Between Tides: Library Edition

by Angel Khoury, Hillary Huber (Reading)

A captivating historical novel set on Cape Cod and North Carolina's Outer Banks, perfect for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing and Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping


1890s, Cape Between tides, a man deserts his wife and his post as keeper of the Chatham Beach Lifesaving Station to start a new family far to the south, at Cape Hatteras.  

1940 His daughter, en route to serve in World War II with the Red Cross, travels to Cape Cod where she meets his first wife, Blythe, reanimating a life she had long memories of her courtship, her bitter losses, and her husband’s slow-motion vanishing.


Set on two wild seascapes, Cape Cod and North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Between Tides is a lyrical novel for readers of Virginia Woolf, Djuna Barnes, and Marilynne Robinson—a story of two women stitching together a family ripped at the seams and discovering that even through absence, love’s presence is everlasting.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Adult Fiction

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Alyson Larrabee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made it to page 99 and quit. The writing is beautiful but the plot and characters were not clearly explained enough for me to understand and follow what was happening. The book seemed more like a collage of images and impressions, kind of like a long poem. My book club chose this and only one member enjoyed it and finished it.

[Michele Young-Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angel Khoury's debut doesn't disappoint. I had the privilege of reading an advanced copy, and she is the real deal. A fresh, experimental point of view, 1st person omniscient. This book is a love story and a story about family and loss and moving forward. It's hard to put into words what a pleasure it was to read. I was in awe of the language. She has such a gift with description. The world is alive, and every word is a pleasure, like a small present. A shiny gift. I was enthralled and slowed, nearing the end, to savor the world she created.

[Karen Clements · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of Khoury’s debut and thoroughly enjoyed the read. The narrator is elderly Blythe Lodge who is living on Cape Cod in the same small town where she has always lived. She has bittersweet memories of her life with former husband, Gilead (or Gil), who was the younger brother of her first love, Ben. Ben was a soldier in the Civil War and died near another cape in the town of Chicamacomico (no, I can’t pronounce it, either), Cape Hatteras. Gil has never really gotten over losing his brother, and despite his romance with Blythe, he feels drawn to see the place his brother died and returns there multiple times. Blythe still thinks often of her lost twin boys (Gil’s only sons) and the nephew she wasn’t able to raise as she reflects on Gil forsaking her for another place as much as another woman. In what seems an impossible timeline, Gil’s young daughter Gilly comes to meet Blythe in 1942 as she prepares to go to Europe as a Red Cross nurse. Despite their age difference and their different relationships with Gil, they strike up an unlikely friendship.

I appreciated the strong sense of place in this book: the languorous pace of shore life along two different coastlines is beautifully rendered. Characters Blythe and Gilly are strong and well-drawn. Looking forward to seeing more from this author.
Recommended

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was beautifully written but just a bit too atmospheric for me. Too many tides and birds and not enough plot.

[Melissa McGovern · Rating 5 out of 5]

_____________________

Reality, I think, is imagination poorly disguised.

How people know one another is imperfect and refracted.

The white spaces between the lines, what is it they left unsaid?

_______________________

This is a historical novel, based on an actual man and actual events, with a little bit of fiction woven in. It tells of a man drifting from his home in Cape Cod, his wife, his job as the keeper of the Chatham Beach Life Saving Station in Massachusetts to a new woman, a new world in the Outer Banks in North Carolina. When his first wife hears a knock on her door decades later and it turns out to be his youngest daughter from his second wife all of the old memories and the feelings of abandonment come crashing on her like monstrous waves. This young woman is looking for answers about a man that she barely knew, before he passed away when she was only a child,and this lonely woman is searching for a meaning to all of her heartbreak. They may just be able to give each other exactly what they need to become whole again.

_______________________

This book is beautiful. Gut wrenching. Tumultuous. Raw, yet beautiful. It is lyrical and poetic and absolutely riveting. The writing is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I’m speechless by the imagery that enveloped this story.

[Amelia Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️s ~ While vacationing in Mateo I stumbled upon Angel doing a book signing and just had to purchase her book. Having just visited the area and learned about its history and it’s tales really made me love this story more. The little tidbits the author threw in about local folklore was fun to read (like the comment about Theodorsa Burr). The imagery of the water and the shore takes me back to the beach, absolutely amazing descriptions. I loved learning about the main character, her thoughts, her feelings. I felt like I was experiencing how long her life must have felt with all of the things she experienced.

I had trouble following who each chapter was about on occasion but it didn’t detract grateful from the story, just made me have to reread some sections.

Lovely writing, lovely story, and a lovely setting.

[Debbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years after his death Gil Lodge is still the most Important person in the memories of his 1st wife and the youngest dauggter of his second wife. They come together to explore and try to understand the man and his families. Beautifully written,especially the descriptions of the Atlantic Capes and their habitats.

[Christine Homol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was lost at the very beginning. As I continued, It came together and I enjoyed this book very much!

