Sunday 9 August 2015

A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke - A Great Summer Read!

I was pleased to find another book by Lucy Clarke because I enjoyed The Sea Sisters so much. (Find my review here.)
That book was about one sister following in the tracks of the other to find out how she  could have possibly committed suicide on the other side of the world; A Single Breath is about a wife following in the tracks of her husband, who has been drowned, all the way to Tasmania to find out who he really was.
These novels sound rather sad, dealing with death as they do, but it is Lucy's skill as a writer that brings the characters to life.
A Single Breath focuses on Eva, who witnesses her husband, Jackson, drowning off some rocks in Dorset, and decides to travel to Tasmania, as they had planned, to meet his family. Once there she finds she's not really welcome, but Jackson's brother, Saul, lets her stay in a shack which once belonged to Jackson, and gradually, she finds herself falling in love with him. The brothers are drawn beautifully: although they resemble each other, one is dependable and strong and the other, a dreamer and can't be trusted. I can't tell you too much, or I'll give the story away!
One tantalizing thing is that the chapters, telling the story from Eva's point of view, or Saul's, are interspersed with the thoughts of Jackson. How does that happen?
I loved Lucy's description of the sea and the scenes where Eva goes free diving.
This is definitely one of those books to enjoy on holiday!
If you do enjoy it, there was a brand new book out by Lucy Clarke on July 30th 2015 - The Blue.
Again, with a theme of the sea, I can't wait to read it as well!