Book Review: "Sea Wife" by Amity Gaige
“Sea Wife” by Amity Gaige
Synopsis: Juliet is failing to juggle motherhood and her stalled-out dissertation on confessional poetry when her husband, Michael, informs her that he wants to leave his job and buy a sailboat. With their two kids--Sybil, age seven, and George, age two--Juliet and Michael set off for Panama, where their forty-four foot sailboat awaits them.
The initial result is transformative; the marriage is given a gust of energy, Juliet emerges from her depression, and the children quickly embrace the joys of being feral children at sea. Despite the stresses of being novice sailors, the family learns to crew the boat together on the ever-changing sea. The vast horizons and isolated islands offer Juliet and Michael reprieve - until they are tested by the unforeseen.
Sea Wife is told in gripping dual perspectives: Juliet's first person narration, after the journey, as she struggles to come to terms with the life-changing events that unfolded at sea, and Michael's captain's log, which provides a riveting, slow-motion account of these same inexorable events, a dialogue that reveals the fault lines created by personal history and political divisions.
Sea Wife is a transporting novel about marriage, family and love in a time of unprecedented turmoil. It is unforgettable in its power and astonishingly perceptive in its portrayal of optimism, disillusionment, and survival.
Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Review: After reading the blurb on this year’s NYT 100 Notable Books, I immediately placed a library hold on Sea Wife, among some others (many of which I’ll be waiting months for, I’m sure!). The general synopsis captured me, with my only hesitation being a total lack of interest in sailing (despite being born and raised in Annapolis!) and a general distaste for survival narratives.
I started reading Sea Wife in the bathtub, aptly, on Monday and was completely absorbed. The narrative is split between longer sections of Juliet’s post-sea life, as she adjusts to life as a widow with two small children (Michael’s death is alluded to early on), and briefer sections of Michael’s captain’s log.
The novel explores a number of weighty subjects: a political divide, the ideological battle between ruthless individualism and collectivism, the impact of childhood trauma on a marriage. Michael’s generable affable nature and lack of anxiety clash with Juliet’s serious bouts with depression and her interiority, leading their marriage to an inflection point where she is unsure if she can release her anger at him enough to let him love her.
This novel will rock you with waves just like the sea—smooth passages are interrupted with roiling drama and upset, even intrigue. It reads with the pace of a suspense novel, and there is a subplot about a mysterious man connected to Michael. Mostly, I was so absorbed with how true and human both Juliet and Michael read. You’re frustrated with both of them and also completely empathize with both. Gaige’s writing is absolutely gorgeous, and I dog-eared a number of pages containing lines that were so emotionally insightful and incisive I had to sit and re-read. I encourage everyone to read this, it is definitely among my top ten of the year.
Trigger Warnings: A large subplot explores Juliet’s reckoning with childhood sexual abuse. There is nothing explicit, but the topic is repeatedly covered.
TL;DR: One of the best books of the year, a novel of a marriage adrift, and all the ways we struggle to love each other.
If you liked this; try:
“All Things Cease to Appear” by Elizabeth Brundage (Bookshop | Kindle)
“Fates and Furies” by Lauren Groff (Bookshop | Kindle)
“A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara (Bookshop | Kindle)
If you click on one of the links in this article and make a purchase, She’s Full of Lit may receive a small commission. It doesn’t add anything to your price — we promise! Thanks so much for your support.
