'The Sing of the Shore' by Lucy Wood
It's been a good year for new publications and I've reeled a number of great sounding newbies onto my 'Would Like to Read' list recently. One that caught my eye was the '
The Sing of the Shore', a collection of Cornwall-set short stories by
Lucy Wood. As you probably know by now, I love a good short story, and, thanks to my local library, I got a chance to try these.
Wood's book of 13 connected tales explores themes of curiosity, fear and isolation in a rural Cornwall dominated by the whims of holidaymakers and the forces of nature. Characters' lives play out to the unceasing soundtrack of the waves crashing against the county's famously rugged and beautiful coastline. For some, the sea offers escape from the monotony of family life. For others, its a source of obsession. Nosey children explore empty holiday homes, while adults find they won't - or can't - leave, even when the opportunity presents itself. Friends let each other down, while enemies do the unthinkable. Whether born-and-bred or retirees, all are held by the siren call of the sea as it ceaselessly gnaws at the shore and the psyche alike...
