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Sea Changes
Newly widowed, Sarah tries to drown herself, only to discover an impossible, alternative world. Back on the beach she asks herself, Did that really happen? Or am I losing my mind? Her attempt to make sense of what happened involves her in an alleged kidnapping, and Sarah ends up being accused of murdering someone from a world that doesn't exist. Or does it? .
- GenresFiction
412 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2009
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Gail Graham
14 books2 followersGail Graham's newest novel, SEA CHANGES, will be published in May, 2009. She is the author of six other books, three of which have been NY Times Book of the Year Recommendations. CROSSFIRE was awarded the prestigious Buxtehude Bulle and has been translated into German, French, Danish and Finnish. Her most recent books are STAYING ALIVE and A LONG SEASON IN HELL. Gail lived in Australia for 32 years, where she founded and owned a community newspaper. She currently resides in Tucson, Arizon"
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 26, 2009
‘If it’s a dream everything’s all right’
When Sarah Andrews’s husband dies, she ceases experiencing life and merely endures it. Sarah feels that life is no longer worth enduring and decides to commit suicide by drowning. Sarah’s unsuccessful drowning attempt opens up a new world but raises questions about whether her experiences are real or imagined. Sarah tries to make sense of her experiences, but ends up becoming a suspect in an alleged kidnapping, which forces her to become more fully involved in life.
On one level, this is the story of how Sarah manages to move on after the death of her husband. The situation she finds herself in requires her to make decisions and to experience life again. There are a number of twists and turns in Sarah’s life, and some tough decisions to make.
It took me a while to become caught up in this novel. I enjoyed the writing, I liked the possibility of the underwater world of Xaxanader and Bantryd. Sarah is no hero, and she irritated me enormously for the first part of the book. And yet, I know many people like Sarah (both male and female) who are essentially paralysed when a much loved partner is lost. What saves Sarah (in one sense) and made the book work for me was the faith that Xaxanader and Bantryd showed in Sarah and how, ultimately she deserved that faith.
When Sarah Andrews’s husband dies, she ceases experiencing life and merely endures it. Sarah feels that life is no longer worth enduring and decides to commit suicide by drowning. Sarah’s unsuccessful drowning attempt opens up a new world but raises questions about whether her experiences are real or imagined. Sarah tries to make sense of her experiences, but ends up becoming a suspect in an alleged kidnapping, which forces her to become more fully involved in life.
On one level, this is the story of how Sarah manages to move on after the death of her husband. The situation she finds herself in requires her to make decisions and to experience life again. There are a number of twists and turns in Sarah’s life, and some tough decisions to make.
It took me a while to become caught up in this novel. I enjoyed the writing, I liked the possibility of the underwater world of Xaxanader and Bantryd. Sarah is no hero, and she irritated me enormously for the first part of the book. And yet, I know many people like Sarah (both male and female) who are essentially paralysed when a much loved partner is lost. What saves Sarah (in one sense) and made the book work for me was the faith that Xaxanader and Bantryd showed in Sarah and how, ultimately she deserved that faith.
June 12, 2009
Ever since the late wife died, I’ve had a hard time reading fiction where the main character is a widow or widower. Thought the authors try hard, most of them don’t do a good job of capturing what it’s like to lose a spouse. Oh sure, most of them do a good job describing the sense of loss and grief that accompanies the death of a spouse, but when it comes to the internal emptiness that comes with it, most of them fall short.
So when I learned that Gail Graham’s latest novel, Sea Changes, was about a widow living in Australia who is struggling to move on with her life two years after her husband’s death, I was tempted to pass on the book without even reading it. The last thing I wanted was wade through page after page of self-pity.
Thankfully, I decided to give the book a chance.
Sea Changes is about American expatriate Sarah Andrews. She lives alone in a small house. She’s mostly estranged from her two children. Despite living in Australia for thirty-some-odd years she still hasn’t adjusted to life in Sydney. She stays in Australia only because her daughter lives there. Sarah’s only real human contact comes from weekly therapy sessions with a psychologist named Kahn. Despite seeing him for nearly two years, he’s been of little help. Most of her therapy sessions involve her talking and Kahn saying very little and abruptly ending the sessions on time.
Thinking that life holds little purpose for her, Sarah decides to swim far enough out to sea that she’ll be too tired to return and drown. But as her strength fails her, a girl names Bantryd appears and takes her to an underwater world. Later Sarah wakes up on the beach and wonders if everything she has just experienced was a dream. The incident prompts a change in Sarah. She begins to see more of a purpose in the world. She also is determined to find out if the underwater world she visited was real or simply her imagination.
Graham does a great job of capturing the feelings that come years after losing a spouse. However, she’s smart enough not to make widowhood the focus of her story. Instead the story is really about the journey that comes when life suddenly changes. It’s about rebirth and learning that even when we’re left alone in the world, there are people and places waiting to be discovered if only we take a step out of our day-to-day routines.
