Scan barcode
A review by megami
Beneath Pale Water by Thalia Henry
4.0
This beautiful, lyrical novel manages the difficult task of combining multiple time lines and characters, with jumps back and forth in time, yet it all flows coherently and is not at all confusing.
Set in a small New Zealand town, we are brought in to the world of a small cast of characters and through following them we explore large themes - longing, grieving, mental health, families, belonging, love. All of the characters - from sculptor Delia, her model Jane and nomadic Luke, to the parents of some of the characters - feel very real and complicated rather than just archetypes or token characters written to advance a plot point.
The author also writes beautifully about the landscape, following the water, mountains and sky throughout the seasons. It is as though the landscape is another character rather than a backdrop.
There are some very local terms in this book - not sure many US readers will know what things like 'Stubbies' are - but as an Australian I got them all. I like that the author has considered that her readers will be smart enough to figure out what these terms are from context or go find them out if they really need to.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Set in a small New Zealand town, we are brought in to the world of a small cast of characters and through following them we explore large themes - longing, grieving, mental health, families, belonging, love. All of the characters - from sculptor Delia, her model Jane and nomadic Luke, to the parents of some of the characters - feel very real and complicated rather than just archetypes or token characters written to advance a plot point.
The author also writes beautifully about the landscape, following the water, mountains and sky throughout the seasons. It is as though the landscape is another character rather than a backdrop.
There are some very local terms in this book - not sure many US readers will know what things like 'Stubbies' are - but as an Australian I got them all. I like that the author has considered that her readers will be smart enough to figure out what these terms are from context or go find them out if they really need to.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.