Beachcombing for a Shipwrecked God

by Joe Coomer

Nine weeks after losing her husband, Charlotte escapes to a wooden motor yacht in New Hampshire, where her shipmates are an aging blue-haired widow, an emotional seventeen-year-old, and the ugliest dog in literature. A genuine bond develops among the three women, as their distinct personalities and paths cross and converge against the backdrop of emotional secrets, abuse, and the wages of old age.
Off the boat, Charlotte, an archaeologist, joins a local excavation to uncover an ancient graveyard. Here she can indulge her passion for reconstructing the past, even as she tries to bury her own recent history. She comes to realize, however, that the currents of time are as fluid and persistent as the water that drifts beneath her comforting new home.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Contemporary, Novels

245 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Joe Coomer is a fiction and nonfiction writer who lives outside of Fort Worth, Texas, and on the coast of Maine. He "spends his winters in Springtown, Texas, where he runs a pair of large antique malls. He lives in a fairly new Victorian house that he spent a year and a half building in the late eighties, a project he wrote about in Dream House [1991]. His wife, Isabelle Tokumaru, runs her paintings conservation practice in the third story, while he writes novels in the kitchen, where the food is close. Summers, they live in Stonington, Maine, an active fishing village on the coast. When the weather's nice, he takes his old motor sailer, "Yonder", on day sails and cruises down east. He chronicled her purchase, restoration, and his stupidities at sea in Sailing in a Spoonful of Water [1997]."

Reviews

[Alisha Bruton]

This book masquerades as fluff-- I found it in with the romance novels on the sale shelf. But the characters are believable, and I found myself getting attached to them. Coomer gets all cryptic and poetic sometimes, and most of the time it works; he says things like

"It seemed that everything came into shore at last, every last buoy and board and feather, every cloth and bone. The land laid out sand to soften the blow, to accept even the most fractured and diminished, things so inconsequential they float: a seagull, a seal, a log. The dead all float, naturally seeking a higher ground. It felt good to walk,... to hope that for God too there is a heaven, a place as good to rest and disintegrate as a beach."

Coomer writes cleanly, and he never gets in the way of himself. He creates a whole imaginary world the reader gets to escape to, with lobster boats motoring around in the background, the bridge lifting to let the ships pass through, seabirds wheeling above your head. I didn't realize til I finished the book how much I'd escaped into it. And that's what we want from fiction, right?

[Cindy Wilson-buranek]

I absolutely love this author, he is quirky and funny and knows women. I love all his books and no one knows about him.

[Sessi Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This just became my favorite book I ever read. I love crying and female friendships and starting over.

[Sarah Frobisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was centered around the life of one woman as she sets out to escape her past after her husband's death. She ends up far from home and rents space on a boat where she lives with two other women- one who is younger- a late teenager, and the other who is much older- in her 70's. To me this story felt like a snapshot of these women's lives, as if we just got a peak into it for a few months. At the end of the book, I felt as if their lives were still going on, the story was not closed. I enjoyed the way Coomer made these women so realistic and believable. I felt like these women could be someone I would run into in town. Coomer did a great job capturing the relationship between these women in a way that most male writers cannot do. The movement of the story was somewhat slow for me, which is why I gave it 3 stars.

[Janice Convery · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you get when you mix three quirky females from different generations, a few ghosts (albeit of the emotional kind), two skeletons, one drooling dog, a cat, a distinguished wooden yacht, and copious amounts of water? Beachcombing for a Shipwrecked God.

The novel had me at the first eight words of the opening paragraph: "I came across a love of moving water."

The tone struck by those eight words continues through to the end, unbroken, sustained by the narrator's sorrow, acceptance, reluctance, relief, courage, and inspired choices.

I'll read just about anything with a boat in it, and this story I savored from first page to last. A rarity! I took it slowly, in small bits, and made it last--now I'm at a loss for what to read next.

Beachcombing for a Shipwrecked God spoiled me, and reminded me--viscerally--what kind of reader and writer I most like to be.

