The Coordinates of Loss

I was randomly searching on NetGalley one day when I saw The Coordinates of Loss show up in my feed for recommended books. I’m a big fan of Amanda Prowse, but she has so many previous novels that I hadn’t been paying attention to new releases. Since it was on NetGalley, and the publisher had auto-approved me, I downloaded the book and put it in my queue. I wanted an author I could count on this week and began the read assured it would be the perfect choice. It delivered and I’m very happy with Prowse’s latest story.

Rachel Croft and her husband James are sleeping on their boat in the Caribbean when they discover one morning that their young son, Oscar, isn’t in his bed. They search and search, but he’s gone. No one saw any boats nearby and there’s no sign of any struggle or injury. He had fallen overboard and likely drowned. With no body, how does a family move on? There’s always the question of “what happened” and “could he be somewhere else” and this is what haunts the young couple. Another story about CeCe, their housekeeper, parallels the Croft family pain. CeCe lost a child years ago, too. Through a series of letters, CeCe tries to help Rachel get through the pain. The story chronicles a few years in everyone’s life ultimately culminating in what happens to the family years later after all the pain and struggle seems to come to a head between Rachel and James over who’s at fault.

Prowse is killer when it comes to packing gut-punching emotion. At many points in the story, a rip current tore through me wondering how I’d handle such a situation. While it was powerful and painful, I didn’t feel the normal devastation I’ve previously felt when reading a Prowse novel in the past. It’s not to say say the book isn’t great, as it really is. I devoured it in two days, but parts were less emotional and more matter of fact. At times, Rachel seemed too spoiled and independent, pulling away from James. I got angry with her for not turning to her husband, but then again, it’s a phenomenal author who can make readers angry at good characters for some of their decisions.

All in all, it’s a prime example of why Prowse’s books always impact me. I will finish them all, but I’m glad to know even her most current ones are still strong contenders for favorite stories each year. A solid 4 stars with a beautiful balance and tone.

The Coordinates of Loss by Amanda Prowse, oh my. I was concerned at first by the subject matter because it’s about a 7 year old boy that goes missing in the ocean, but I have to say that I was wrong to worry. It’s very well done and really touched me.

The book is a journey that contains so much heart and soul that I could only read a few chapters at a time. It really examines our relationships and how they stand up to times of great trial and also is about forgiving yourself. It’s a book that really made me think. I think it would make a good book club read.

Amanda Prowse gives readers no time to settle into The Coordinates of Loss. Rather, the story opens with Rachel Croft waking up on her family’s boat in Bermuda to what she believes will be another sunny, perfect day with her husband, James, and seven-year-old son, Oscar. Rachel and James lounge in bed a bit, confident that all is well. But when they finally rise and Rachel goes to awaken Oscar, she cannot find him. He has simply vanished during the night. And Prowse plunges readers, along with Rachel, into shock and disbelief. They summon help and a search commences but it is clear from the outset, because of the natural conditions, that Oscar will not be found alive. Surrounded by search and rescue personnel, struggling to answer their questions, and process what has happened, Rachel heard “her husband screaming louder than she had ever heard and in a way that was chilling, desperate. His lack of control and fear only fueled her own. It was in that moment of realization that Rachel Croft looked toward the horizon, weakened, weary and with the certain knowledge that her life had changed. it had changed forever.”

Rachel’s descent into mourning and depression is swift. Through dark and desperate days, Rachel is unable to navigate her grief. James wants them to lean on each other, draw strength from their love for each other and Oscar, remember, and recover together. But Rachel, knowing that the idyllic and privileged life they shared in Bermuda, turns inward and pushes James away. She blames herself and James because had they arisen earlier on that morning, Oscar might never have vanished. Completely unable to continue living, Rachel leaves James and Bermuda behind. She returns home to Bristol by her self, takes a job, rents a modest apartment, and tries to continue living without her beloved son and husband.

In their beautiful Bermuda home, their housekeeper, Cee-Cee, remains, caring for James and the property. An native of Bermuda, Cee-Cee knows all too well about loss. She adored Oscar and feels his loss almost as palpably as Rachel and James. Her heart aches for James, left alone to manage his own grief and find a way forward without his wife at his side. Cee-Cee begins writing letters to Rachel, relating her own history and the ways in which she copes with the losses she endured. Little by little, letter by letter, Rachel begins to understand that loss can be survived, even though loved ones are never forgotten. She comes to appreciate that Oscar will be with her forever and forgive herself for her shortcomings as a wife and mother.

Will Cee-Cee’s willingness to share her own experiences and wise counsel help Rachel and James find their way back to each other? Will either or both of them find a way to reconcile the past, find peace, and feel happiness again? Amanda Prowse confronts those questions in a straight-forward, unflinching manner that propels the story forward and compels readers to keep reading in order to find the answers. The characters of Rachel, James, and Cee-Cee are utterly endearing. relatable, and empathetic because they are well-intentioned, but flawed human beings thrust into circumstances that could befall anyone. The death of a child is the single most devastating event any person can face and Prowse believably and fully depicts and explores the diametrically opposed ways in which Rachel and James react to the loss. There is no villain in this story. There is only a deeply emotional, fully engaging, and richly moving tale of the very different ways that two loving parents and spouses learn to continue living.

