This book was published in the UK as 'The Sea Sisters', and that is how I read it. It fits the book as a much better title.

I adore Lucy Clarke. I’ve read four of her books now, and I’m yet to find one that could be considered a weak link.

This is the author’s first published novel, so I thought it might have been a little less polished than her others. I was wrong. The writing is crisp and fresh and so very beautiful. I got lost inside the story of Mia and Katie within the first couple of pages.

In this book, we are shown the relationship of two sisters, Katie and Mia. Katie is the older, sensible, responsible sister. Mia, the darker, freer spirit. The irony we learn at the end is each sister was always envious of who the other was. I think that is often the case, though. After the girls’ mother dies, they move from their childhood home in Cornwall to London. Mia is completely unsettled by this move. She can’t stand the claustrophobia of the city. She needs to be nearer to the sea. One day, Mia announces she is going travelling with open round-the-world tickets. She is taking her best friend, Finn, with her.

We see Mia and Finn as they travel through California, Hawaii, Australia, and — finally — Bali. The story is told in a clever way. Right at the start of the novel, Katie gets a visit from a policeman who tells her Mia has died in Bali. She has taken her own life by jumping off a cliff, they say. They return Mia’s belongings to Katie, and in the backpack, she finds a travel journal in which Mia wrote while she was away. So, we learn the events of Mia’s travels through the journey. Katie, in a fog of grief, decides she will buy the same open ticket as Mia and follow in her footsteps, reading the journal entries as she goes.

So, this story is told by the two sisters. Katie, as she travels and discovers things that happened, and Mia through her journal. Both women have strong, distinct voices. I felt for both of them by the end. We meet other fab characters, also. Finn, Noah, Jez. They are all brilliantly written.

As always with Lucy Clarke, I was bowled over by the descriptions of the landscape and seascapes. Personally, I don’t generally enjoy lots of descriptions of settings. I’m more about the characters and the plot. But, with Lucy Clarke, the settings are so much a part of the novel, they are almost like another character. They are fresh, enticing, unique. It’s impossible to not get lost in them.

I loved this novel! Lucy Clarke is one of the best writers in today’s market.

People who love to read of foreign climes. Anyone who wants to get lost in a faraway place with beautiful scenery and an abundance of sun. But, also, lovers of great stories. The characters are fab.

Everything. Lucy Clarke's writing really is the best around at the moment. She has everything: incredible descriptions, clever plots, fabulous characters. There are no weaknesses.

Download everything Lucy Clarke has ever written. So I did.

Happy. It gave me some wanderlust. Also, a little sad.

Lucy Clarke. I love this lady. She writes thrillers that are that bit above your usual plot-driven thrillers. They unfold slowly, cleverly, and inside the most beautiful prose.

It's brilliant!

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Swimming at Night: A Novel   from Amazon.Com!

Created Jan 30, 2022 at 7:28am • Submit your own review...