[Roseamber Sumner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book probably deserves 5 stars. It haunts long after, its prose is lyrical and evocative, its characters compelling and believable and its place description and metaphor superb. I am now going on a Joe Coomer reading binge, just as soon as I can find more of his work. Our local library just has this one. I'm betting, but not knowing yet, that his work is varied and maybe uneven, we'll see. At any rate, I'd give my eye teeth to be able to write like this. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I am bothered by some of the plot developments near the end of the book that didn't quite feel fully fleshed out. No matter, it felt like gold in my hands every time I picked it up. Highly recommend.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to give this book 4 stars for the lovable characters, and somewhat unique setting/circumstances. I am very glad I did not abandon this book in the beginning, when the author went into crazy amounts of details to describe the berth of a boat.
I loved the premise, and enjoyed the book. For the first time ever, though, I found myself thinking that the editor did not do the author justice.
A bit more information woven into the characters would have been preferable to the over-detailing of the scenes.

[Chani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this one because I loved the title. The book turned out to be worthy of it. Very good!

[Linda Branham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A WONDERFUL story.
It is the story of Charlotte, a middle aged widow who is escaping her past by renting a room on a boat where an older woman and an emotional 17 yr old live with their ugly dog.
The characters, three women of different ages and personalities, reside together on a boat at Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire. Each has their own story to tell and journey to live. I could not put this book down...each page was so very beautifully written. If you have ever lived near the water, each scene is reconstructed in almost poetic form. There is humor in this book, though, the humor that makes the stuggles in life bearable. And there are tears, that pull at your heart. But it is towards the ending of the book, a surprise twist, that makes the reader gasp. It is at that point that the author discloses to the reader the reason for choosing the title "beachcombing for a shipwrecked God." This is a captivating novel and one I have been urging friends to read. I highly recommend it with 5 BIG stars.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

One would almost never believe this charming novel centering around three women was authored by a man. I believe the one action that gave it away for me was that grown women stick their tongues out at each other far less than is depicted here. Nonetheless, the relationship between newly-widowed Charlotte, newly-pregnant Chloe, and flinty Grace seamlessly came together.

I enjoyed reading Charlotte's descriptions of archaeological digs and how one learns about another person long gone. So many fantastic parallels there. Beautiful prose, too. I enjoyed the act of reading this one; the pacing and language reminded me of Linda Olsson or a slightly-livelier Sarah Stonich.

Coomer employed a plot device I'm not fond of: the story growing along with a pregnancy, as well as a predictable ending. That's why I take off a star. But if you can deal with that, read this little gem; it's touching in a comfortable way.

[Annette]

How can this be true? Apparently this is the fourth time I've read this book, but somehow I've never entered it here before. Well, it suits me ... over and over again!

From my cards, first in 1998 and then in 2006.

I can't believe this was written by a man. He knows so much about women!

The part about reading Anne of Green Gables to each other (aloud) as they escape to Prince Edwards Island is especially poignant.

The recipe for Grace's pancakes is still my favorite!

And in 2025:

"When I reached the sidewalk it dawned on me that there was nothing I had to do. There were things I should have done and things other people wanted me to do, but nothing necessary beyond breathing."

"My past is buried in levels of emotion." (She's an archaeologist!)

Grace: "Who's it more important to get along with now? ... Me or your dead husband?"

I "looked down into the spin of water lifted by the bow. It curled up from darkness, became clear and buoyant, was sustained with speed and light and fell away beyond with a bare whisper."

"You don't want to speak badly of the dead. ... Then you're a fool." -- Meaning, go ahead and speak badly if you need to!

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful. Simply human & honest.

When I first read the description, I was apprehensive because this book is about three women and is written by a man. This became of no consequence as a read the first ten pages, Coomer does an excellent job of making his characters feel incredibly real.

This book has a particularly advantageous writing style. The lack of chapters allow Charlotte, or Coomer, to throw bits of incredibly profound and meaningful words in between simple description. I have happened on this book when I needed it the most. I immediately identified with Charlotte, because I am a history major who has worked closely with archeologists, so it was easy and enjoyable to read about that aspect of her life. I also felt close to her since of starting over, as I am about to make a big move myself.

I would recommend this book to anyone.

