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Breakwater

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( 1,293 ratings, 185 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Breakwater by Marijke Schermer is a haunting novel about Emilia, whose seemingly perfect life as a statistician, wife, and mother is shattered when a traumatic memory from the past resurfaces. As she struggles with this violent secret, Emilia's reality begins to unravel amidst stormy weather threatening to engulf her home. This evocative story delves deeply into the lasting effects of sexual violence and questions how well we truly know those closest to us.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers who appreciate emotionally complex narratives and introspective explorations of trauma and memory, especially fans of Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A novel about a marriage torn apart by a violent secret for fans of Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies

Emilia has it all: a rewarding career as a statistician, a wonderful husband, two healthy young sons, and a house in the countryside. But when a brief moment of panic triggers the memory of a traumatic experience from twelve years before, Emilia finds herself floating away from her average existence.

The secret she's kept for so long refuses to stay hidden, and as Emilia's grip on reality loosens, heavy rains begin to fall and the river threatens to overflow the house. In this critically acclaimed novel, Schermer explores the impact of sexual violence, and whether or not it's possible to truly know another person.

Breakwater is a haunting examination of memory and trauma, written in prose stunning in its frankness and precision.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781642861259

Publisher: World Editions

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 April 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: World Editions

Illustration: Illustrations

Contributors:

  • Translated by Liz Waters

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 192

About the Author

MARIJKE SCHERMER
Marijke Schermer is a novelist and playwright. Her stage work has been performed by several companies and translated into various languages. Her novel Breakwater was shortlisted for the ECI Literature Prize, has been sold to Spain, Switzerland, and Denmark, and is currently being made into a film. In 2019, her novel Love, If That's What It Is was published in Dutch (and subsequently in English by World Editions) and Schermer was hailed as "fast becoming one of the most interesting writers in the Netherlands." It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Libris Literature Prize 2020.

LIZ WATERS
After finishing her studies at the University of Manchester, Liz Waters worked for several years with English-language texts and at a literary agency in Amsterdam before becoming a full-time translator of literary fiction and non-fiction. Authors whose books she has translated include Lieve Joris, Jaap Scholten, Luuk van Middelaar, Annelies Verbeke, and Geert Mak.

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