In fact, the most satisfying part of the book was seeing how Sarah finally became her own woman and changed from a woman who saw no purpose in life to one where she wasn’t going to let anyone tell her what to do. And the best part? The book had the one of the best ending to a novel that come across in years. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never lost a spouse or never read a fantasy novel in your entire life. Graham has written a beautiful novel that will stay with me for years.
5 stars (out of five) for the unforgettable book Sea Changes.
So when I learned that Gail Graham’s latest novel, Sea Changes, was about a widow living in Australia who is struggling to move on with her life two years after her husband’s death, I was tempted to pass on the book without even reading it. The last thing I wanted was wade through page after page of self-pity.
Thankfully, I decided to give the book a chance.
Sea Changes is about American expatriate Sarah Andrews. She lives alone in a small house. She’s mostly estranged from her two children. Despite living in Australia for thirty-some-odd years she still hasn’t adjusted to life in Sydney. She stays in Australia only because her daughter lives there. Sarah’s only real human contact comes from weekly therapy sessions with a psychologist named Kahn. Despite seeing him for nearly two years, he’s been of little help. Most of her therapy sessions involve her talking and Kahn saying very little and abruptly ending the sessions on time.
Thinking that life holds little purpose for her, Sarah decides to swim far enough out to sea that she’ll be too tired to return and drown. But as her strength fails her, a girl names Bantryd appears and takes her to an underwater world. Later Sarah wakes up on the beach and wonders if everything she has just experienced was a dream. The incident prompts a change in Sarah. She begins to see more of a purpose in the world. She also is determined to find out if the underwater world she visited was real or simply her imagination.
Graham does a great job of capturing the feelings that come years after losing a spouse. However, she’s smart enough not to make widowhood the focus of her story. Instead the story is really about the journey that comes when life suddenly changes. It’s about rebirth and learning that even when we’re left alone in the world, there are people and places waiting to be discovered if only we take a step out of our day-to-day routines.
In fact, the most satisfying part of the book was seeing how Sarah finally became her own woman and changed from a woman who saw no purpose in life to one where she wasn’t going to let anyone tell her what to do. And the best part? The book had the one of the best ending to a novel that come across in years. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never lost a spouse or never read a fantasy novel in your entire life. Graham has written a beautiful novel that will stay with me for years.
5 stars (out of five) for the unforgettable book Sea Changes.
February 28, 2016
Sarah, a middle-aged American living in Australia, is recently widowed. Her daughter, Felicity, who "was born angry" wants her to 'move on' with her life, something which Sarah is finding difficult to do.
One day she swims out to sea, intending to commit suicide. There she meets a young girl, Bantryd, who takes her to the bottom of the ocean to a whole new world where Sarah finds friendship, peace and trust. Back home she wonders if she was dreaming or was it real. Bantryd bears an uncanny resemblance to a missing heiress and when Sarah becomes the chief suspect in her disappearance she begins to find resources within herself she didn't know she had.
This is one of the most unusual books I've ever read, it was part fantasy and part real, and I loved the idea of a world underneath the ocean! As Sarah struggles to cope with a life turned upside down she constantly thinks "What would Charles do?" (Charles being her late husband).
People who have lost loved ones will identify with Sarah, she was confused and sad and had no-one to talk to who really understood her. I think that's why she felt so secure in the undersea world, everyone trusted and believed in her.
Gail Graham's writing was simple, the type was double line spacing and the words were easy to read (always a bonus for me!). If you're looking for something a little bit different I would recommend this for a Summer Read.
One day she swims out to sea, intending to commit suicide. There she meets a young girl, Bantryd, who takes her to the bottom of the ocean to a whole new world where Sarah finds friendship, peace and trust. Back home she wonders if she was dreaming or was it real. Bantryd bears an uncanny resemblance to a missing heiress and when Sarah becomes the chief suspect in her disappearance she begins to find resources within herself she didn't know she had.
This is one of the most unusual books I've ever read, it was part fantasy and part real, and I loved the idea of a world underneath the ocean! As Sarah struggles to cope with a life turned upside down she constantly thinks "What would Charles do?" (Charles being her late husband).
None of it could have happened, and it did. ........maybe she's going mad. But she doesn't feel mad. The police didn't think she was mad. This must be what it's like for people who are kidnapped by aliens. Nobody believes you. You don't even believe yourself.
People who have lost loved ones will identify with Sarah, she was confused and sad and had no-one to talk to who really understood her. I think that's why she felt so secure in the undersea world, everyone trusted and believed in her.
Gail Graham's writing was simple, the type was double line spacing and the words were easy to read (always a bonus for me!). If you're looking for something a little bit different I would recommend this for a Summer Read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews