Books - Review


Showing all books by: Emily St. John Mandel

Sea of Tranquility
The story begins with Edwin, third son of an Earl, leaving home to try and make a life in the New World just before WWI. Arriving on a desolate Canadian shore he has a strange experience in the forest - a flash of different light and a snatch of echo-ey violin music. Two hundred years later Olive, an author, is undertaking a book tour for her recent novel which includes a description of a man playing the violin in an airship terminal building... Then a time-travelling detective gets involved, trying to preserve the fabric of time itself.
Hard to describe the plot! It was very good though, I really enjoyed the opening with Edwin and felt hard-done by when she switched to another thread. But then just got drawn into that one.
Score: 8
Published: 2022
Read: March 16th 2026