In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper: a rallying cry for hope, purpose . . . and rocks. Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving. When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss’s humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the tiny, coastal Maine town, and he sets his calloused … calloused hands to work, but the building halts when tragedy strikes.
Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when she learns her Great-Uncle Robert, the man who became her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is now the one in need of help. What she didn’t anticipate was finding a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home. Long-ago memories of stone ruins on a nearby island trigger her curiosity, igniting a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.
She joins forces with the handsome and mysterious harbor postman, and all her hopes of mending the decades-old chasm in her family seem to point back to the ruins. But with Robert failing fast, her search for answers battles against time, a foe as relentless as the ever-crashing waves upon the sea.more
Amanda Dykes can sure turn a phrase! Her writing is lovely without ever getting in the way of the story. And what a unique story! While it’s Annie’s story, all of the characters feel incredibly, beautifully real. I kind of want to book a trip to Maine (after mud season) to meet them all!
This is a beautiful time-split story with some unexpected twists and turns. Amanda Dykes brings Maine to life and creates characters that are realistic and winsome. I was eager to keep reading and see what would happen to the characters.
“These are the waves that have brought her home. To these people, this place…and to life.”
Well, I did it. I closed the final page of Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes, and it happened. I hugged the book. Now, this may seem silly, but it’s just a thing I do, have always done. If, and only if, I connected to a book on a heart and soul level. I’ve read three of Dykes’ novellas, and they were so good, so I admit I had high hopes for her debut novel. My expectations were blown away. Lyrical and poetic, whimsical and full of heart, this story had me captivated from the first page.
Whose Waves These Are is one of those novels that defies genre a bit. It’s contemporary, but not too recent. It’s also historical, a bit romantic, a bit whimsical, yet full of depth and emotion. The dual timeline spans decades and generations of the same family, intermingling stories together in a seamless fashion that had me engaged in both time periods. The story is quite layered, but I never felt overwhelmed by it. Dykes deftly ties each piece of the story together in a way that is pure joy to read. I loved getting to know these characters, these friends, Annie, Jeremiah, and Bob. Their stories are tragic, triumphant, and messy, full of that real-life-ness that all good characters need to make them shine.
Sometimes a setting takes on a character-like quality, and that’s how I feel about Ansel-by-the-Sea. With the quaint locales and quirky, endearing residents who have found respite by the sea, it’s a restful, whimsical place of history and a simpler time. The author’s descriptions are gorgeous, painting a beautiful picture of this place and its inhabitants.
Whose Waves Are These celebrates and commemorates life. It reminds the reader of the power of story. We all have one, and there’s power in sharing our own story and listening to that of others. Truly my words are inadequate to describe the beauty and magic I found while reading this story. It is a favorite of the year, and I am so excited to read whatever Amanda Dykes pens next. Highly recommended!
The prequel novella, Up From the Sea, is offered as a free ebook. It’s a lovely little story all it’s own and sets the stage nicely for this one.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are my own.
An absolute gem of a debut! Whose Waves These Are transcends to the highest level of fiction.
Beautifully, lyrically written, Whose Waves These Are well deserves the accolades it has received, including the 2020 Christy Book of the Year. Details of life along the Maine coast mesmerized me and gave me the feeling I was almost always in a boat as I read, riding the waves—sometimes choppy and sometimes gently rolling. This is a tale of brothers, of family, of lovers and of love requited and unrequited. It is a tale of loss and redemption and the need to forgive ourselves as well as others. It is lovely and lovingly written. Highly recommended.
I don’t give 5 stars lightly. This book was simply exceptional. I loved it from the first chapter. Deeply emotional, intriguing, and well-written. I want to know how many drafts this author went through because the writing was that tight. Probably the best Christian fiction I read all year.
A beautifully written time-slip story!
