Whose Waves These Are

Back Cover

In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper: a rallying cry for hope, purpose...and rocks.  Its message?  Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving.  When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss's humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the harbor village on the coast of Maine, and he sets his callused hands to work.

 

Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when GrandBob, the man who gave her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is the one in need of help.  But what greets her is a mystery:  a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home.  Memories of stone ruins on a nearby island ignite a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.

 

Together with the handsome and enigmatic town postman, Annie uncovers the story layer by layer, yearning to resurrect the hope GrandBob once held so dear and to know the truth behind the chasm in her family's past.  But mending what has been broken for so long may require more of her and those she loves than they are prepared to give.

Review

 

With an artistic style, Amanda Dykes has penned a beautifully written story that is cross-generational and carried along by a wonderful cast of characters.  I fell in love with the writing and how the author deftly describes even the simplest of things.  For example, from the first page, the author is telling of a draft notice letter that has been received:

 

"It lies there on the red, paint-chipped kitchen table, like an old friend who has let himself in and put his feet up, the most natural thing in the world.

 

But it's anything but natural."

 

Carried along by the lyrical voice, the story leaps to life through the pages, unveiling an intriguing plot chapter by chapter, showing how the actions and events in the past can very well shape and guide the future.  It is a powerful reminder to not take lightly decisions we make today for the possible reactions and repercussions that could follow later on.  The heroine in the story, Annie Bliss, well knows that truth, as she fights the guilt of failure from a previous career decision.  Little does she know that GrandBob has also struggled with his own haunted memories.  But where GrandBob has found solace and a purpose, Annie has yet to find her.  But perhaps it can be discovered in the sleepy and quaint town of Ansel-by-the-Sea...

 

This novel was a breath of fresh air.  I so enjoyed the lovely prose and thought-provoking story.  Whose Waves These Are is a smashing debut novel for new author, Amanda Dykes.  I will be looking forward to her next work!

 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.