“When I look back at where this tale came from, so much is a blur. But one single thing is clear. It came from a place of being held. A place where God gathered up all of me in my brokenness in a time of deepest grief and just closed His grip around me tight, holding me close to His heart.”

– Amanda Dykes

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Book Review

The stunningly beautiful yet simple message of Amanda’s book, ‘Whose Waves These Are’ is; ‘look up’. When we’re suffering grief beyond what our souls can bear, ‘look up’. When our relationships seem too broken, when all hope seems lost, when everything we hold close to our hearts has been ripped away, when we’ve failed those we’d hoped to bless, when the darkness threatens to overwhelm, and when we’ve reached the end of ourselves, ‘look up’.

‘Whose Waves These Are’ is a poetic and luminous story that magically weaves together events, memories, poetry, loss, grief, hope, and light. The dual timeline novel set on the coast of Maine follows fisherman and poet Robert Bliss in the devastating wake of WWII, and Annie Bliss, whose return to Maine, enkindles past memories, longings and purposes of those sick with hope deferred. Annie attempts to piece together the mystery of her estranged family, the meaning of rocks in boxes, and the story behind the enigmatic town postman. As Annie learns to ‘look up’, she slowly gathers together the pieces of her broken self, realising there’s beauty in the breaking and awe in the healing. Though the storms of life threaten our joy and the darkness seeks to smother, there is always a new day, and “In the light, at last, there is life.”

I passionately endorse this book! It’s been a little while since a modern author has captured my attention so quickly, written characters so thoroughly, and a plot so beautifully. I can’t wait to read more of Amanda’s books.