It’s indescribable, and my greatest fear, the loss of a child, but author Jeremy Page fleshes out the experience in his poignant novel Sea Change. This is why I’m reluctant to say I enjoyed the book. The story is a beautifully written, but heartbreaking read. After tragically losing his only child – who happens to be the same age as my Lucy – Guy lives a solitary life on The North Sea aboard his barge the Flood where he writes about the life he might have had in his diary. And though, as the title implies, it’s a story of transformation and healing, the sadness was hard to embrace.
Truthfully, I probably wouldn’t have gotten past the first chapter if I hadn’t committed to reviewing it for the BlogHer Book Club, not because the book isn’t well-written. Actually, it’s the opposite. It was so easy to put myself in that landscape, to care about and feel connected with the characters. I didn’t want to imagine myself in that scenario. It’s in this first chapter that Guy is introduced to us as a father and we, the readers, experience what might be the only interaction with his daughter that isn’t fiction from his diary. It’s touching and precious and overshadowed by the inevitable tragedy that takes her from him. The suspense of what we realize is coming is agonizing and the details of that fateful moment are lacking so that the darkest parts of our brains can fill in the harrowing blanks. I read it wavering between holding my breath and sobbing outright.
It wasn’t until the next section that I let down my guard, though, and allowed myself to really be drawn in to the journey with Guy on the sea. The story within a story aspect of the book made it easier to witness the fallout of his daughter’s death. The life he depicts in his diary, his fiction, reveals so much and offers a break from the crushing burden of grief Guy is carrying. Through his diary, we begin to understand the love he has for his daughter, his relationship with his wife, the dynamic of the family he is missing and the man he really is. It is a light in a dark place, not just for Guy, but the reader as well. Though it’s supposed to be a sort of fantasy future, it really seems to serve as backstory.
I don’t want to give anything away – I think the unexpected moments in this novel are what make it a meaningful read – but I will say this: the end left me wanting. If you liked the way LOST or The Sopranos or Inception ended, you might like this. It’s one of those endings that isn’t really an ending – it’s left open for you to interpret. To me, that’s like painting a vivid portrait in stunning detail, but leaving the mouth blank. It was unsettling. I wanted another chapter or an epilogue. Perhaps we’ll get a follow-up book? If YOU want more, I encourage you to visit the BlogHer Book Club page to read an excerpt from Sea Change, learn about the author and take part in the discussion the book has sparked.
P.S. I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review but all opinions expressed are my own.
