You, Me, and the Sea: A Novel

By Meg Donohue

From the USA Today bestselling author of All the Summer Girls and Dog Crazy comes a spellbinding and suspenseful tale inspired by Wuthering Heights that illuminates the ways in which hope—and even magic—can blossom in the darkest of places.

To find her way, she must abandon everything she loves…

As a child, Merrow Shawe believes she is born of the sea: strong, joyous, and wild. Her beloved home is Horseshoe Cliff, a small farm on the coast of Northern California where she spends her days exploring fog-cloaked bluffs, swimming in the cove, and basking in the light of golden sunsets as her father entertains her with fantastical stories. It is an enchanting childhood, but it is not without hardship—the mystery of Merrow’s mother’s death haunts her, as does the increasingly senseless cruelty of her older brother, Bear.

Then, like sea glass carried from a distant land, Amir arrives in Merrow’s life. He’s been tossed about from India to New York City and now to Horseshoe Cliff, to stay with her family. Merrow is immediately drawn to his spirit, his passion, and his resilience in the face of Bear’s viciousness. Together they embrace their love of the sea, and their growing love for each other.

But the ocean holds secrets in its darkest depths. When tragedy strikes, Merrow is forced to question whether Amir is really the person she believed him to be. In order to escape the danger she finds herself in and find her own path forward, she must let go of the only home she’s ever known, and the only boy she’s ever loved.... 

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All the Summer Girls

How to Eat a Cupcake

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9780062429865

Meg Donohue

Meg Donohue is the USA Today bestselling author of How to Eat a Cupcake, All the Summer Girls, and Dog Crazy. She has an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and a BA in comparative literature from Dartmouth College. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now lives in San Francisco with her husband, three children, and dog.

Reviews for You, Me, and the Sea

[izzybellae · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is full of emotion and gives all the feelings. The struggles, the loss, the tragedy will all pull at your heart strings and draw you in. The character development is great. And even wraps up nicely - maybe a little too good.

[cas2199 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Merrow lives in a remote coastal area of Northern California along with her father and her brother. They live on a dilapidated farm and it barely yields enough crops for them to get by. Her older brother, Bear, doesn't look out for her in the very least as he is a disturbed individual and treats her very cruelly. One day her father brings home an orphan, Amir. Amir is the son of his deceased wife's best friend, so he can't just let him go into foster care again. This thrills Merrow completely as she has wanted a friend and a playmate practically her whole life. Merrow and Amir spend blissful days exploring Horseshoe Bluff, the farm, swimming in the ocean, and avoiding Bear at all costs. As they get older, Amir slowly changes from being her best friend to something more while they both weather the many storms of that come into their lives. Meg Donohue's You, Me and the Sea is a heartfelt story about family, friendship, the call of the ocean, and star-crossed love. Merrow is truly a memorable character in You, Me and the Sea. Her childhood at idyllic Horseshoe Cliff should be magical, and it is at times, but there is a dark cloud that follows her wherever she goes and that ominous cloud is Bear. He is a cruel and horrible person that not only abuses Merrow physically at times, but also emotionally. Her father doesn't always catch his misdeeds, as he has many troubles of his own and is often away, so Merrow must really learn to fend for herself. Thankfully, Amir enters her life and she not only has a sidekick, but she also has someone to count on, which becomes even more important later in the story. Her friendship with Amir truly tugged on my heartstrings and I was rooting for them to overcome all the obstacles in their way, especially when it came to dealing with Bear. He was infuriating!I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but if you are familiar with Wuthering Heights, then you will enjoy this modern retelling. A lot happens to Amir and Merrow as they get older and I was completely invested in Merrow's story and hoping for the best for both her and Amir.The idyllic setting of Horseshoe Cliff in You, Me and the Sea is so memorable and it made this delightful story perfect for summertime. Morrow's love of the ocean and her appreciation of it is felt throughout the entire story. You, Me and the Sea isn't your usual beach read; it is smart and has so much heart! So much so that it made me cry and I haven't cried over a book in ages. You'll want to throw in in your beach bag this summer!

[booksandbutter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story was quickly engrossing and beautifully written. I love the way Meg writes with so much detail, I swear I could feel the ocean air on my face. I definitely recommend this book- it would be great to take on a plan ride or to the beach!

[clp412 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved Merrow's story. I can only imagine what life was like on Horseshoe Cliff and despite her childhood, it sounds like a beautiful piece of land to live. This was a book I took on vacation and found myself devouring it on the plane and at the beach. It is a great summer read that isn't too fluffy but thought provoking and you'll be rooting for Merrow! Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers and William Morrow books for a copy of this book.

[susan0316 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This beautifully written descriptive novel sweeps you away to the northern California coast and Horseshoe Cliff right from the beginning. Then when we meet the main character in that setting, we find out that she is just as beautiful and mysterious as the location she lives in.Merrow Shawe is strong, joyous, and wild child. Her beloved home is Horseshoe Cliff, a small farm on the coast of Northern California where she spends her days exploring fog-cloaked bluffs, swimming in the cove, and basking in the light of golden sunsets as her father entertains her with fantastical stories. Her beautiful childhood is tainted with the cruelty of her brother, Bear and the mystery of her mother's death when she was a baby. Then one day when she is 8, her father takes guardianship of Amir, the adopted Indian son of a friend who died. Amir enjoys Horseshoe Cliff as much as Merrow and they develop a strong relationship with each other. He protects her from the cruel ways of her brother and they live a happy life until one day several years later tragedy strikes and life as they knew it is forever gone. Merrow has to decide if it's time to make changes to her life and let go of her beautiful life at Horseshoe Cliffs. Will she be able to find happiness without her beloved childhood home?This beautifully written novel is inspired by the novel Wuthering Heights and illuminates the ways in which hope—and even magic—can blossom in the darkest of places. It's a beautiful well written novel with characters that you quickly come to care about.NOTE: Despite the fact that many reviewers really liked the ending, I didn't and that's why I only gave this book 4 stars. You need to read it and decide for yourself!thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

