The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
The story begins on an ordinary day. Adam is a stay-at-home dad. His wife, Emma is a busy GP. The two kids, fifteen year old Miriam and eight year old Rose are away at school. Suddenly there is a pin-prick that bursts this happy bubble of a day in the form of a phone call about Miriam collapsing on the school ground.<\/p>\n
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Here are some of the highlights of the novel : \n1. Family \nThe most important aspect in Moss\u2019s writing is how beautifully she portrays a family confronted with tragic news. We realise that unlike a movie, time doesn\u2019t race forward after bad news hits us. Nor is there a dramatic pause with background music. Time dribbles on, schedules of the different family members must be adhered to even after their minds have been subjected to certain irreversible changes. \n“Everything is paused, except that Rose still needs to go to school and to eat her meals, and the laundry must still be done and the bathroom cleaned, somehow, from the High Dependency Unit of a city fifteen miles from home.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The novel often falls into the natural comical moments shared by the family even under stressful situations, which makes it a delight to read. Whether it be fights over the breakfast table over what to have with toast or arguments on whether to keep a dog, Moss is successful in making the reader feel connected with her characters.<\/p>\n
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2. Adam Goldschmidt \nA majority of the book takes place inside Adam\u2019s head. Moss has weaved the mental agony of a father into the mind of a responsible care giver of the family who worries about his ill daughter while being concerned at the same time about jam smears, laundry folding and nutrient requirements of the rest of the family.<\/p>\n
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3. Miriam \nMiriam is a sharp tongued, frustrated teenager who dislikes a majority of the antics of our human society and is strongly vocal about her views. It is interesting to read how her views on her condition are different from the parent\u2019s (Adam).<\/p>\n
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4. Gender Roles \nAdam is a stay-at-home father. He is an unemployed PhD who does occasional hourly paid part time jobs at the university. His wife is a busy doctor. And, they are a happy family. A much needed picture in modern times.<\/p>\n
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5. Historical Perspective \nAdam is researching the post war rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral. This historical perspective comes in the novel as a breather or like a much needed advertisement between a TV show to help you move forward with the tragedy that hits the family. \nAlso, the novel takes place in the present time right in the middle of the current political situations which makes the story feel even more real.<\/p>\n
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6. Social Commentary\/Sarcasm \nThe Tidal Zone<\/em> has sarcasm at its best. Some commendable quotes are \u201cWe live in a country that pays women more to impersonate elves in a shop rather than give expert health care to critically ill children.<\/em>\u201d Or the one about \u201cIt is cheating to find beauty by picking out the old buildings and softening the focus on the rest.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
7. Relationships \nNever before have I read a writer exploring the fragility of relationships in such a delicate and convincing manner. There is an internal conflict between Adam and his wife. He feels he is the go-to-parent for the child, not their mother. Later his thoughts change into gratitude for his wife\u2019s role in the family. Adam has always been critical of Miriam\u2019s temper outbursts. But later he longs for them as they assure him that she is healthy and safe. A particularly touching conversation was the one between the younger child, Rose and Adam on how Miriam\u2019s health condition affects both of them.<\/p>\n
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8. Generation gaps and Viewpoints \nAdam\u2019s father comes to visit, and tells about his own youth in America as a hippy rebelling against the authorities. His parents were European immigrants, and he later moved back to Europe. \nMiriam is surprisingly similar to her grandfather in defying authority, but using entirely different methods. For example when Miriam\u2019s dad asks her to accompany him to the cathedral, she says , It\u2019ll take more than coloured glass and old music to make me sign up to homophobia, misogyny and the grandfather of all patriarchal institutions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\nThe Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
Final Verdict<\/h3>\n Throughout the book I felt like a ghost that haunted the Goldschmidt household, helpless to offer comfort to them in any way. As the story progressed I felt even more invested in each of the characters. As the pages came to a halt with a thump of the back cover, I felt like a wraith, melting away as I peeped through the window to see one happy family.<\/p>\n
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The novel explores many themes such as mortality, 21st-century gender politics, health care, family bonds, parental jealously, sibling expectations \u2013 all explored through the lens of one ordinary family. The characters feel real, as real as you and me.The power of the novel rests in its depiction of the ordinary while being firmly grounded in the present world.<\/p>\n
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This is one of my top reads of this year. I had to compose myself several times and even close the book to fight back a tear or two. It is definitely a book that I would love to re-read as well as recommend.<\/p>\n
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Title : The Tidal Zone \nAuthor : Sarah Moss \nPublisher : Granta Books \nPublished : 2016 \nLanguage : English \nPages : 336 \nRating : 5\/5<\/p>\n
Disclaimer : Thanks to Granta Books for the copy of the book. All opinions are my own. It really is a fantastic book.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\nGIVEAWAY \nGood news! If you do not already own a copy, here is something for you. I am hosting an International Giveaway on Instagram for ONE copy of The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss. All you have to do is follow me (@thebooksatchel) and Granta Books (@grantabooks) and tag two friends who would be interested in reading the book.<\/p>\n
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Click on this Instagram link<\/em><\/a><\/span> to enter the Giveaway. If you would like to enter via Twitter, do Like and RT this Tweet<\/em><\/a><\/span>. The Giveaway ends on 2nd<\/sup> September (Friday), 11:59 PDT. The winner will be announced on Twitter and Instagram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A father receives a call from the school authorities saying that his fifteen year old daughter…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2069,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6307,16],"tags":[51,462,6369,187,87,273,274],"thb-sponsors":[],"yoast_head":"\n
The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss \u2013 You MUST Read This | The Book Satchel<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n