The Water Child by Matthew West
What the sea takes for its own can never return...
Portugal, 1750s. Cecilia Lamb knew being a sea captain’s wife would mean a life of waiting and watching the horizon for her husband’s ship. But John has been gone longer than any voyage should last. Everyone else has given up hope of his return. But she knows in her bones that he is not lost. Gone, but not lost.
Barely able to tear her eyes from the shimmering sea, she feels drawn to the sun-baked shoreline, and amid the bustle of the docks she feels certain that her husband will come back to her. Though along with that feeling is another sense – that something darker is coming. As she sickens, she doesn’t know what the next tide will bring – but she begins to fear as well as crave her husband’s homecoming.
Soon, even on dry land, Cecilia can feel the pull of the ocean at her feet, the movement of the tides within her. Warning, seduction or promise, she cannot tell, but one thing is certain – the sea holds many secrets, and some of them are too powerful to ever be drowned.
About the author
Mathew West grew up in Aberdeenshire (and very briefly New Zealand). After a spell as a music journalist he now lives and works in Edinburgh as a civil servant.
A keen horror film buff, his novels are born out of love of classic gothic fiction seen through modern eyes.
Review
‘The Water Child’ is an atmospheric novel which examines the circumstances of when a wife is left at home whilst her husband is at sea. It has an unnerving feeling to it that pairs beautifully with the gothic nature of the writing and style!
Portugal 1754. Cecila Lamb knew that when she married a seafarer that she would be left alone for long periods. For months she has spent her time watching the port to see if her husband’s ship arrives to dock. John has been gone longer than he should have been and people are beginning to question whether he is still alive. But she knows he is fine, she knows it in her bones. Her husband will return. But she also has a sickness that plagues her, a darkness that is only quelled by walking at the ocean’s shore. She is pulled towards the sea and can feel the movement of the tides inside her. What will the next tide bring?
As much as I loved the style of writing, the gothic feel and the tone of the book something fell a little flat for me. I think it was the introduction of the supernatural as without it, it still would have been a great piece of character examination and women’s experiences of being left at home. It's an easy book to silently devour without noticing that you are. It draws you in and keeps your attention. Hooks are definitely employed!
Let me know if you pick this one up!
