cuba to Italy, from the US to Japan. What they all share is an author's attention to detail, beautifully crafted tight sentences, and a strong sense of rhythm.
The stories are set in various countries, from Cuba to Italy, from the US to Japan. What they all share is an author's attention to detail, beautifully crafted tight sentences, and a strong sense of rhythm.
June 4, 2018
Rating 4.5/5
I always love reading short story collections because you never know what you might find. Separated From The Sea was certainly one that took me by surprise, I didn’t expect that I would connect quite as much with the stories as I did.
The stories are set in various locations throughout the world and most have the sea or some form of nature as a common element but what really spoke to me was the little observations of life that turned into impactful moments. Sometimes it was a bit like holding up a mirror and being forced to confront things that I try to avoid about myself, other times it was laughing at finding similarities between the characters and people that I know.
The author manages to weave the story into wonderful images with her beautifully crafted words. There are many destinations that I felt transported to and it did give me a longing to get out of the city. I like that the book features some of the same characters in other stories, gives the stories more of a connection and makes it feel more considered.
It’s quite difficult to narrow down to just a few favourites because there are so many gems in this collection but if pressed I would have to say Enough, Sea Glass, The Last Of Michiko and Michael Secker’s Last Day. It was a hard choice though, there is I think something for everyone, a good mix between the more serious, gritty stories and the lighthearted ones.
It was a pleasure to read this collection and I would definitely pick up another book by Amanda Huggins.
Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere
I always love reading short story collections because you never know what you might find. Separated From The Sea was certainly one that took me by surprise, I didn’t expect that I would connect quite as much with the stories as I did.
The stories are set in various locations throughout the world and most have the sea or some form of nature as a common element but what really spoke to me was the little observations of life that turned into impactful moments. Sometimes it was a bit like holding up a mirror and being forced to confront things that I try to avoid about myself, other times it was laughing at finding similarities between the characters and people that I know.
The author manages to weave the story into wonderful images with her beautifully crafted words. There are many destinations that I felt transported to and it did give me a longing to get out of the city. I like that the book features some of the same characters in other stories, gives the stories more of a connection and makes it feel more considered.
It’s quite difficult to narrow down to just a few favourites because there are so many gems in this collection but if pressed I would have to say Enough, Sea Glass, The Last Of Michiko and Michael Secker’s Last Day. It was a hard choice though, there is I think something for everyone, a good mix between the more serious, gritty stories and the lighthearted ones.
It was a pleasure to read this collection and I would definitely pick up another book by Amanda Huggins.
Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere
June 14, 2018
About love, loss, partings and freedom. About yearning for a connection with another person but sometimes recognising it is better to walk away.
‘Separated from the Sea’ by Amanda Huggins is a collection of poignant stories that cannot fail to touch you. Some of the stories spoke to me personally because of the Yorkshire settings, but locations range from Japan to America and Europe. Huggins has mastered the form; just enough detail, just enough emotion to pull you in and a well-disguised twist at the end.
I have chosen three stories to focus on. In ‘Whatever Speed She Dared’ a woman drives on an empty motorway across the Pennines in the dark of night. She is tempted by what lies ahead, a new future. But an encounter with a skittish rabbit gives her pause for thought.
In ‘Sea Glass’ two children walk on the beach. Alife tells Cathy that pieces of blue sea glass are the souls of fishermen lost at sea. Another two pieces, he says, are the eyes of ships’ cats swept overboard. ‘If you match a pair of eyes, and sleep with them under your pillow, then the cat’ll find his way back to land.’ A melancholic longing for love and belonging that cuts to the heart.
In ‘Already Formed’, a woman watches a boy arrive at the holiday cottage next door and his presence prompts memories of her son Rory. A child that never was but still exists in the core of the heart, more true than a true love that was a mirage. A sad story, totally believable.
Huggins is a highly accomplished writer who uses language both beautiful and at the same time sparing, there are no indulgent passages of prose to detract from the main message. Every word is weighed before inclusion. A delight.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
‘Separated from the Sea’ by Amanda Huggins is a collection of poignant stories that cannot fail to touch you. Some of the stories spoke to me personally because of the Yorkshire settings, but locations range from Japan to America and Europe. Huggins has mastered the form; just enough detail, just enough emotion to pull you in and a well-disguised twist at the end.
I have chosen three stories to focus on. In ‘Whatever Speed She Dared’ a woman drives on an empty motorway across the Pennines in the dark of night. She is tempted by what lies ahead, a new future. But an encounter with a skittish rabbit gives her pause for thought.
In ‘Sea Glass’ two children walk on the beach. Alife tells Cathy that pieces of blue sea glass are the souls of fishermen lost at sea. Another two pieces, he says, are the eyes of ships’ cats swept overboard. ‘If you match a pair of eyes, and sleep with them under your pillow, then the cat’ll find his way back to land.’ A melancholic longing for love and belonging that cuts to the heart.
