Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on August 1, 2023

In the heat of an argument, Les hates Marlene, knowing that he will wake up the next day and “see his wife through the wound and rot of loss.” Their marriage has had many reasons to fall apart, not the least Les’ insistence on working on a trawler as a scalloper, a job that keeps him away from home weeks at a time during the summer. Yet they remain together.

Understandably, Les and Marlene aren’t dealing well with the loss of their daughter. Most marriages are torn apart when a child dies. Walk the Darkness Down suggests why that might happen and how it might not.

On the trawler, Les is self-loathing. He enjoys the pain when he opens scallops by digging the sharp shells into his stomach. When Marlene interacts with his crew members at a party, she can’t understand why Les prefers their company to hers. Working on the trawler after the party, Les can’t understand why he became the kind of man who would frighten his godson, the child of another crew member.

When Les is at sea, Marlene brings hookers home to her apartment, cleans them up, feeds them, and lets them enjoy an evening of comfort. The hookers are managed (pimped) by a man named Bill. He knows about Marlene but she pays for their time so he’s content, provided the hookers return to him.

Marlene thinks she uses the hooker visits as a distraction from pain. Perhaps she is trying to replace the daughter she lost. Perhaps she wants someone to rely on her. Perhaps she wants to save someone because she couldn't save her daughter. At the novel’s end, Daniel Magariel violates the rule against showing rather than telling by explaining Marlene’s true motivation, or at least the one she has settled upon to explain her unlikely behavior.

The novel’s first turning point arrives when Marlene realizes that a hooker named Josie needs her help and that helping Josie will be impossible unless she changes her own life. Only later does Marlene learn that Les has knowledge of Josie that Marlene has not discovered. Will helping Josie save or destroy their marriage?

Despite its concluding sense of optimism, Walk the Darkness Down is grittier than most domestic dramas. The death of their child has isolated Marlene and Les from each other, forcing them into their separate realities when they need each other the most. “You’ve got to abide with your darkness” a character learned from her grandmother. Les and Marlene are living in dark places and struggling to fight their way toward a dim light. Marlene is “a fitful puppet of her own petulance.” Les takes out his anger on members of his crew. The death of their child caused not just heartache but unwarranted blame and resentment. Why and how the daughter died — why Les and Marlene refuse to drive on the driveway of their former home — is tragic.

Magariel’s detailed descriptions of scalloping on a trawler add interest and realism to the story as well as tension when a storm threatens. The crew members are like a second family to Les, maybe a more important family than the one he has. They contribute family drama of their own to the plot. That drama grows with each trip to the sea, eventually giving the story its most vivid moments.

Magariel’s prose is precise and expressive, but there are times when his dialog doesn’t ring true. Characters who deliver significant monologs all speak in the same voice. People in Bill’s line of work can be surprisingly lyrical, but Bill’s prose doesn’t capture the language of the street. Les gives a lengthy, rather eloquent speech to his wife about his feelings as their marriage nears a breaking point. Nothing in the description of Les prior to that point suggests he’s capable of expressing those thoughts with such nuance, even if he suddenly learned to gain insight from introspection. An interior monologue near the end also gives the impression of having been written for Les rather than being the product of his own mind.

Still, it’s nice to imagine that a brooding man might have an epiphany that opens him to insightful and healing discussions. The story’s grittiness complements its softness. Les and Marlene each recognize their harshness. They want to be more caring toward each other, if only they can figure out how. Walk the Darkness Down has more than a few genuinely moving moments. The ending suggests that marriages on their way to destruction might be saved. Les and Marlene debate whether love is enough. That’s an unanswerable question, but the novel confronts it without flinching. Readers might debate whether the story and its ending are credible, but any doubts about the plot are easily overcome by the depth of Magariel’s troubled characters and his robust prose.

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𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀.

