Review by juniperbranches - Our Wives Under The Sea

juniperbranches 's review for:

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

5.0

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Leah is Miri’s wife of 6 years, and a marine biologist. When she goes on a 3 week dive all seems normal, until the submarine loses control and ends up stranding Leah and her research partners at the bottom of the ocean. She makes her way back to Miri 6 months later, but Miri is confident that something isn’t quite right with the woman she loves. Written in the haunting voices of the two women, this book is a gorgeous elegy, love story, and thriller all rolled into one.

I know I am late to the party on this one, it’s been sitting on my shelf starting at me for months. But oh god, do I ever regret not reading it sooner! I read Armfield’s book of short stories last year and found it very medium so was a little hesitant, but her voice shines in this. I also love that this is absolutely a story about two queer women, but it’s not about their queerness. It’s just part of their characters and the story unfolds from there. This kind of representation is excellent. Queer fiction doesn’t always have to be about how hard it is to come out, to be seen and to be queer. Miri loves Leah with all of her heart and that is the jumping off part. can Loved it.

Content Warnings