In ‘Already Formed’, a woman watches a boy arrive at the holiday cottage next door and his presence prompts memories of her son Rory. A child that never was but still exists in the core of the heart, more true than a true love that was a mirage. A sad story, totally believable.
Huggins is a highly accomplished writer who uses language both beautiful and at the same time sparing, there are no indulgent passages of prose to detract from the main message. Every word is weighed before inclusion. A delight.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
June 5, 2018
This book is a collection of short stories, all written by Amanda, who is a new author to me.
All of the books are linked together by a common theme throughout, namely the sea, and each story is completely separate from the previous one. This allows you to pick and choose a story if you so wish, or like me, read them in the order the author picked allowing the stories to flow nicely without any interruptions.
I have really got into short stories recently, which made receiving this one all the better. I enjoyed reading the book and as each story was quite short I could pick it up when I had a spare 10 minutes and read a couple of stories without having to worry about forgetting where I was and what had happened previously.
The book consists of 26 short stories, all of which are brilliant and worth re-reading to get the full effect of them.
It was really hard to pick a favourite as there are a couple which jumped out at me as memorable and worth looking at again, including the opening, and title story, which is about how a mother and daughter deal with the loss of their husband/father due to the sea.
Overall this is a brilliant collection of stories, which I highly recommend.
All of the books are linked together by a common theme throughout, namely the sea, and each story is completely separate from the previous one. This allows you to pick and choose a story if you so wish, or like me, read them in the order the author picked allowing the stories to flow nicely without any interruptions.
I have really got into short stories recently, which made receiving this one all the better. I enjoyed reading the book and as each story was quite short I could pick it up when I had a spare 10 minutes and read a couple of stories without having to worry about forgetting where I was and what had happened previously.
The book consists of 26 short stories, all of which are brilliant and worth re-reading to get the full effect of them.
It was really hard to pick a favourite as there are a couple which jumped out at me as memorable and worth looking at again, including the opening, and title story, which is about how a mother and daughter deal with the loss of their husband/father due to the sea.
Overall this is a brilliant collection of stories, which I highly recommend.
August 23, 2022
This is an exceptional collection of short stories that transported me through the world with well selected details and clear knowledge of a range of cultures.
In The Shadow Architect, Japan comes to life in a story of screens and shadows that reveal much that has been hidden.
In No Longer Charlotte, a girl discovers La Bella Figura and begins to understand herself more as a result. Having lived in Milan, I understood the attention to detail in Italian life and enjoyed Charlotte's blossoming.
Michael Secker's Last Day is packed with the emotion of his upcoming retirement and his hopes and dreams for the future. The stars!
I loved Already Formed. Loved the woman in the red hat.
Hard to select a favourite story. But I think it has to be Enough. Where returning home to a seaside town brings an unexpected meeting with an old flame.
Each story in this collection is like a miniature Fabergé egg, intricate and designed with care by Amanda Huggins. Also a lovely production by Retreat West books.
In The Shadow Architect, Japan comes to life in a story of screens and shadows that reveal much that has been hidden.
In No Longer Charlotte, a girl discovers La Bella Figura and begins to understand herself more as a result. Having lived in Milan, I understood the attention to detail in Italian life and enjoyed Charlotte's blossoming.
Michael Secker's Last Day is packed with the emotion of his upcoming retirement and his hopes and dreams for the future. The stars!
I loved Already Formed. Loved the woman in the red hat.
Hard to select a favourite story. But I think it has to be Enough. Where returning home to a seaside town brings an unexpected meeting with an old flame.
Each story in this collection is like a miniature Fabergé egg, intricate and designed with care by Amanda Huggins. Also a lovely production by Retreat West books.
June 21, 2018
This collection of stories from Amanda Huggins is a moving and captivating read.
Huggins has a real gift for characterisation, taking you right into the characters' minds and souls. Her ability to conjure up a complete world in a line or two is wonderful.
I found myself having to read on to get to the end as I needed to know what happened to the characters. This is always a sign of superb storytelling.
The mood of the stories differ so it is hard to pick an absolute favourite. Michael Secker's Last Day stands out for me for its poignancy and "if only" qualities, though I can't say more without giving the plot away. It is a must read though, as is the transformation story, No Longer Charlotte.
The characters are so well drawn you will root for them, even when you understand but disagree with the decisions they end up making.
A very good read and well thought out collection.
Huggins has a real gift for characterisation, taking you right into the characters' minds and souls. Her ability to conjure up a complete world in a line or two is wonderful.
I found myself having to read on to get to the end as I needed to know what happened to the characters. This is always a sign of superb storytelling.
