Kelly Anderson

I received an Advance copy of this book. Thank you.

I found this book to be very immersive and interesting. While not fast paced, it draws you in. So much of this book is beautifully descriptive, especially the water scenes and what the water means to the characters.
Annie MacLeod grew up on a sailboat, that was her home. Her parents would anchor in a town in the Pacific Northwest, in the summers, reconnecting with her father's people. During her one attempt at public school in first grade, show more before sailing away and being home schooled, she made one, lifelong connection with Evan. Every summer Evan would come on board and the two were inseparable. As the two grow up, a real love bonds them.
A Tsunami hits the town and destroys all Annie knows and loves, including her parents, and for the first time in her life, she rejects the sea.
Evan becomes torn. His dad needs him and compels him to see to his needs, making it hard for him to be there when Annie needs him. Annie feels she has lost everything and everyone. One day when she's foraging for food, she stumbles on a man, clearly injured from the storm. She and her grandmother nurse him, Walker, back to life, and soon Walker is an important part of Annie's life, and she finds herself drawn to him like she was drawn to her mother. Despite being with him, she never knows anything about him before he arrived.
The story continues for years, and Evan, Annie and Walker continue to influence each other.
I found the book slowed down in the middle, while still interesting, there was a lot of soul searching and at times it seemed a bit hopeless.
The ending picks up with some twists, and overall, it is an engaging, beautifully written book. show less

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