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She Down There
She is Half-Away Woman. Her name is her destiny: half woman, half sea creature. Down with the octopus she dives. She swims out beyond the waves with the sea lions and the orcas. She rolls with the sea otters in the kelp. She rests in the intertidal – that place which is half sea, half land. When the winter storms break, she shelters on the reefs, deep below the thrashing waves, with the rockfish and the wolf eel. She sees all in the sea. She feels all.
The sea has always been in Claire Lutrísque’s blood. Descended from Canada’s native Haida people, she is hurled by tragedy on a southward path, to the warm waters of Mozambique, where she joins the fight to safeguard the region’s coral reefs. Navy diver Klaas Afrikaner first swam into these same waters on a covert military mission. Seven years later, he is languishing as a divemaster in the sleepy coastal town of Tofo. But the shark-fin trade is threatening the only thing that keeps him going. So he too must rise to his calling.
A shared love of the ocean and a deep desire to protect it brings these kindred spirits together.
Steeped in the myths of the sea, Lynton Francois Burger’s novel is as lyrical as it is exhilarating. Part ecological thriller, part tender love story, She Down There is a timely song to the world’s oceans and the creatures living in them.
The sea has always been in Claire Lutrísque’s blood. Descended from Canada’s native Haida people, she is hurled by tragedy on a southward path, to the warm waters of Mozambique, where she joins the fight to safeguard the region’s coral reefs. Navy diver Klaas Afrikaner first swam into these same waters on a covert military mission. Seven years later, he is languishing as a divemaster in the sleepy coastal town of Tofo. But the shark-fin trade is threatening the only thing that keeps him going. So he too must rise to his calling.
A shared love of the ocean and a deep desire to protect it brings these kindred spirits together.
Steeped in the myths of the sea, Lynton Francois Burger’s novel is as lyrical as it is exhilarating. Part ecological thriller, part tender love story, She Down There is a timely song to the world’s oceans and the creatures living in them.
240 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2020
4 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Lynton Francois Burger
1 book3 followersShe Down There author Lynton Francois Burger has had a lifelong love affair with the sea.
As a marine biologist, master diver and award-winning underwater photographer, Lynton writes about a world he knows intimately.
He serves as an advisor to ocean-impact ventures in several countries, including the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town.
Lynton is an inducted member of the Ocean Artists Society and a fellow of the International League of Conservation Writers. She Down There is his first novel.
As a marine biologist, master diver and award-winning underwater photographer, Lynton writes about a world he knows intimately.
He serves as an advisor to ocean-impact ventures in several countries, including the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town.
Lynton is an inducted member of the Ocean Artists Society and a fellow of the International League of Conservation Writers. She Down There is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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March 29, 2020Feature written on behalf of the Sunday Times: https://bit.ly/33Vrmy4
~A Haida boy in class told her one day before school that she was neither White nor Haida First Nation...like a tide that doesn't know if it's coming in or going out.~
~Such pumps and their dams are the lifeblood of the Karoo. Without the water they bring, there would be no stories.~
~None of them has a military haircut. You could easily mistake them for well-built surfers. That's the whole idea, he supposes. Men of uncertain identity doing things no one sees.~
~Even his own father did not shake his hand like that.~
~The more I work in conservation, the more I am starting to believe that our mail religions, Judaism, the Muslim faith...and my own Christianity. The are all the same. And they are to blame...In the way that they treat nature as separate from us.~
~When the wind shifts and comes off the land, it is full of the dolphins' musty breath, and the urgent chatter of the humans intent on putting them back. She Down There can see into the hearts of the humans, and it gives her hope. for although they only hear the animals' feeble squeaks, they are also listening to the voice that resides within each one of them.
It is the call of the sea, the womb of the human soul.~
~A Haida boy in class told her one day before school that she was neither White nor Haida First Nation...like a tide that doesn't know if it's coming in or going out.~
~Such pumps and their dams are the lifeblood of the Karoo. Without the water they bring, there would be no stories.~
~None of them has a military haircut. You could easily mistake them for well-built surfers. That's the whole idea, he supposes. Men of uncertain identity doing things no one sees.~
~Even his own father did not shake his hand like that.~
~The more I work in conservation, the more I am starting to believe that our mail religions, Judaism, the Muslim faith...and my own Christianity. The are all the same. And they are to blame...In the way that they treat nature as separate from us.~
~When the wind shifts and comes off the land, it is full of the dolphins' musty breath, and the urgent chatter of the humans intent on putting them back. She Down There can see into the hearts of the humans, and it gives her hope. for although they only hear the animals' feeble squeaks, they are also listening to the voice that resides within each one of them.
It is the call of the sea, the womb of the human soul.~
April 3, 2020
A lyrical, lingering read which highlights the plight of the sea and its creatures, spanning generations and two different, yet similar cultures.
It's a little slow to start but once our two main characters reach the shores of Mozambique, the story truly comes alive.
The setting is beautifully described and exploration of the ocean and its inhabitants is both enchanting and heartbreaking. Far-flung ocean mythologies are weaved into the story, enriching and broadening the narrative, which leads to a happy conclusion with a possibility of future hope.
It's a little slow to start but once our two main characters reach the shores of Mozambique, the story truly comes alive.
The setting is beautifully described and exploration of the ocean and its inhabitants is both enchanting and heartbreaking. Far-flung ocean mythologies are weaved into the story, enriching and broadening the narrative, which leads to a happy conclusion with a possibility of future hope.
November 9, 2021
An ode to the sea – whatever sea, at whatever latitude. But also an ode to life, with “its urgent devouring and assimilation,” and to indigenous time, with its wilting traces and whispering myths. An eco-tale whose transcultural flavour is meant to cross many physical and mental borders. Narrated as if the author had been in spiritual communion with Sedna the mythological creature, goddess of the seas, who “will speak in time to the hearts of all humans on all shores – without them knowing why.
