About What the Waves Know
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (February 9, 2016)
“A beautifully written story of a daughter’s journey to find her voice, both literally and figuratively. Valentine reminds us that to be fully human is to be both a storyteller and a story dweller.”—Christina Meldrum, author of Madapple and Amaryllis in Blueberry
On the sharp crags of tiny Tillings Island lies the secret of Izabella Rae Haywood’s sixth birthday. That night, her father vanished, taking her voice—and the truth of what really happened—along with him. In the autumn of 1974, after eight long years of unsuccessful psychiatrist visits and silence, Iz’s mother packs up the tattered remains of their life, determined to return to Tillings in one last attempt to reclaim Iz’s voice—and piece together the splintered memories of the day her words ran dry. But when the residents of Tillings greet them with a standoffish welcome, it becomes clear that they know something about Iz, and the father she adored, that she does not.
Now, as the island’s annual Yemayá festival prepares to celebrate the ties that bind mothers to children, lovers to each other, and humankind to the sea, Iz must unravel the tangled threads of her own history . . . or risk losing herself—and any chance she may have for a future—to the past.
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About Tamara Valentine
Tamara Valentine obtained an M.A. with distinction from Middlebury College and has spent the past fourteen years as a professor in the English Department at Johnson & Wales University. Presently, she lives in Kingston, Rhode Island, with her husband and three children.
Find out more about Tamara at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Tamara’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, February 9th: Bibliotica
Wednesday, February 10th: Kahakai Kitchen
Thursday, February 11th: Ms. Nose in a Book
Friday, February 12th: A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog
Tuesday, February 23rd: Lesa’s Book Critiques
Wednesday, February 24th: Luxury Reading
Thursday, February 25th: From the TBR Pile
Friday, February 26th: Kritters Ramblings
Tuesday, March 8th: Stranded in Chaos
Monday, May 21st: Novel Escapes