There are plot-driven novels, and character/driven novels, but is there such a thing as a descriptive-driven novel? Not in setting, but in…life. Amanda Dykes doesn’t describe what people see in when the look out at the world, its like she’s giving all of her readers a pair of X-ray vision glasses to put. Ones that peel away at the artifice and shine a light on the heart. This is a story that you will ruminate over and will stick with you for a long time after it’s end.
What a fantastic book! No wonder it won the Christy for 2020 Book of the Year. Masterful writing, deep and lovable characters, compelling dual timeline stories, and wonderful life messages. I believe this is the first time I’ve actually copied a quote down from an author’s Acknowledgements section! 🙂 Will definitely be reading more from Amanda Dykes. Loved this book and highly recommend.
Whose Waves are These is a dual timeline novel, telling two related stories of the Bliss family. In 1944, Robert Bliss watches as his twin brother marries, then is called up to serve in World War II. In 2001, Annie Bliss is called back to Ansel-on-the-Sea, Maine, but she doesn’t know why. All she knows is that her father and her great-uncle have been estranged for years, so it must be important.
Robert’s story progresses from 1944 to the present. In the process, we see what happened to his brother in the war, what happened after the war, and brings us (slowly) to Robert’s present—2001. Annie’s story is about her journey back to Ansel-on-the-Sea and her attempt to discover the source of the amnity between Robert and her father.
Annie’s section of the story was written in first person, and Robert’s was written in third person—an unusual and often difficult combination for authors to write successfully. Both stories are written in present tense. I usually find present tense works best in a story that’s set in the present, so thought present tense was an unusual and perhaps a brave choice by the author.
It’s a testament to her writing skill that the combination works. Yes, the writing was excellent. Well, if you don’t mind first person, and if you don’t mind present tense. I was a little uncertain at first, but was soon drawn in by the power of Robert’s story … and by the mystery of Jeremiah Fletcher.
Whose Waves These Are is a difficult novel to describe. It has a strong voice, strong writing, strong characters, and a dual-level plot that offers lots of questions and answers them all. Yes, there were a couple of scenes towards the end which I’m not sure worked as well, but overall it’s an excellent first novel. Recommended.
Thanks to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
In my opinion, this book needs to be on every reader’s must-read list! Whose Waves These Are captivated me from the first line and continues to tug at my reader heart.
Annie, Robert, and all the wonderful secondary character citizens of Ansel-by-the-Sea, Maine are charming, endearing, and inspiring! Amanda Dykes is a masterfully talented storyteller and her words paint this impactful tale with rich emotion and spiritual truths.
I urge you to pick it up this story of honor, sacrifice, duty, family, and love to enjoy without delay! (Then grab the novella, Up From the Sea, and savor it as well!)
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
“A thing redeemed from a place of brokenness is a humbling honor. And priceless.”
–Annie
What a story Amanda Dykes has chosen to tell for her debut novel! Love, loss, fear, forgiveness, redemption and healing are woven together in a beautiful, emotionally charged story that is actually many stories woven together into one multi-layered tale.
Set in the small town of Ansel-By-The-Sea, Maine in 1944, this time shifting story begins here with the Bliss brothers, Robert and Roy and their best friend, Jenny. The shift from past to present is seamless as Annie Bliss tries to uncover the mysteries that lay buried in her family relationships and those of the small town. Community and family play a significant role in Annie’s unraveling of the story of the Bliss brothers and the mysterious rocks.
What started out as a simple story set by the sea draws us deep into its pages and becomes an intriguing book you will not want to miss! Readers of contemporary and historical fiction will enjoy this book. Read the story to uncover the story of the Bliss brothers, Annie, and the mysterious rocks.
This ARC copy was received from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.
Whose Waves These Are is absolutely the most impressive debut novel I have ever read. Hands down the absolute best! This dual time line novel is heart-stirring and so beautifully written that it has stayed in my mind since I finished reading it.
