Simply one of the most moving books I’ve ever read.
Leah went away for a three week trip under the sea, and came back six months later. Miri, her wife, spent those months not knowing what had happened to her. When Leah returns there are still no answers but she has changed.
The story is told alternating between the two women’s voices, and slowly builds a the story of their lives, how they met, their relationship, those lonely and scary six months (for Miri) and what happened there under the sea (for Leah). There’s a mystery at the core of this book, a shadowy organisation (just called the Centre), sinister undertones and, without any spoilers, something much darker. But for me this book is about what it means to love and be loved. The pleasure and pain of it all.
I enjoyed the journey immensely. Julia’s minute observations of how people interact, what they say, their feelings, it’s so well observed and brings you into the intimacy of the relationship. The little things that reveal how two people feel about each other. At times it was funny and endearing, I really liked Leah and Miri. They were so well realised and real. Maybe some of the peripheral characters were a little sketchy but this only highlighted the intensity of the central relationship. They were their whole world to each other, and everyone else was maybe a little sketchy.
SPOILER ALERT. It is also devastating. I’m not a weeper. This book made me weep.
I listened to this as an audio book which brought out the different tones of Miri and Leah, which I think could have felt quite similar on the page. The pace is slow and contemplative, but Julia’s use of language is beautiful and I found it calming space to spend time in.
If you like character driven stories about people and how they cope with the world, with a little love and weirdness thrown, then you will love this. Honestly, if you’re even a little curious, give this a go. It is wonderful.