The mood of the stories differ so it is hard to pick an absolute favourite. Michael Secker's Last Day stands out for me for its poignancy and "if only" qualities, though I can't say more without giving the plot away. It is a must read though, as is the transformation story, No Longer Charlotte.
The characters are so well drawn you will root for them, even when you understand but disagree with the decisions they end up making.
A very good read and well thought out collection.
July 30, 2019
This is such a highly satisfying and enjoyable collection of short stories. Its diverse characters are searching for connection, whether with lost love, (Barefoot Girls & Corner Boys) childhood dreams (Giddy with It) a dead parent, (Separated from the Sea) or their true self (Charlotte No More). There are missed opportunities, chance encounters, and reminiscences of childhood crushes. There is loss, grief, comfort, and love. Impossible to choose a favourite story, all have tremendous staying power. A collection I will revisit and reread.
June 10, 2018
Again, Amanda Huggins takes her readers on a rollercoaster journey across countries and continents, and across a kaleidoscope of different lives. Reading these stories also took me on my own journey; a journey where I visited the dreams from my past, was made to consider my present and explored my hopes for the future. Amanda’s stories touch on universal emotions and themes, her descriptions set fire to the imagination, and are an absolute joy to read.
January 3, 2020
These stories are so immersive and moving, quirky tales than spool you deep inside and evoke emotion despite, or maybe because of, their brevity and concision. Truly enjoyed following these characters as they navigated themselves through often difficult relationships and wonderfully evoked diverse landscapes.
July 6, 2018
Amanda Huggins is an experienced and widely-published fiction writer and has won awards for her travel writing but Separated from the Sea is her first full collection of short stories. Her skill at world-building makes getting to grips with new characters and new settings very easy for the reader – she makes you equally at home in the urban sprawl of Tokyo, in a lonely seaside town in Yorkshire or in a bar in New York. With just a few killer sentences she hooks you into a new world. There are some flawless little stories here – imaginative and concise, which are the basic requirements of a successful short story. Just a couple are less well thought out than others and would have benefitted from more redrafting, but in a collection like this I didn’t mind; like eating a packet of Revels (I may be in a minority here) the pleasure is always heightened by knowing a few of them will be the ones you don’t like (chocolate peanuts in my case).
Themes include: decisions made then abandoned, women leaving men and branching out on their own, failing relationships, loneliness, dealing with grief at losing a father, and other losses. The sea as in the title story features in several of these richly-imagined stories. The writing is taut and no word is wasted. In Already Formed a woman dealing with the end of an affair finds out the baby she’s hoped for is ‘not even a line on a pregnancy test.’ The Last of Michiko shows a widower gradually coming to terms with his loss: when a friend gives him a jar of what she claims is his wife’s homemade bean jam ‘He knew it was not Michiko’s; he knew it was a deception. But he understood it was meant as a kind one.’ And in Edgware there are beautiful images from the narrator’s travels: ‘silk scarves billowing like jewel-bright parachutes.’
These entertaining short stories are perfect for a summer holiday, a short commute or for your bedside reading.
Themes include: decisions made then abandoned, women leaving men and branching out on their own, failing relationships, loneliness, dealing with grief at losing a father, and other losses. The sea as in the title story features in several of these richly-imagined stories. The writing is taut and no word is wasted. In Already Formed a woman dealing with the end of an affair finds out the baby she’s hoped for is ‘not even a line on a pregnancy test.’ The Last of Michiko shows a widower gradually coming to terms with his loss: when a friend gives him a jar of what she claims is his wife’s homemade bean jam ‘He knew it was not Michiko’s; he knew it was a deception. But he understood it was meant as a kind one.’ And in Edgware there are beautiful images from the narrator’s travels: ‘silk scarves billowing like jewel-bright parachutes.’
These entertaining short stories are perfect for a summer holiday, a short commute or for your bedside reading.
June 27, 2018
Separated from the Sea by Amanda Huggins (Retreat West Books) is a collection of 26 short stories, all incredibly poignant and will linger with you long after reading. Huggins’ prose is both beautiful and heart breaking; she exquisitely captures those delicate moments where a relationship is about to experience a pivotal change (good or bad). The characters are as diverse and colourful as the settings; we peer into the miniature worlds of her characters as they cope with grief, failed love affairs and seeking their dreams. We travel all across the globe (US, Paris, Italy, Japan etc) and I particularly enjoyed the stories set in Japan, where Huggins’ lyrical writing really seems to take off. My own special favourites include: The last of Michiko, The Shadow Architect, No Longer Charlotte and well I could go on … This is a superb collection, beautiful writing that is often as lyrical as poetry.
March 31, 2024
I could hear the slapping of the waves and smell the salty tang of the ocean. Vividly transporting snapshots of tales entwined with the sea. Loved it.
January 4, 2019
A range of skillfully told short stories that sparkle like gems. I loved the different voices, particularly those that shared the experiences of the young. A joy to read.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews