About the Book
In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper: a rallying cry for hope, purpose . . . and rocks. Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving. When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss’s humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the tiny, coastal Maine town, and he sets his calloused hands to work, but the building halts when tragedy strikes.
Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when she learns her Great-Uncle Robert, the man who became her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is now the one in need of help. What she didn’t anticipate was finding a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home. Long-ago memories of stone ruins on a nearby island trigger her curiosity, igniting a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.
She joins forces with the handsome and mysterious harbor postman, and all her hopes of mending the decades-old chasm in her family seem to point back to the ruins. But with Robert failing fast, her search for answers battles against time, a foe as relentless as the ever-crashing waves upon the sea.
Excerpt
Robert’s gaze settles on Jenny as she approaches behind her husband, wood-and-wire clam hod in hand. Cheeks touched with the chilly wind, she looks brighter than ever—with a quiet beauty that can take a man’s breath right out of him. Robert looks at the floor.
“Did you tell him?” She slips her hand into Roy’s. Robert forced himself to look. This is how he needs to see her. Together with Roy. He must look, so his heart will see, so his soul will follow. She’s Roy’s now, Roy’s forever.
“I . . .” Roy looks at her as if there’s a whole ocean between them. She squeezes his hand and chatters on, her melodic voice at an excited tempo, weaving through the silent currents the letter has brought.
“Well,” she says, “your mother was thrilled. You should have seen her, Roy.” She laughs, and it’s music. “She jumped right in the Ford and took off for Machias to see Mrs. Laughlin about some yarn. She says she has to get started knitting a blanket . . .” She talks on, her hand falling to her stomach. The leaden weight inside Robert grows. He looks from Jenny, to Roy, to the letter. And back at Roy. A baby. And Roy standing there with a letter that may as well be from the grim reaper.
His brother locks his stare with Robert’s. Everything fades away, and they’re ten years old again, looking out over the ocean as a storm bigger than their whole universe approaches and Dad motors off to town to fetch Mom home before it hits. “Stick together, boys,” he hollers, and disappears around their island. “Keep inside away from the storm, and don’t let each other out of your sight.” Robert had failed then. He could not fail now.
Jenny has stopped talking, the flush on her face fading as her smile does, too. “What is it?” she asks, watching this unspoken knowing go on between the brothers.
Roy shakes his head. “Nothing. I’ll tell you later.” He grasps for—and finds—a smile, pulls Jenny close until her head is leaning on his shoulder.
And just as they’ve done a thousand times since their youth, the three of them walk down to the clam flats by Milton Farm and dig up a bounty. Jenny swinging the basket, Roy having a clam rake and grinning at her as if she’s gold itself, and Robert’s chest yawning into a cavern over this injustice.
Review
Out of all the different elements that come together to create a wonderful reading experience, evocative writing that transports you effortlessly into the world of the story would have to be my favourite. The gentle lyricism of Amanda Dykes’ writing did just that—despite the use of third person present tense, my least favourite narrative tense. And when that gorgeous prose tells a story of love and loss, pain and healing, separation and reconciliation, all wrapped up in a poignant mystery, you have story gold.
And the characters… Every one of them has layers that are gradually peeled back as the story unfolds, and I would be lying by omission if I didn’t admit that Jeremiah Fletcher had me captivated from the moment he walked onto the page. I don’t know what it is about the quiet ones that seem aloof at first glance, but they’re like catnip to me. It’s so true, what they say about still waters running deep, and I absolutely loved the way each scene allowed us to glimpse just a little bit further into Jeremiah’s still waters. Amanda Dykes is also one of those authors who lets things rumble around in the subtext until the moment is perfect, and that scene toward the end, with the letter, and the sunrise… One of the most perfect moments EVER! Tears, heart bursting, the lot!
But Robert’s story, the one that really holds this book together, is just as affecting, and this was one of those time-slip stories where I was thoroughly engrossed in whichever time period I was reading at the time. I loved that the setting was not only a vividly described reality—a character in its own right—but also a beautifully rich metaphor that was explored throughout the story. I didn’t just need the tissues for the moments of mourning; I needed the tissues for the moments of beauty!
If you are a lover of evocative writing and stories that cannot fail to leave you moved, make sure you don’t miss this one.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Related Books
Up From the Sea is a prequel novella that is available for free across all retailers. If you’d like to sample Amanda’s writing, this is a great way to do it!
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About the Author
Amanda Dykes is the author of Bespoke: A Tiny Christmas Tale, the critically-acclaimed bicycle story that invited readers together to fund bicycles for missionaries in Asia. A former English teacher, she has a soft spot for classic literature and happy endings. She is a drinker of tea, a dweller of Truth, and a spinner of hope-filled tales, grateful for the grace of a God who loves extravagantly.
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