Artfully weaving multiple threads, Lynton Francois Burger has created a vivid tapestry of lives lived within the waters and along the coasts of Canada, South Africa and Mozambique. In She Down There, the story of Claire Lutrísque, a young Canadian (half Haida/half European) marine biologist, beautifully intertwines with that of Klaas Afrikaner, a South African (half Bushman/half European) dive master. Dramatic life events at a personal level develop against the backdrop of wider historical tensions and clashes. Colonialism, postcolonialism and neocolonialism face each other in a dialectic way throughout the story, set between the 1980s and 1990s. All along, humans are called into question for their ocean plunder, the swell relentlessly reminding them of the immediacy of the ecological crisis.
The book starts somewhat slowly and then gradually picks up momentum. Once the reader is past the first 70 pages, s/he will not want to put it down until s/he has finished it."
Arianna Dagnino, author of The Afrikaner (Guernica Editions, Toronto, 2019)
Artfully weaving multiple threads, Lynton Francois Burger has created a vivid tapestry of lives lived within the waters and along the coasts of Canada, South Africa and Mozambique. In She Down There, the story of Claire Lutrísque, a young Canadian (half Haida/half European) marine biologist, beautifully intertwines with that of Klaas Afrikaner, a South African (half Bushman/half European) dive master. Dramatic life events at a personal level develop against the backdrop of wider historical tensions and clashes. Colonialism, postcolonialism and neocolonialism face each other in a dialectic way throughout the story, set between the 1980s and 1990s. All along, humans are called into question for their ocean plunder, the swell relentlessly reminding them of the immediacy of the ecological crisis.
The book starts somewhat slowly and then gradually picks up momentum. Once the reader is past the first 70 pages, s/he will not want to put it down until s/he has finished it."
Arianna Dagnino, author of The Afrikaner (Guernica Editions, Toronto, 2019)
June 23, 2020
A lovely mix of underwater adventures, conservation and romance set in some fabulous places. A mystical ocean spirit is a recurring theme but is subtly used and does not dominate the modern story. The conservation message is particularly valid to today's world where we humans are rapidly degrading the oceans, but this message is presented in an optimistic way. Overall it is an enthralling story with strong characters that readers should easily bond with.
September 17, 2022
A fascinating story based on the mythology of the Haida people native to Canada. ‘She Down There’ Sedna is half woman, half sea creature according to their ancient myths. Claire descended from the Haida, taught to dive at an early age, initiated into the sea stories by her grandmother, feels at one with the sea creatures. She assists her fiancé, Todd, with marine biology studies. However, her life takes an unexpected direction when her fiancé dies in a tragic diving accident.
Claire then travels to Mozambique to assist Dr. Benito Matara who works to safeguard the coral reefs in the area and tries to stop illegal fishing, the killing of sharks and rays for their fins exported to the Chinese market. She becomes more and more involved with the local community and her work in Mozambique. Just before she is due to leave at the end of her five month stay, she meets Klaas Afrikaner, an ex-naval diver from the Karoo in South Africa, who shares her passion for marine conservation.
Will Claire return to Canada, or remain to continue her work in Mozambique? She has life changing decisions to make.
Set against a background of political upheaval and climate change, this book is an enjoyable and deeply immersive read, written by an author obviously knowledgeable and passionate on the subject of marine conservation.
Claire then travels to Mozambique to assist Dr. Benito Matara who works to safeguard the coral reefs in the area and tries to stop illegal fishing, the killing of sharks and rays for their fins exported to the Chinese market. She becomes more and more involved with the local community and her work in Mozambique. Just before she is due to leave at the end of her five month stay, she meets Klaas Afrikaner, an ex-naval diver from the Karoo in South Africa, who shares her passion for marine conservation.
Will Claire return to Canada, or remain to continue her work in Mozambique? She has life changing decisions to make.
Set against a background of political upheaval and climate change, this book is an enjoyable and deeply immersive read, written by an author obviously knowledgeable and passionate on the subject of marine conservation.
June 2, 2024
A book that crosses cultures and seas, features some lovely characters and is written by a South African? Hell yeah!
She Down There by Lynton Francois Burger (@lyntonburger_author) tells the story of two people from different parts of the world who feel the call of the ocean, its creatures and how it connects to their culture.
You have Claire Lutrisque from Canada, whose connection with her Haida culture (I know very little about the Haida people so this was awesome to learn about). And then you have Klaas Afrikaner from SA, a coloured boy who discovers his love of water has deep roots with his ancestors.
Their love of the ocean lead them both eventually to vibrant Mozambique and there they begin to embrace their hearts desire.
This is an easy read with fascinating characters and cultures to explore. My only gripe with this book is that it became a little rushed towards the end.
If you have read this book, would love to hear your thoughts!
If you love conservation, exploring cultures and the ocean with a lil romance thrown in, I think you'll enjoy this book!
She Down There by Lynton Francois Burger (@lyntonburger_author) tells the story of two people from different parts of the world who feel the call of the ocean, its creatures and how it connects to their culture.
You have Claire Lutrisque from Canada, whose connection with her Haida culture (I know very little about the Haida people so this was awesome to learn about). And then you have Klaas Afrikaner from SA, a coloured boy who discovers his love of water has deep roots with his ancestors.
Their love of the ocean lead them both eventually to vibrant Mozambique and there they begin to embrace their hearts desire.
This is an easy read with fascinating characters and cultures to explore. My only gripe with this book is that it became a little rushed towards the end.
If you have read this book, would love to hear your thoughts!
If you love conservation, exploring cultures and the ocean with a lil romance thrown in, I think you'll enjoy this book!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews