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A review by waywardfancy
The Tides Between by Elizabeth Jane Corbett
A historical YA novel set in 1841 on a ship bound for Australia, The Tides Between is an accomplished coming of age story told lyrically, with plot intrigue and finely drawn characters. It is hard to believe it is the work of a first time novelist. The authorial voice is strong and assured, and the reader soon gives themselves over to the this transformation tale of a fifteen year old Bridie, on her journey: a geographical journey to colonial Australia, a personal journey to womanhood and an emotional journey to come to terms with the grief for her father.
The book is set on the steerage of a ship on an ocean, one setting – and yet it is such an expansive story, as if this tight location has allowed Corbett to fully explore and interplay the power of mythology, music, imagination, storytelling and community have to sustain us. The imminent destination of the shores of Port Philip gives the story tension. As does some imminent births. Each character is so well realised and there is a sense that the author has such respect for each and every human. The historical detail is so seamless it is as if the author has inhaled the research and simply breathed it into the sentences. And those sentences? Sumptuous and lyrical.
Corbett also weaves many other threads into this book and manages to deftly pull it all together. The soundtrack is a thread that stayed with me - the haunting interweaving of the song “All through the night” or” Ar Hyd y Nos” in Welsh - a song dear to Bridie, to her father and to the troubled Rhys, who plays it hauntingly on his fiddle. And I must admit, the song has special significance to me too. This had the effect, for me, of catching the heart strings and resonating at important times. You will need tissues.
The result is a finely detailed and rich world. There are the wonderful Welsh tales told by Sian and Rhys throughout the journey that parallel their own dark secrets. There is the plot and tale of Bridie’s family, her pregnant mother and her stepfather. Importantly, it is Bridie, coming to terms with her father’s death and puberty. The other layer is the story of the community that grows on the ship. There are loves and losses; births and deaths.
Central to the book is the power of stories. Bridie is under pressure from her parents to leave Fairy Tales behind, something associated with her father and with her childhood. However the journey across the ocean proves to all the integral importance, need and power of stories. While the main focus is on Bridie, the ensemble cast of characters become so well known to the reader that it had me wondering if this book will have a sequel – the next part of the story hovers just off the page, a mirage in the distance, after they have disembarked on new shores.
Between the Tides is the story of a journey, a beginning, an end, and a transformation for many of the people who are sailing through a seemingly endless ocean. Elizabeth Corbett has written a well-balanced novel with fine language, warmth of spirit and best of all, has spun us a wonderful tale while demonstrating just how important a fine story is for everyone.
The book is set on the steerage of a ship on an ocean, one setting – and yet it is such an expansive story, as if this tight location has allowed Corbett to fully explore and interplay the power of mythology, music, imagination, storytelling and community have to sustain us. The imminent destination of the shores of Port Philip gives the story tension. As does some imminent births. Each character is so well realised and there is a sense that the author has such respect for each and every human. The historical detail is so seamless it is as if the author has inhaled the research and simply breathed it into the sentences. And those sentences? Sumptuous and lyrical.
Corbett also weaves many other threads into this book and manages to deftly pull it all together. The soundtrack is a thread that stayed with me - the haunting interweaving of the song “All through the night” or” Ar Hyd y Nos” in Welsh - a song dear to Bridie, to her father and to the troubled Rhys, who plays it hauntingly on his fiddle. And I must admit, the song has special significance to me too. This had the effect, for me, of catching the heart strings and resonating at important times. You will need tissues.
The result is a finely detailed and rich world. There are the wonderful Welsh tales told by Sian and Rhys throughout the journey that parallel their own dark secrets. There is the plot and tale of Bridie’s family, her pregnant mother and her stepfather. Importantly, it is Bridie, coming to terms with her father’s death and puberty. The other layer is the story of the community that grows on the ship. There are loves and losses; births and deaths.
Central to the book is the power of stories. Bridie is under pressure from her parents to leave Fairy Tales behind, something associated with her father and with her childhood. However the journey across the ocean proves to all the integral importance, need and power of stories. While the main focus is on Bridie, the ensemble cast of characters become so well known to the reader that it had me wondering if this book will have a sequel – the next part of the story hovers just off the page, a mirage in the distance, after they have disembarked on new shores.
Between the Tides is the story of a journey, a beginning, an end, and a transformation for many of the people who are sailing through a seemingly endless ocean. Elizabeth Corbett has written a well-balanced novel with fine language, warmth of spirit and best of all, has spun us a wonderful tale while demonstrating just how important a fine story is for everyone.