Undertow

In Undertow, Beverley Shaw's lyrical novel, we experience how the undertow moves through our lives always, taking the form of crisis and opportunity. A chance rescue on a Nova Scotia beach braids together the lives of three strangers, compelling each to surrender their beliefs about success, normalcy, identity, borders, and above all, control. Moving between New York and Nova Scotia, Shaw writes with wisdom and knowing intimacy about loss and illness. Yet this is also a novel about birth, including the birth of friendships integral to surviving and thriving catastrophic times, both personal and political. Above all, Undertow urges us to consider how we must let go to transform, and how we're capable of more creativity, generosity, and heart than we ever thought possible. - Sharon English