Marlene spends her nights when her husband Leslie “Les” (a commercial fisherman) is away for weeks at a time, driving around town searching empty parking lots and the shadows for women (sex workers) she picks up and remakes into young girls again. Memories of her daughter, Angie, flicker in the old places, leaving her wishing to 'be her audience' once again, but all the remains is the pain, the grief. The girls are a secret she keeps from her husband. Les's escape is with his crew, his 'family'. It is a reprieve, a break from the fighting and misery of being with Marlene, but it's a hard job. Both are full of memories, time spent with their child, when they were still a family of three. Memories of how they used to be, the moments of tenderness spill over, but there is so much anger and loss now. And blame, endless amounts of blame.

There was a time when Marlene and Angie would be there to greet Les when he would come ashore, much as they would see him off before he was away for long periods. Now Marlene dodges him when he is back, despite being swallowed in loneliness, she cannot bear their old routine. The two are on a merry-go-round of pain, remorse, mistakes and regret. Each longing for relief from their sorrows, and yet unable to let go long enough to find comfort in one another. Les blames himself for the distance between them, knowing it began because of him and all his leaving.

Marlene becomes close to Josie, one of the girls she cleans up, who makes her home in The Villas, assuring Marlene it is the only home she has ever had that's her own. A strange word, home, with the seedy clients and the control her partner Bill holds over her. Marlene wants to escape all the crushing memories of her daughter, but there is danger in the hopes she has of rescuing Josie from her situation. She is desperate for Les to her her with a dream she has for the three of them, but is it possible to mend their marriage through the salvation of another person?

There are bigger threats than can be found at The Villas, Les faces his own possible destruction on the water. Waves crash over them all, past and present. Will they ever be able to find their way back to the love they once shared and face the wounds of the past? Les's work can be dark too, it's not an easy life dealing creatures beneath the sea any more than it is dealing with the creatures on the land, like Marlene's women do. This is a grim story that has the hope of healing, I could nearly smell the ocean. There are no clear outlines of good and bad, mostly just damaged people trying not to drown. Yes, a decent read.

Publication Date: August 1, 2023 Available Now

Bloomsbury USA

I am currently walking alongside my sister and brother in law as they navigate the loss of their daughter. I didn't know if I could read this book. But now, my sister is reading it. This captures loss of a child and what it can do to those left in its wake is so true to life. It was anguishing to read, but it also somehow brought comfort and said "you are not alone".

A story about grief. All consuming, smothering, suffocating grief.

Beautifully written and told, this story is a hard one, but one that is worth it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The story follows the turbulent relationship between Les and Marlene, a couple divided by the loss of their child. Les leaves Marlene at home for long jobs on a deep sea fishing vessel, while Marlene seeks the companionship of vulnerable and exploited young women.

A large portion of the book shows Les' life at sea and delves into various complicated relationships between the men on board. This aspect of the novel was unlike any I've read before. I particularly enjoyed the moments of quiet Les had on board and the relationship with his friend, John Wayne. The details about fishing and living at sea were detailed and realistic and enriched this story for me. The inclusion of addictions in this side of the story was at times difficult to read. Marlene's relationship with the young woman in the story, Josie, was quite touching and disturbing at the same time.

A lot of this book was emotionally challenging to read. Parts of the story were so troubling, it was hard for me continue with it. However, the climax of the story made it all worth it and was so surprisingly beautiful I was a little overcome by it. Any issues I had got left behind in its wake.

The death of their daughter Angie - under circumstances that won't be revealed for a while- fractured the marriage her parents, Les and Marlene. They''re living separate lives in the same house, at least when Les is on shore. He's. scalloper, who has built an odd family of sorts with the other men on the boat, Marlene goes out at night to help young prostitutes, It's melancholy as can be and yet there's something of a spark in here. The writing is precise, the atmospherics good, and the characters standouts. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.