[erinclark_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book started out a little rough for me, I felt the language was confusing and I couldn't quite get what was going on and then it clicked and I sailed through it. Merrow lives the poor, hippy lifestyle on a remote Northern California farm on the coast. Her mother has died and her father is kind, but distracted. Unfortunately for Merrow her brother, Bear, ten years her senior, is a horrible and violent bully and she grows up always fearing for her safety until one day her father arrives with Amir an orphan. Amir soon gets the brunt of Bears anger but does so willingly to protect Merrow. They develop an intense bond growing up together doing the best they can to farm the land after Merrow's father dies. Eventually time and circumstances separate them for several years until they are reunited right before Merrow's wedding to another man. Well written with interesting characters and story line. Recommended. (This was an advanced uncorrected proof so I did find a couple of typos which I'm sure will be corrected by the time the book is launched)

[plumcover3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Merrow has life on the edge of the sea that seems all things coastal: Intense, beautiful, dangerous. Her life is filled with a close family that keeps love and hate dancing around as if they were invited. Her life is altered drastically when her father invites a young boy to become a near family member and it is this which throws her already off balance brother Bear completely in a spin. Childhood, adolescence, and adult hood redefine but do not escape the dangers of relationships too close and too far for comfort.

[julierenee13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received an advanced reader's copy of this novel. It was a good story and the characters were all well written and had a good amount of depth to them. Not one character in this book was flat. A very good story that will lead to great discussions.

[mmoj_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers in exchange for a fair review. Merrow lives with her father and brother on Horseshoe Cliff where they eke out a living farming. Her father supplements the money with carvings that he whittles. Merrow is very young when she figures out that her brother hates her and she learns to not cry while around him and avoid him whenever there father isn't around. That chanes when her father bring a boy, Amir into the family. Amir was the adopted son of her mother's friend. The friend has also died and so her father becomes his guardian. Merrow and Amir become inseparable to the point that a family friend becomes worried. Amir falls in love with the home and can think of nothing better than living on the farm forever. At least if Merrow's brother would disappear. Merrow's good at school but Amir struggles. Amir sees the need for something more in Merrow and so they visit vacation homes in the town. They pretend that the houses are theirs and Amir thinks this will be good enough to keep Merrow happy. But there is an accident and the two are caught by the vacationers who are living in the home.Fast forward, Amir has disappeared, Merrow's brother is a and Merrow has been given an education through scholarships and the family whose house she & Amir were caught at. She's engaged to the son and is on the cusp of a completely different life. But is it what she really wants? I enjoyed this book but it was a bit predictable. I knew what was going to happen. But the characters were well-written and you wanted everyone to have a happy ending.

[debristow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers program. This is the story of Merrow who lives in Horseshoe Cliff with her father and Brother Bear. When Amir comes to stay with the family, Merrow finds a friend to take away her loneliness and help combat the cruelty she faces from her Brother Bear. When an unexpected turn of events happens that gives Merrow the opportunity of a lifetime and makes her question Amir’s true colors, her life is forever changed.This was a great storyline with amazing characters that were so well developed in a story told in less than 350 pages. This story will stay with you long after you read that very last page. What a great read!

[koalamom_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Merrow lost her parents, lived with an abusive brother and loved a boy who was taken in by her dad before he died. She and Amir became very close and circumstances made them lose this only to rekindle it.

[kremsa-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Thank you to LibraryThing and William Morrow for ARC of You Me and the Sea by Meg Donohue. It was difficult for me to decide on a rating for this book. It is well written and the prose beautifully descriptive but I feel like the story line was a little too simplistic and predictable. The novel begins on the eve of Merrow and Will's elopement. They have thrown a party for their close friends and family at their home in San Francisco to celebrate their upcoming nuptials. At one point in the evening Merrow slips outside for a bit and is confronted by Amir who disappeared from her life 10 years earlier. The author then takes you back in time to Horseshoe Cliff and tells the story of Merrow's motherless childhood there. Her love of the land, and sea, her simple life is counter-balanced by the fear her abusive bother instills in her. Amir, an orphan from India, is brought to live with them and she finally has someone who understand and love her and they form a tight and usual bond. At sixteen a series of events lead to Amir's disappearance from her life and Merrow moves on until the night of the elopement party.I was somewhat disappointed in the ending; a little too fairy tale. Or maybe I was disappointed in Merrow's character and felt her decision was too hasty and unrealistic. All in all it was a quick entertaining read but not a favorite for me.

[gingersnap000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ms. Donohue has written a heartfelt book about how love can change a person as well as a lack of love. The protagonist of this book, Merrow, is the product of the back to nature ideal of the 1960s. Her parents fell in love in the era of flower power in San Francisco. Her father's dream was to live off the land on a farm on the coast of California. He found his dream on the farm he called Horseshow Cliff. Merrow loves the farm as much as her father but her brother Bear hates everything about the farm. I wonder throughout the book why is Bear so hateful towards his sister first and then Amir, the young boy who has been left under the care of Mr. Shawe. Bear's behavior made me feel so uncomfortable while reading this book and wished that Merrow and Amir did not report his behavior to Mr. Shawe or Rei, the family friend who helps the family in a very unselfish way. The most important message this book delivers is being unselfish and helpful in time of need of others. The theme is beautiful and the message is eyeopening.