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a minute to grasp the style of writing, but once the characters took shape, it was wonderful! I love stories with connections to North Carolina and I appreciate historical fiction, but what it really unique here is how the story is woven together with several different threads of truth and how this allowed the author to create a story just as her characters created pieces of art from the bits and pieces of their lives. It was also interesting to see how the author intertwined the stories of an 1890's northerner with that of a 1940's southerner!
It lets you see the story in your own mind, between the lines...in the white spaces on the page!

[Heather Frese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original and inventive, Between Tides absolutely captivated me with its lyricism and story. I thought the dual timeline worked beautifully and the writing was so gorgeous I didn’t want to put it down. A real gem.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this was like reading poetry.
Descriptions so vivid I could see and feel every page.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful telling of heartache. Between Tides ponders the mysteries of nature that few take time to notice. The nature of sea and shore as well as the nature of love and its loss. Just as the book’s narrator tatted her lace, this author tats words to create a wonderous story that reads as poetry.

[Beverly Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book about a late in life relationship with a surprise step daughter. The memories to be shared are of a facinating time at the turn of the 1900's on the east coast. I love that the story is based on true events and real people.

[J. Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving the Outer Banks of North Carolina like I do, I looked forward to reading this book. In may case, I listened to the audio version.

This is the story of Blythe Lodge, divorced wife of Gill Lodge, a man with many talents centered around the sea and nature. It's also the story of his daughter from his second marriage, when she travels from the Outer Banks to Cape Cod to visit Blythe, to learn more about her father before she leaves to serve in WW II.

No one can doubt the author's skill in weaving a story, filled with the imagery and description needed to sink someone into her world. However, it was difficult to become emotionally involved with Blythe and her husband's daughter. Yes, I sympathized with both women, but I enjoy a book with hope at its center. Instead, this book carries a bittersweet tone throughout, perpetuated by how Gill left Blythe and how it was never explained.

Yes, sometimes the reader is meant to arrive at those decisions, and the only one I can arrive at concerns Gill and Blythe's difficulty with having children. Even when they take in a boy who did his best to gain Gill's love, Gill drove him away. Yes indeed, bittersweet, which made me dislike Gill despite his and Blythe's positive times together.

I judge a book with whether or not I'll read (in my case, listen) to it again, and I'm not sure about that yet. This is a story best taken time with, possibly again and again to absorb everything it has to offer. Not a negative thing at all.

Having bought the audio version of this book and listened to it more than once, I changed my rating to five stars. Why, some readers might ask who rated it lower?

Fine things take more time to absorb and appreciate, and this book is one of those fine things.

Give it a chance. Let it soak in. Read or, in my case, listen between the lines.

You'll be glad you did.

In ending, readers, if you want a story that tugs you along with characters and their conflicts, in which you expect a satisfying conclusion, this isn't it.

But if you want a read filled with imagery and description, both meant to be absorbed slowly while you learn about the characters in bits and pieces, like finding broken shells scattered along the beach in hopes of putting them back together again, you may well enjoy Between Tides.

PS: I really enjoyed the Afterward, when I learned how much of this novel came from actual people and events. For the author to take those people and events and craft them into this work is an amazing accomplishment. Best to her in her future novels.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled a lot with this book and hated how it was written. I also never found the characters very interesting nor did I care about the resolution of the story. I will say Angel Khoury has written some beautiful moments in the book which is why I changed my rating from one star to two.

[Maureen Mayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5 stars

Having visited Cape Cod and the Outer Banks several times, I was truly excited to dive into this book. I also have a deep love for historical fiction based on true events, so I thought this story would be right up my alley.

While I think Angel Khoury is a wonderful writer who has clearly done her research and has the passion and expertise for the written word, I unfortunately found this book to be less emotionally driven than I expected.

The physical depictions of these similar capes separated by hundreds of miles and the attention to detail that Blythe provides when recounting her life both with and separated from her husband was so beautifully written. But as far as what the characters were feeling during these pivotal moments in their lives, I never really grasped what was going through their minds and their hearts. It often made it difficult to keep my attention, and I had to push through to finish. It also seemed like there was no build up to a single climactic scene in the story, just smaller, gradual valleys where new information about Gil was revealed.

My only other knit-picky issue with this book was the way the dialogue was written. Rather than using quotation marks, the author used dashes to indicate when a character was speaking. There were a few instances when a character asked a question and it didn’t end with a question mark either.

I will say I appreciated the bond that grew between Blythe and Gilly. Blythe could have easily turned her away when she showed up on her doorstep, but I think Blythe knew better than to punish her husband’s daughter for his sins. It showed a lot of strength and acceptance and maybe even a little forgiveness toward Gil. Despite having left her to start over in a new place with a new family, it was obvious Blythe still had feelings for her former husband. They shared some beautiful moments together, and that’s not something that is so easy to forget. It wasn’t until the very end of the book that I finally felt some emotion emanating from Blythe.

I can’t say for sure whether I’d recommend this book. There’s no denying Angel Khoury is a fantastic author, and her beautiful and almost lyrical writing is evidence of that. But what really draws me into a story is the emotions driving these characters, and I felt that was lacking throughout most of this book.