The author begins her story in Ansel-By-The Sea, Maine in 1944 and transitions to Chicago 2001 and to be honest I almost didn’t want to leave Maine but I soon discovered I would be returning with Annie Bliss to visit GrandBob. Oh how I loved all of the characters in this coastal town. Every single one of them held a special place in my heart. Ms. Dykes certainly crafted characters that I became emotionally attached to. I am quite sure that I have never shed so many tears while reading a book but some of my tears were happy ones because I clearly felt a connection to the characters.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book and if you haven’t had a chance to read the novella, Up From the Sea (Whose Waves These Are 0.5) you should definitely read that, too.
After reading the novella and novel I can honestly say I am a huge fan and cannot wait to read Amanda Dykes future work. This superbly written novel of love and healing is perfectly paced and will be on my keeper shelf.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to write a review. All opinions are my own.
This book hits on every cylinder! So much hope, loss, courage, and tenacity packed into one punching story! A book with something for everyone of every age. Admirable. Well done!
I’ve discovered a new favorite author. Amanda Dykes’ writing puts my heart and mind into a state of exquisite wonder. Her debut novel, Whose Waves These Are, built slowly, but meaningfully, page-by-page like the rocks meaningfully used in Ansel-by-the Sea. The salt-air setting, the waves of connected stories, the pain harbored for years then broken open to receive healing light written with creative thoughtfulness makes me a committed fan. By the way, the ending of this story—well, it’s glorious. I’m half-way through her 2nd novel Set the Stars Alight and loving it, maybe even more than this one. My only disappointment with this one, is that some of the pages came right out of the binding while just turning the pages.
I have put off writing this review for a while now hoping the right words would come to me to do this story justice, but I truly don’t think there are any. This book deserves all the stars and I truly believe it is one of the best books I have ever read. Amanda Dykes is such a wordsmith that I truly believe that she could make a grocery list sound poetic.
This story is a split timeline and I loved the characters and stories for both. She is a master at weaving the two timelines together to tell a beautiful story. Historical fiction is not my go to genre, but I will read it any day from authors like her. It is obvious that she does a tremendous amount of research and the history comes alive through these amazing characters.
I am not typically a very emotional person and very rarely cry at books, but let me tell you the tears flowed while reading this book. It is such a powerful story that I promise you will stay with you for a long time.
5 Stars In lyrical prose, Amanda Dykes invites us to visit the Maine coastal world of GrandBob, Fletch, Eva, Roy, Jenny, and so many more. It’s a “pocket of a harbor where broken lives, like waves upon the shore, are gathered up and held close.” There, we become a regular, along with Annie Bliss, who “never imagined then that it would be [her] breaking place, too. Nor how beautiful the breaking could be.”
Though Annie’s journey starts out with “a key. A closet and a boathouse full of rocks,” she ends up unlocking the secrets of her own heart as she builds relationships with and learns the stories of the townspeople—especially one taciturn young man. He’s a “typical” New Englander—close-lipped, prickly & with well-guarded heart—but thaws into a strong, good, tender companion.
This is story of love, loss, healing, redemption, and forgiveness. I found it to be a celebration of life. And, of course, I LOVED the portions set during & after WWII, when GrandBob himself—the true bedrock & heart of this story—was young.
Thank you to NetGalley & Bethany House for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful, poignant novel! What a treasure!
Before you pick up this book, you might be wondering—what’s so special about this island world? A time-honored inhabitant lets us in on that secret: “It’s not the isolation that’s medicine for the soul. No, ma’am. See, an island is a world unto itself. And if God can keep the tides comin’ and goin’, if he can use the sky itself . . . to pull back an entire ocean, just roll it clean away twice a day, easy as pie . . . Why, then he can walk us through this life. Did it at the Red Sea. Does it for us now. One step at a time. There’s little here to get in the way of seein’ that, and boy, did I need to see it.”
QUOTES I LIKED:
“Sometimes the best way to love is to choose to let go.”
“He said courage looked like you. Reaching out. Pulling him up. And he said that’s what you’d always do, because it is just in you.”
“‘Every wave in that big old blue sea is a story.’ Bob told me this a long time ago, his voice brined with wind and water.”
