A review by bookmaddie
Wild and Distant Seas by Tara Karr Roberts

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

A recent read from my whale historical fiction era (which I think is over for now...) that got better as it went along! This novel follows multiple generations of one family, going from mother to daughter. Each woman has a special power—foresight, being able to see other people’s memories, etc—that helps them along the way. Each woman is searching for something, even if it might not bring the closure they so desire.

While the story begins with a mother’s grief and a daughter’s search for a lost father, their story is lost, and the rest of the women search desperately for a past they feel but can’t remember. The tone is very whimsical and nostalgic, bringing the windswept shores of Nantucket and the boisterous ports of Brazil and Italy to life.

I was charmed by the setting and writing, but I felt as if I was leaving each woman’s story just before the conclusion. It got a bit old to be dragged from story to story with no closure to the prior narrative. Also, a lot of these women misunderstand their moms so much, in a way that reads so naive and brash on the page. It didn’t make sense to me, and felt really repetitive. I felt that the whole root of their inherited trauma was never addressed and kept a secret for way too long. I wanted some emotional heart-to-hearts and character development that happened marginally, rather than all at once at the very end.

I think the structure of the book hindered the character development, but the sweet ending still delighted me. All the loose threads got knotted together, and I finally got the closure I was after! If you’re in the mood for an adventurous, sweeping story, then this is a good debut to give a try. I’ll be curious what Roberts writes in the future, as there’s lots here to love and I think her writing can only get better!
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