A very atmospheric story about a couple who endured a horrific life-event and are trying to come to terms with their relationship for the remainder of their lives. It doesn’t help that his job requires him to be away for weeks at a time and that she is stubborn and unforgiving. It’s definitely different than most books I’ve read. Very uncomfortable feelings while reading but isn’t that a sign of experiential art? Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

WOW. My first ever NetGalley read, and what a treat. Thank you to them for the ARC, it will likely be my favorite read of the year. I’d read Magariel’s One of the Boys when it came out and loved it, and was defensive of it when some reviewers chastised it, for its grim portrayal of childhood trauma. I am already equally as defensive of this book about grief.

To me this is an outstanding work of fiction. It oozes style, draws you into its world, and delights with prose on par with any of the greats. I’m sure there will be detractors who will criticize the reality of some moments in the book, but I preemptively counter that reality is stranger than fiction and I think this book does a phenomenal job of capturing that essence, while still remaining grounded.

The greatest strength of this book is it’s pace. At times it crackles with excitement, and slowly smolders others, breathes a hitched sigh, or one of relief. I couldn’t put it down. I am also so impressed with the quality of writing here. There are moments where Magariel reminds me of all my favorites. Denis Johnson’s internal darkness, Cormac McCarthy’s impending doom, Shirley Jackson’s witty but realistic dialog, Joy Williams knack for brevity, to name a handful. These are all just references, and the book never feels like emulation. Here Magariel writes of the blue collar set in such an empathetic way I was reminded of Robert Olmstead’s River Dogs, an out of print book I enjoyed very much. Yet with all these references, there is something that sets it apart from them making it it’s own.

I hope this book puts Daniel Magariel in the conversation for prestigious literary awards and that it finds the success it deserves. It is a perfect balance of form and function; It’s exciting, and heartbreaking, and channels the darkness we can never quite grasp, for it’s just out of reach.

The writing is great, very descriptive and vivid.

I work in the scallop industry and have settle boats in the past and the author was spot on with all of that characterization. I honestly can remember some of the nicknames but not their real names and I use to write their checks.

I just found the story just too depressing, the characters were depressing and lived sad lives.

I think others who will want to dive in more and analyze the characters will love this book.

That would just be too deep for me at this point.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

LONG …..but NO SPOILERS….

“Walk the Darkness Down”
is a book I hate to say goodbye to….
……with characters I want to spend more time with,
dialogue I want to eat — and sentences that could reduce me to tears or belly laugh or simply feel the wonderment.

There’s a lot of unexpected in it, sometimes I thought I knew exactly where the story was going, other times I was blown away by what was going on.
Daniel Magariel took a story that ‘could’ have been just another universal story — but added exceptional uniqueness — on land and at sea. Its very engrossing.

Daniel traces two people who love each other but who perpetually press each other’s buttons. Communicating with each other was not their optimum superlative moments.
But….funny sometimes (for us readers) .

The primary and supporting characters (the fishing crew members) brightly illuminates the darkness — leaving each reader to take away various messages about marriage, working through difficulties, loss, betrayal, survival, companionship, work pressures, desire, expectations, communications complexities, and other revelation subtitles.

Les and Marlene might not have seemed like the perfect couple ….
but reading between the lines - the fights - the silence - the distance - Les was smitten by his wife … and I was pretty sure Marlene was smitten about Les.
They were surviving — in the only way each one knew how to do: from the death of their daughter, Angie. They often quarreled but we sense the anger is distorted.
Marlene’s anger -especially- was covering up grief.
Les, on the other hand, felt so unworthy from every angle ….I hurt for him, his private grief, differently than I did Marlene. It felt like Les was endlessly chasing after the ‘Best Behavior’ badge ….failing over and over.
But …. I felt the sorrow for both, Marlene and Les. Sorrow was always under the surface, but not that far under.

Marlene, perhaps impulsive, impractical….brings different sex-workers home ….to feed them, let them shower…..perhaps clings to the notion that unbearable rifts can be patched.
Marlene simply has an unyielding longing to ‘protect’.
One specific sex worker, Josie, began spending the night over at Marlene’s house regularly when Les was out at sea scalloping with his fishing crew. Les could be gone for one or two weeks at a time.