“At his side, she studies his face etched in kindness, and she knows those etchings did not come easily. She does not fully know the stories but has heard rumblings enough to know this man has lived through loss deeper than she can imagine. And yet it’s his laughter that echoes in her mind.”
“And they dance. Snow-dusted sidewalk for a dance floor, stolen strains of music coming in snatches on the December wind. He feels how she is like him. They are the same—lonely souls beating against the walls of war, asking in, being denied. But tonight they find a home together. The chill in the sky thickens the falling snow, and together they look up. They still. There’s something about this moment completely outside him—a sense they are standing in the calm before a coming storm.”
“Unseen sinews unfurl in the dark, reaching over the black shimmer of water and gripping him.”
“That boat was carved by time. It’s not like the rest of these.” She sweeps her arm out over the harbor, encompassing the fleet of warships. “They were churned out in a hurry, all for utility and speed and power. Sure, we need them right now. But that? . . . That one tells a story that’s taken time. And it’s one that’ll be around long after this war is over. No less needed, either. Just as important and courageous as the others.”
“When first light began to ease the dark, he’d heard his mother’s voice. She had a lovely voice, like silver—but that night it had been raked over grief. Yet the song she offered up was all the more beautiful in its wavering and brokenness. Courageous, an offering. The laying out of her broken heart before her God.”
“It never ceased to amaze Bob how a rock from one corner of the world, broken and cleaved by time or trauma, held just the right angles, curves, ridges to fit side by side with a stone from the opposite side of the world. The boy marveled at this, too, and made Bob’s science of it into an art form. Checking colors, patterns, light-catching properties for the strongest, most breathtaking effect possible. Watching him was like witnessing a rebirth. His fervor was contagious.”
I loved this debut novel by Amanda Dykes! What a compelling and unique story that covers two different time periods, both engaging and well-written. The author’s descriptions are beautiful and draw the reader in, allowing us to experience the setting and emotions of each character. I would compare her writing to style to that of Charles Martin-deep and descriptive-so if you’re a Martin fan, I think you’ll enjoy this read.
This is one of those books that you read and say “Wow!” It is a long book but was well edited. Every scene was necessary to convey the depth of this story and because of that, it was heart clenching and emotional, requiring the reader to be full in to reading the story. Amanda Dykes does an exceptional job of writing a dual-time novel without making the facts confusing to the reader. She also writes seamlessly when merging the time frames.
This historical novel is clean and appropriate for teens and above. I also believe that it appeals to both male and female since it has some very strong male characters and includes the Maine fishing community and WW2 situations.
Why, why, WHY did I wait so long to read this book??? I have had it on my Kindle for 2 years – count them. 2 years! In that time I’ve read over 400 other books, but never got to this one. Then, it won Book of the Year at the Christy awards, and I thought, hmmm, there must be something to this. Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes is, hands down, the best book I’ve read in a very long time – and that’s saying something. I cannot gush enough about it!
This story completely engaged my emotions, bringing me to tears more than once. Not just tears – full out sobbing. I also laughed, as characters’ down home wisdom was shared, whether the recipient wanted it or not. It also engaged my senses. I could practically smell the sea waves, and hear the water lapping at the shore. My heart was full to bursting by the time I finished the story, For a debut novelist, Amanda Dykes hit this one out of the park.
History buffs will enjoy the WWII era details. The first time slip happens as the main character’s twin brother is drafted, leaving him at home. The time moves from 1945 to 1962 to 1981, and finishes in 2001 where most of the more present day activity takes place. Romance lovers will love both of the love stories – Robert and Eva, and Annie and Jeremiah. Each of them overcome some pretty serious adversity on their path toward togetherness, and each has an unbending faith that carries them through.
Again, I loved this book!!! If you, like me, have had it in your Kindle library nigh unto forever but haven’t read it yet, do yourself a huge favor, drop every other book you’re currently reading, and pick this one up. You will NOT be sorry you did!!
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