Twenty-eight years ago, Peter and Yvonne honeymooned inthe beautiful coastal village of Datça, Turkey. Now Yvonneis a widow, her twin children grown. Hoping to immerse herselfin memories of a happier time -- as well as sand and sea --Yvonne returns to Datça. But her plans for a restorative week inTurkey are quickly complicated. Instead of comforting her, hermemories begin to trouble her. Her vacation rental’s landlordand his bold, intriguing wife -- who share a curious marital arrangement -- become constant uninvited visitors, in and out ofthe house.
Overwhelmed by the past and unexpectedly dislocated bythe environment, Yvonne clings to a newfound friendship withAhmet, a local boy who makes his living as a shell collector.With Ahmet as her guide, Yvonne gains new insight into thelives of her own adult children, and she finally begins to enjoythe shimmering sea and relaxed pace of the Turkish coast. But adevastating accident upends her delicate peace and throws herlife into chaos -- and her sense of self into turmoil.
With the crystalline voice and psychological nuance forwhich her work has been so celebrated, Vendela Vida has craftedanother unforgettable heroine in a stunningly beautiful andmysterious landscape.
Author Info
Vendela Vida is the award-winning author of six books, including Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name and The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty. Her new novel, We Run the Tides, will be published by Ecco on February 9, 2021. She is a founding editor of The Believer and coeditor of The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers and Confidence, or the Appearance of Confidence, a collection of interviews with musicians. She was a founding board member of 826 Valencia, the San Francisco writing center for youth, and lives in the Bay Area with her family.