[Donna Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book as it was written with Hatteras, NC as a backdrop. It is an interesting story from the prospective of a widow, left while still young, by her husband, who started another life with another woman in another location. But he does travel back and forth. He leaves behind daughters, one of who travels to Cape Cod to learn more about her deceased father. I found it confusing to follow at times. I was intrigued by the connections to the sea, how the younger man and his first wife became involved. History is shared in varying degrees of those who worked at the Chicamacomico Life Saving Station. It is very poetic and descriptions are lovely, but I often felt lost in the story.

[Kate Benessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love detailed description and immersion into a time and world I know little about and this novel has all of that. The writing is lovely. I understand that the story the author is telling is fragmented and that is mirrored in the very short chapters. Chapters are often only 2-4 pages long; there are 86 chapters total. But that fragmentation sometimes made it difficult to be pulled completely into the world. My primary issue was that it was set in the 1890s and 1940s, and other than a few references of joining the Red Cross and going to war, there was very little that kept me in either historic setting. It read as contemporary. Still, I found it engaging, especially for a debut novel. I liked the sense of isolation and quietness.

[Carol Flatten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually read this book by mistake. The book club list was a book called Between the Tides and I paid no attention to the author and ordered this book. What a surprise I had when the zoom discussion started, and I realized I read the wrong book.
I had a difficult time with this story. The author went from character to character, but I never really was satisfied with her descriptions of them, nor did the story ever weave together. The descriptions of the two coasts and the tides were beautiful, but did not really contribute to the story, except that all the characters loved the coastal areas.

[Ava · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book when I was on vacation in the Outer Banks. I was intrigued by the idea of a historical fiction set in Cape Cod and the Outer Banks. Overall, the story is beautifully written, almost poetic and it is obvious the author did a bunch of research. I also greatly enjoyed the relationship between the two main women, Blythe and Gilly. The timeline can be difficult to follow from one chapter to the next. There were also times when the detailed descriptions of objects or events would pull me out of the story instead of further immersing me into what was happening. The dialog also doesn't use quotations, it uses dashes instead to indicate someone is speaking which can be confusing.

[Karen Butman]

I had a difficult time getting through this book. It was difficult to pick up and easy to set down. Yet, I plodded through and I was very glad I did. I did not realize that it was an historical fiction book. I learned so much about the outer banks and some of the historical things that happened there. The author uses such beautiful imagery when describing the main characters feeling. The use of the word picture for her tatting of the curtains was so sad but beautiful. Closing the book, I was glad that I continued on to the end. It is actually a bittersweet story.

[Jane Harkness · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing in this book is genuinely beautiful, so it pains me to give this a low rating, but the narrative is so disorganized and hard to follow. Half the time I couldn’t figure out who was speaking (there are no quotation marks, only dashes), where events were taking place, the chronology of the story, etc. It’s a shame because Angel Khoury is clearly very talented but I feel like this book wasn’t quite “done” before it went to print.

[Duane Meeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Except for the modern style of chopping up a story to confuse the reader, a very satisfying novel written in 88 chapters in less than 300 pages. Some wonderful lyrical writing, which I usually don't pay attention to. The story is developed from local lore the author heard as a child in the Outer Banks.

[Teresa Murray · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the first paragraph, I felt a disconnect with a narrator. And, while that meant she was given a clear personality, it was just not one that appealed to me except in a few places. I am willing to say that I might like the book at a different time because of the woven and winding tale, but this was not that time.

[Willa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book - only took a long time to read because other parts of my life interfered with my reading! The writing style took a little getting use to, sometimes I had to stop & think who was speaking & was it past or present. The descriptions of the ocean, islands, sand etc were wonderful.

[Emcompton · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This book was beautifully written, like poetry. However, I had a very hard time keeping up with the changes in time periods, the characters, dialogue versus narration - another book where quotation marks aren’t used to indicate dialogue. It was just a very confusing format for me, which is a shame because the settings (Outer Banks and Cape Cod) are 2 of my favorite places.

[Claudia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to agree with one of the reviews below--I just could not get into this book. It seemed like the writer knew what she wanted to project, but did not succeed. The writing is stream of conscious and removed, and requires the reader to figure out what is in the speaker's mind. I only got to about page 30, but had to quit.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the written language was exquisite, I think to call this book a novel is inaccurate. I think it should be classified as an interwoven character study. I’m familiar with the Cape and the Outer Banks so reading the descriptive language brought delight.

[Cindy Farmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

As others have said, the writing in this novel is indeed a beautiful thing and I believe the story itself a compelling one but the book was very hard to follow - like a riddle. I often didn’t know who was speaking. Can anyone explain the meaning of the ending? Are we to take that literally?

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Carefully crafted language does not make a good book.

This seems to be a smash up of Miss Havisham meets “A Rise for Emily” meets New England post Civil War.

Why these books ever win awards is beyond me: