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Secrets of the Sea: A Novel
Secrets of the Sea: A Novel
Secrets of the Sea: A Novel
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Secrets of the Sea: A Novel

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“A story as brooding and insular as the Tasmanian town in which it is set. . . . Expertly crafted, the novel illuminates love’s craggy depths.” —Publishers Weekly
 
Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize
 
Torn by tragedy from his early life on a remote farm in Tasmania, Alex Dove has returned to the rugged island off Australia’s southern coast years later to start over. A chance encounter with quiet, alluring Merridy Bowman—a young woman caring for her ailing father and similarly haunted by a tangled and catastrophic history—results in marriage, as two damaged souls unite to build a home, family, and livelihood far removed from civilization’s bustle.
 
Soon they are drawn into the unpredictable dynamics of small-town island life—and into the destructive orbit of an unscrupulous real estate agent who maintains a secret hold over both Doves. But when a shipwreck off the shore thrusts a troubled, possibly criminal teenage castaway into their world, Alex and Merridy’s tenuously forged happiness is suddenly at grave risk, as they are forced to confront deeper questions about the true meaning of fulfillment.
 
“Gripping . . . exhilarating . . . cathartic.”—The Times
 
“Elegant and enjoyable.” —The Spectator
 
“A very good novel indeed.” —The Scotsman

LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 13, 2009
ISBN9780061881923
Secrets of the Sea: A Novel
Author

Nicholas Shakespeare

Nicholas Shakespeare's books have been translated into twenty languages. They include The Vision of Elena Silves, winner of the Somerset Maugham Award, and The Dancer Upstairs, which was made into a film of the same name by John Malkovich. His nonfiction includes the critically acclaimed authorized biography of Bruce Chatwin. Shakespeare is married with two sons and lives in Oxford.

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    Secrets of the Sea - Nicholas Shakespeare

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