This is the kind of book that is hard to put down and when you do, you can't stop thinking about it. The plot is simple. A group of Breton fishermen who get their living off the coasts of Iceland, and their families who are left behind for most of the year waiting, watching...and praying .Most of the story centers around two characters, young Sylvester who is recruited for the French navy and his cousin of sorts, Yann, a strong, powerful able seaman who, in his late twenties is being pressured to marry. However, Yann argues that the only wife he'll ever have is the sea.
The author describes coastal Brittany in such simple but vivid terms that I felt I was there, kicking browned seaweed along the rocky paths and winding my way among stunted trees and bushes bent permanently in blown positions . And the storms at sea....terrifying.
Although this is not a very long novel, I felt that the main characters were pretty well developed; there were times I had to choke back the tears when the emotion became too much. Yes, it's a bittersweet story but a very good one.
Available for free on Public Domain sites
Highly recommended
CONTENT: PG (for very brief but strong violence and some racially offensive descriptions of the Chinese)
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