Josie, rail thin, could gulp a huge meal down, then still eat a gallon of ice cream. Her life misfortunes , somehow didn’t kill her strength or self-pride. I liked her her spunky disposition.
Marlene and Josie spent their evenings together cooking, eating, and drinking wine. They talked. They started to get to know each other better by playing a ‘Me-You’ game…..slowly trusting each other with personal truths.
Josie slept over often (rather than return to the Hotel Villages where she lived will Bill, quasi-boyfriend-pimp).
On the days when Les returned home (for short stays), Marlene didn’t feel obliged to tell Les about Josie…..until much later in the book when Marlene needed help from Les.
Help, Les was grateful to Marlene give regardless of his mixed emotions.

The storytelling out at sea — scalloping —was a combination of hilarity between the crew members as well as graphic scary from the elements and an accident.

The fishing crew nicknamed Les *Stray*…….(a thrilling nickname that any wife would love for her husband- ha!).
Each of the crew had nicknames [John Wayne, China, Booby, Monk Man, and Hoover].
I thoroughly enjoyed the crew - ‘guy bonding’ - and the crazy gripping descriptions out at sea….

I equally enjoyed all that was happening back at home — when Les was away — and the times he was home.
EVERYTHING about this novel was moving and entertaining. …..ordinary and extraordinary…..pristine and unpolluted.

Some excerpts….

“What made Marlene stick to your ribs? John Wayne asks”.
“Les gives the short version: I was down in Florida, working on a sport fishing boat, and she called me to tell me she was pregnant. We’d only dated a few months, but she wanted me to come home. She was, like ‘Les, shit, or get off the pot’. And I was like, ‘Well, my dear, in those terms . . . John Wayne and China, both delivered the line with him: guess I’ll shit”.
“The three of them laughed”
So did I!

“Stripped young of the illusion that the world has been conquered, charted, angled for human need, Les has always preferred the scale of life at sea. Out here bait balls, the size of football fields appear from nowhere, the water surface suddenly sparkling with tens of thousands of glistening fish. Biblical weather arrives full of portent”.

“Living for most of us isn’t like TV. It ain’t all sunshine and Shirley Temples. Most people don’t get their cherry. You’re no different. We’ve all had things taken from us”.

NOTE….
one of my favorite conversations (in a restaurant with Les and Marlene)…..about BOY SCOUTS is one of the funniest scenes I’ve read in years….(not slapstick- just damn funny)…..
I swear I thought to myself — this book is worth all its money just with this one Boy Scout chattering scene.

Another ‘tiny’ funny ….but I liked it …
…..learning about a pet lobster named Sebastian….. on a leash.

Absolutely one of my favorite books.
“Dinner Tonight?”

Oh wow, I’m the first to review this on GR. Nice.
Okay, so Magariel isn’t what you might call prolific. Which is to say his last novel came out years ago. It was good, too. I liked it and requested this one off of Netgalley on the strength of its predecessor. But to be honest, this book didn’t do much for me.
The quality is undeniable, so it the style. It’s a sort of really vivid, down to the bone, slice of life story rendered in a tough, rough and gruff minimalistic narrative.
Whose life is the author slicing? A couple who lost a young daughter. A couple that lives small depressing lives in a small depressing town, barely getting by financially and emotionally. The man choses to lose himself in his work (commercial fishing and boy, there’s a LOT of it in the novel, knee deep in fish guts) and the woman strikes up savior-style relationships with local prostitutes. Everyone’s coping the best they can, trying to find a way to move forward.
That’s basically the entire novel. It isn’t very long. Some good writing goes a long way. The book it is objectively good if you’re into that sort of thing. And if not, well, it’s a really quick read. Thanks Netgalley.