I found myself utterly mesmerised by this beautifully written and almost ethereal story - it’s a little dark and eerie but so stunning.
When Natasha was a young girl, she told her mother that the group of fishermen who just went out to sea wouldn’t be coming back. Surely enough, they were all lost to the sea, and that was only the beginning of Natasha’s gift, or curse if you feel more like her mother. Many years later, at the same time as a man named Mr. Bowen comes to lodge at their home, Natasha sees strange lights in the sky, and whilst she doesn’t know what they are exactly, she knows that they are a warning which only she can understand, and that people will die. Natasha is finally embracing her gift and telling all who’ll listen about the lights, but her behaviour is pulling her further away from those she is closest to.
This is a bit of a difficult one to explain, because whilst the lights are a pivotal moment in the story, there is so much more going on around Natasha. Those closest to her are changing and no longer seem to support her, rather wanting her to keep quiet and out of trouble, whilst she wants to try to save those who seem doomed. Her beautiful, bohemian mother is falling in love and she can’t accept it. It’s really, despite the magical element, a poignant coming of age story.
This is one of those gorgeous stories where so much is said without words - and those moments feel so powerful in their silence. It’s moving, it’s exciting, it’s certainly tragic in many ways, and yet I couldn’t get enough. I think the best way I could describe this one is ‘alluring’ - something about this novel draws you in, and I never wanted it to end.
When Natasha was a young girl, she told her mother that the group of fishermen who just went out to sea wouldn’t be coming back. Surely enough, they were all lost to the sea, and that was only the beginning of Natasha’s gift, or curse if you feel more like her mother. Many years later, at the same time as a man named Mr. Bowen comes to lodge at their home, Natasha sees strange lights in the sky, and whilst she doesn’t know what they are exactly, she knows that they are a warning which only she can understand, and that people will die. Natasha is finally embracing her gift and telling all who’ll listen about the lights, but her behaviour is pulling her further away from those she is closest to.
This is a bit of a difficult one to explain, because whilst the lights are a pivotal moment in the story, there is so much more going on around Natasha. Those closest to her are changing and no longer seem to support her, rather wanting her to keep quiet and out of trouble, whilst she wants to try to save those who seem doomed. Her beautiful, bohemian mother is falling in love and she can’t accept it. It’s really, despite the magical element, a poignant coming of age story.
This is one of those gorgeous stories where so much is said without words - and those moments feel so powerful in their silence. It’s moving, it’s exciting, it’s certainly tragic in many ways, and yet I couldn’t get enough. I think the best way I could describe this one is ‘alluring’ - something about this novel draws you in, and I never wanted it to end.