Caryl Lewis

Very nearly a five star book. I rarely read fiction but I was entranced by this one, and I’m persuaded to read a little more fiction this year. Perhaps that’s why it fell away for me in the last section, when the story goes from beautifully judged characters and mystery to a plotline which for me was unnecessarily fantastical. To have suggestions of power we don’t realise in everyday life, well that was enough for me. To have them realised felt like a plug was pulled on the narrative show more and a capitulation. The fantasy was a step too far. I cannot fault this author’s skill though, I only wish I was fluent in Welsh. show less

‘’A ripple. A disturbance on the sea that didn’t settle. Something that couldn’t be let go, and the warmth of the sun would magnify it into wind. And the wind would worry it until the weaves and the swell would make the whole world feel as if it were moving. And its approach would be imperceptible at first. The tone of the breeze would change. A sound under a sound. A strange insistence. The rattle of the glass cabinets in the cottage. The disappearance of the birds. The deadening of show more the sea as the weight of the storm rilled in, a deep disconcerting inhalation of the sky…’’

Hamza, a Syrian refugee detained in a military camp, finds himself stranded and wounded within the boundaries of a small community. Nefyn, a young woman as tender as a mother and as secretive as the sea, nurses him back to health in the house she shares with her brother, Joseph. With the help of Efa and Emrys, an elderly couple who protects the siblings, Hamza will chase the chance to a new life and Nefyn will try to heal the wounds of the past.

There are so many things I could write about Caryl Lewis’s beautiful novel but they would sound simplistic, empty. You need to read it to experience its beauty, its depth, its sadness. To see how the myths of the selkies and the legend of the goddess Atargatis are wed to a love against the world and a firm need to fulfil your destiny. To witness how Folklore dances along with issues that concern us all: racism, cruelty, loss, the daily struggle to survive. To walk with a man who tries not to forget his roots, a brother whose shoulders have been carrying a heavy burden, a wife who protects the children entrusted to her and her husband who struggles to meet his end with dignity. But more importantly, this is the story of a woman who refuses to obey and the ‘’Other’’ who refuses to comply.

I could write paragraphs after paragraphs about the beauty of the writing, the strength of the characters, the mesmerising allure of the dialogue but I won’t. Read this novel. That’s all I can tell you.

A moving, haunting modern fable of immense beauty and one of the finest books of the year.

‘’My father was from the land, my mother from the sea. Do you see? I’m trapped.’’

Many thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ show less

Hannah trauert um ihren geliebten Mann John, der nach langer Ehe von ihr gegangen ist. Ihr Leben lang hat Hannah den kleinen Ort in Wales nicht verlassen. Mit dem Obstgarten ist sie tief verwurzelt. Ihre Schwester Sadie, die schon früh diesen Ort verlassen hat, reist nun an, um ihrer Schwester beizustehen. John hat Hannah elf Briefe hinterlassen, in denen er ihr erklärt, warum ihr Leben so verlaufen ist. Nun erfahrt Hannah auch von Johns Geheimnis. In dem Obstgarten treffen Hannah, Sadie show more und Megan zusammen. Sie alle wirken verloren und müssen einen Neuanfang in ihrem Leben finden.
Dieser Roman von Caryl Lewis besticht durch seine schöne poetische Sprache. Die Handlung verläuft ruhig, manchmal geradezu langatmig. Immer wieder wird die Natur und ihre Veränderung im Laufe des Jahres detailliert beschrieben. Es ist eine melancholische Geschichte, in der nicht allzu viel geschieht.
Ich konnte mich nicht wirklich in die Charaktere einfühlen. John und Hannah haben sich geliebt. Die Bienen waren für John immer sehr wichtig. In seinen Briefen bezieht er sich auch immer wieder auf seine Bücher und die Bienen. Was bezweckte er mit diesen Vergleichen? Ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, dass sie Hannah, die wirklich trauert, Trost schenken können, zumal das Geheimnis Hannah verletzt. Jack hat von John viel über Bienen erfahren. Er kümmert sich nun weiter um die Völker und gibt sein Wissen an Megan weiter.
Alles braucht seine Zeit und am Ende finden alle ihren Weg.
Auf diesen ruhigen Roman muss man sich einlassen können, mich hat er nicht gepackt. show less