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.

BOOK REVIEW:

The Coordinates of Loss by Amanda Prowse….

An abundance of shock and heartache are felt as a mother’s young son is ripped from her world by tragedy and threatens to tear their entire family apart.

Rachel, her husband James and their 7 year old son Oscar take up residency in Bermuda. A dream-life, a nightmare.

This is a story of loss, acceptance and how to move on without those you love the most……or can you?
A parent is never supposed to lose a child; a life so vital, but it happens and how we cope with that affects our very being. Will Rachel ever be whole again, riddled with bitterness, depression, heart-break, and on her own to grieve by shutting herself off from the support system she desperately needs.

The story is written between two POVs, Rachel and her housekeeper, CeeCee. There are a multitude of characters introduced here within the story line but written in a way that ties it all together along with the grieving process being paramount within its pages.

This is by no means a light and airy read, but its also
hopeful, meaningful and beautifully written.

Thank you to Goodreads for this copy in order that I may review.

Novels N Latte Book Blog
Novels & Latte Book Club

This has been the most heart wrenching book I have ever read in my whole life. I’ve read books that took my breath away and made me shed lots of tears, but this one made me feel such heartbreak for each character. It’s a very sad story of the loss of a child and trying to move on. It’s written in such a way that you feel like you are right there with the characters. You feel all of the pain they feel. You better have a good stash of tissues handy when reading this one.

I had to put this book down quite a few times and do something else because of the subject matter. It made me cry and then I could not see the words. It actually made me weep tears from the gut. Big ugly tears of terrible pain. It is told with such realism and in ways that you won’t soon forget. Losing a child is the most painful feeling in the world. Nothing can erase that pain. No words can make it easier. You just have to hope that you can find peace in your life and learn how to move forward with life and be happy.

Rachel and James are the parents of Oscar. Oscar is the child who went missing in this story. Fell off of their boat and vanished. How do you recover from that kind of loss? If you can it will take many years. Then you are just moving past the pain and living life as best you can. They both blamed themselves and each other for Oscar’s death. It was so sad seeing them trying to move on alone. Without each other. Yet you understand why they need this. Though I kept thinking that they needed each other to lean on. To be there for each other. To heal together.

Cee Cee was my very favorite character. She was their housekeeper and loved Oscar like he was her own child. She went through so much pain in her life and losing Oscar was like the last thing she could take. She tried to help Rachel move forward. She was there for her through so much. Writing her stories for her and sharing her life, her pain, her heartache. She was there for James too. Rachel and James loved Cee Cee as if she was their family and she was. I really loved Cee Cee. She was such a kind person. She was so full of wisdom and love and empathy. She deserved a happy life and she had that with Rachel, James and Oscar.

I do highly recommend this book. Even after all the tears and heartbreak, I truly do. It was beautifully written. Loveable characters. Written with such meaning. I honestly don’t see how Ms Prowse wrote this book the way it is without shedding some tears herself. I’m sure she did though, tears that is. It’s really a beautiful book even through so many tears. So many times putting it down and collecting myself. Even my hubby said I needed to stop reading it because he hates to see me cry for any reason. But it was so worth every single tear. It’s hard to explain exactly how this book made me feel. I lost a baby and this sums up that feeling so well. The heartbreak and pain never leaves. You just learn how to live…

I gave this a 5 star. For the beautiful characters. For the story itself. It’s worth more though. It really is. I have not taken this long to read a book in so many years. It’s very good.

This is a story which will stay with you for awhile. Wonderfully written and beautifully descriptive of the heart-rending loss Rachel and James suffer when early one morning their beloved seven year old son Oscar mysteriously disappears off their boat. A long weekend outing off the coast of Bermuda turns into the most painful episode of their lives as they endure the horror and devastating loss which ultimately pushes them apart as they each try to come up for air and relearn how to live again without their son. Believable characters and dialogue. Written in such a way as to allow you to feel their tragedy, but from a slightly removed distance, which made it much easier to read and not sob along with them. My favorite character was their housekeeper/nanny Cee-Cee, who had suffered the loss of a child early in her life and who helps both Rachel and James with her lovely memories of Oscar and her hard-won insights into the lessons of loss. Magnificent. So glad I was able to read this.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a review copy. This is my honest opinion.

(4.5) This is a story about the worst thing imaginable: losing a child. Amanda Prowse has written such a heartfelt and emotional book about dealing with that tragedy. I was so immersed in this book that I could feel the anguish and grief that Rachel and James were feeling after the loss of their seven-year-old son, Oscar. A grief that they could not share together and would have them drift apart, each to deal with it separately. Would they be able to come together again and move forward without their beloved Oscar? I was really hoping that they would. I loved the characters, especially Rachel and James’ housekeeper, Cee-Cee, whose wise words and storytelling in her letters to Rachel helped her with the darkness that had enveloped her. This book was so moving and beautifully written. It really tugged at my heartstrings. I highly recommend it, and tissues are required.

A gut wrenching tale of heartbreak and the long road to healing. It will take several boxes of tissues to get through the book. The first person point of view of the the emotional hurt being experienced makes the drama so much more personal. The anguish is just so palpable and riveting, you can’t take your eyes off the page. This is a masterful piece of writing.