Bride of the Sea

A nuanced, slow and simmering tale of identity, culture-clashes, and familial relationships, BRIDE OF THE SEA is a wonderful debut from Eman Quotah. Spanning close to five decades, we follow Sadie and Hannah, a mother and daughter who are Saudi Arabian immigrants in Ohio. Early in the book, Sadie divorces Hannah's father Muneer and runs away with Hannah. Muneer spends more than a decade, after moving back to Saudi Arabia, searching for his daughter (who has since changed names multiple times, and moved with her mother constantly). It is a wonderful hook for the book, but it is about so much more than this shocking occurrence.

As we watch Hannah grow up, we watch her come to terms with this cultural identity crisis and what her mother has done by taking her away from her family and only allowing her to discover her Saudi Arabian heritage when she is adult and discovers it on her own. Quotah's prose is memorable and beautiful, I often got lost in the language and felt transported to the vivid places she describes. While the book is not action packed by any means, I really liked all of the characters and what Quotah has to say about family and parental bonds. It's a sad story about loss, secrets, betrayals, and conservative cultures. I really loved it.

Thank you to Tin House for allowing me to read and review an early copy. BRIDE OF THE SEA comes out on January 26, 2021!

A beautifully written book about what it means to belong, to know loss, and to heal.
Muneer and Saeedah are young students in Ohio. Expecting their first child, Saeedah is detached, aloof, and not a willing particpant in their life together. They eventually divorce; Muneer returns to Saudi Arabia and Saeedah stays in Ohio with their daughter, Hanadi. Saeedah eventually disappears with Hanadi, leaving Muneer to search for his daughter for years.
A intimate look at life in the Middle East, the bonds of familial love, and heartbreak.

BRIDE OF THE SEA by debut author Eman Quotah is a family saga about a Saudi family that gets torn apart. Saeedah, a young mother, suddenly disappears from her Cleveland home, taking her young daughter Hanadi with her. Her husband Muneer is left behind, to search for his lost wife and daughter for years following. The story covers multiple persepctives and spans decades, from Saeedah and Muneer's courtship and marriage in Saudi Arabia, to their marriage and immigration to Ohio, and finally Hanadi's search to connect with her lost identity and family when she comes of age.

Quotah juxtaposes Saeedah and Muneer's dynamic family life in Saudi Arabia, the familial expectations that lead Saeedah to run, and the isolation that she imposes on herself and Hanadi in order to remain hidden from their family.

My favorite perspective was Hanadi, who is raised knowing little of her heritage. It felt bittersweet to watch her reconnect with her lost family and culture in her 20s. Although she is welcomed with open arms, there is a sense of uncertainty that looms over her, and the knowledge of what her life could have been like if things had been different. It's not a perfect happy family reunion. It's a reminder that families aren't perfect, and the simplistic idea of "family is everything" is messier than it seems.

Thank you to NetGalley and TinHouse for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. BRIDE OF THE SEA is out January 26, 2021!

Bride of the Sea by Eman Quotah pulled me in as soon as I opened the book. I was hungry to understand the unease between Muneer and Saeedah. But it quickly became apparent that what I expected to be a fast-paced family crime drama, was actually a slow and simmering family saga. Quotah’s characters were rich with depth and surprise, and the storyline had more complexity than I imagined. This novel wove together a heart-breaking and heart-opening tale of how the fears of those we love most can become our deepest wounds, and how a hope kept alive despite circumstance can become the path to healing. It meandered through multiple perspectives across over four decades and numerous geographic locations, with intensity but not hurry. It raised questions about the nature of family, nationality, connection, dislocation, discrimination, and love. And it created a window into both the daily life and generational expanse of a Saudi family, revealing the gifts and struggles that arise in this largely misunderstood context. Four stars for a well-crafted story, excellent writing, and delicate address of complex and compelling issues!

Thank you Tin House and NetGalley for the advanced reader digital copy.

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3684286074?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I first heard of this title during the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club Winter Book Preview, and was immediately intrigued. I was fortunate to get approved for an ARC from NetGalley the next day and was able to dive right in. This is a beautiful debut that tells the story of an extended Saudi family as it moves back and forth in time and place across four decades and between the US and Saudi Arabia. There is much here about the importance of family - family of origin as well as found family - and the positive and negative impacts families have on one another. Specifically the impact that parental choices have on their children and the impact of children's choices on their parents. None of us lives in isolation. I was especially moved by the parts of the story that dealt with the unique difficulties of being an immigrant in the US. While there is the natural feeling of being torn between two cultures and trying to find a place of belonging, there is also the compounding problem of racism that seems to never be improving. 

While the stories and cultures depicted are very different, this book reminded me of the way I felt as I read Fatima Marheen Mirza's A Place for Us and Marjan Kamali's The Stationery Shop. So, if you loved those books, you will find this one to be a lovely addition to your reading stack. Debuts January 26.