[Deane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of 3 women of 3 different generations and backgrounds living together on a 50' boat which hasn't moved from the dock in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 4 years. Each was unknown to the other until they became roommates.
Charlotte is a middle-aged recent widow who escapes from her former life, drives north from Kentucky, picks up a stray kitten and rents a room from an elderly lady, Grace, a widow and owner of the boat. Also on board is 17-year old Chloe who has run away from home and has a nasty-tempered boyfriend
The relationship among these 3 women makes for a very sweet story; one that found me engrossed in the happenings of their lives together in such close quarters. Each woman is special in her own way.
I was also amazed how this male author Joe Coomer could tell the story from a woman's viewpoint. Certainly a great summer read!

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whole lot of story and memorable characters have been crammed into just under 300 pages in this book written with strong ties to local history and culture. Two elements of the author’s expertise are notable; his experience as a sailor, and his understanding of archaeology. Both of these specialized areas of knowledge lend strong support to the story line. The central character and narrator has run from the death of her husband of six years in Kentucky to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. grace, a widow, is a troupe l’oeil painter. Chloe, a pregnant teen and run away has to struggle with a physically abusive boyfriend. Amidst tears and growing friendship, these three women arrive at some self knowledge and the story concludes. Carefully written with well developed characters, this book has been a pleasure to enter.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlotte just lost her husband two months ago. She felt suffocated at home by her in-laws who would not leave her alone so she took off and told no one where she was headed. She ends up in a coastal town where she rescues a kitten. She finds a room for rent on a boat with two other women: a young girl and an older widow. She bonds with these two strangers in ways that she could never have predicted. Charlotte is an archaeologist and joins a local dig team. She soon discovers that she cannot bury her past. The three women take a voyage to escape, temporarily, from the present they do not want to accept. I enjoyed this novel, especially the characters and writing. I will read more Coomer novels.

[Mamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not sure about the characters in this book up to the first fifty pages or so, and the portrayal of the mother-in-law, although she is not a main character, was so over the top I felt really uncomfortable. But the title struck me as so achingly beautiful that I continued to read, and I'm glad I did. The three main female characters form a compelling sisterhood, and the historical twist at the end, in which women from the past finally get some compassion and respect, complemented the strength the protagonists found to claim their lives as they saw fit.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a decent novel should be: Good writing, intriguing plot, rounded characters. It’s not War and Peace but so few books get this solid ratings on all three, and are, at the same time, a pleasure to read without feeling like a waste of time. The ongoing meditation in here on the place of memory means the book has some lingering resonance.

[Sarah Boyette · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was obviously written by a talented writer, but this book tries too hard. Is it a mystery? Romance? Literature? Discussion of women aging? Archaeologists literature? The answer is no to all of these. The book centers on several mysterious buildups that amount to nothing. I was thoroughly disappointed.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was elaborate and long-winded in parts. The problem I had with the book was that I just didn’t care about any of the characters at all. They held zero interest for me. I didn’t care what happened to them in the end and couldn’t wait for the book to wrap up.
Even now, when I just finished it, I am already forgetting it.

[India · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book. I liked the characters. There were places where the author forgot "show, don't tell" though. Help me to feel what the characters are feeling, don't tell me what they are feelings. But I really liked how the three women's lives seemed to intersect. It was worth the read.

[Alise Rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was only okay for me. I enjoyed the story, but the author made several disjointed, seemingly pointless forays into an almost poetic writing style that didn’t fit the story at all. The book’s title comes from one such misguided section that did more to confuse me than add to the story.

[Diane Teeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novel I have read by the author, Joe Coomer. I truly love his work. The characters come to life and walk with you as you read. Beachcombing is one of his older books, 1995, and has lost none of its meaning today. Great read! Highly recommend Joe Coomer

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I SO enjoy Mr. Coomer's believable and somewhat quirky characters, and his artful way of describing settings that takes the reader straight into the moment. The stories in the 2 books of his which I've read, are wonderful. Next up - The Loop!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Great timing, complex characters.

[Ron Antonucci · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf

[Romi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting journey....not the best or most enthralling read, but he has a lovely writing style and intriguing characters.

[Hayley Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay book. It was pretty slow and got overly descriptive, but a nice story.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it, but thought it was a bit disjointed.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this book 4 stars until toward the end when Charlotte reveals her secret. The story
would have been much better without it. It was a bit lame.

[Carlo Ruggiero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected, but still had an interesting story.