Breakwater
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A novel about a marriage torn apart by a violent secret for fans of Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies
"Excellent novel. Packed with emotional truth and elegantly turned narrative. A fine translation too."―Ian McEwan, author of international bestseller Atonement
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A woman's tranquil life is disrupted by a traumatic memory in Schermer's haunting latest (after Love, If That's What It Is). Emilia, a 40-something sociologist, travels to Amsterdam with her doctor husband, Bruch, from their remote country house to attend a production of A Streetcar Named Desire. After the show, an oafish, overzealous acquaintance surprises Emilia, covering her eyes and mouth with his hands, and triggering a memory of her rape 12 years earlier. After the couple returns home, Emilia tries to maintain a semblance of normalcy by gardening, taking their boys to school, and working on reports. But she's riddled with anxiety as she wrestles with her trauma and whether to tell her husband about the attack, which took place shortly after they'd started dating. Then, on the drive home after visiting her brother (and having taken a Valium), she narrowly escapes a collision. Bruch, meanwhile, jokingly accuses her of having an affair, though it turns out he's hiding something. In a stunning ending, Emilia's secrets and Bruch's lies come to the surface with staggering consequences for the marriage. This complex psychological study illuminates what it means to be human.
