I’m not sure how to classify Sara Taylor’s debut novel, The Shore. It’s part contemporary fiction, part historical fiction, and part
futuristic fiction. Maybe this is one of those times that literary fiction fits
the bill. as I was reading, it did remind me of Sherwood Anderson’s classic Winesburg,
Ohio.
Told in related vignettes, these are the stories of those
who live on a remote group of three islands off the coast of Virginia. At times, the islands have a significant
population and at times the population is so low it’s not worth counting. The
population makes up three classes of people: the wealthy vacationers, those who
work on the mainland, and those who are so poor that those who inhabit the
Appalachian Mountains seem rich. However, Taylor focuses her stories on that
lowest rung.
At the beginning, there is a complicated genealogy chart
that became easier to decipher as I read. The first story is about Chloe and
Renee. It’s a heartbreaking tale of abuse, poverty, and childhood. Chloe
narrates this episode that has a shocking conclusion.
After the first narrative, I found it difficult to figure
who exactly who was narrating, but usually by the time I read each chapter’s
end, I could figure it out. However, (there’s that troublesome word again) in
the chapters where the characters did not fit into the family tree, I had no
idea who was talking.
I will admit that I only read about 10 pages of the last
story. It takes place in 2143, and I couldn’t out how the characters fit in;
they are not listed on the chart. I don’t feel like I missed anything by
passing on the final few pages.
I
have mixed feelings about this novel. At times at I LOVED it; at times I HATED
it. That’s why I give The Shore 3 out of 5
stars.
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