Home Books Dark, Salt, Clear: The Life of a Fishing Town

Dark, Salt, Clear: The Life of a Fishing Town

Dark, Salt, Clear: The Life of a Fishing Town

by Lamorna Ash

Bloomsbury Publishing ·2020 ·336 pages
Near the Top
Near the Top
I Index
51/99
Near the Top

58/99

Critics' Rating Index

Maybe Someday

44/99

Readers' Rating Index

n/a

Scholars' Citation Index

77/99

Volume of Reviews

56/99

Volume of Reader Ratings

Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.


About This Book

There is the Cornwall Lamorna Ash knew as a child - the idyllic, folklore-rich place where she spent her summer holidays. Then there is the Cornwall she discovers when, feeling increasingly dislocated in London, she moves to Newlyn, a fishing town near Land's End. This Cornwall is messier and harder; it doesn't seem like a place that would welcome strangers. But before long, Lamorna finds herself on a week-long trawler trip with a crew of local fishermen, afforded a rare glimpse into their world, their warmth and their humour. Out on the water, miles from the coast, she learns how fishing requires you to confront who you are and what it is that tethers you to the land. Dark, Salt, Clear is a bracing journey of discovery and a captivating portrait of a community sustained and defined by the sea for centuries.


Reviews

"With graceful lyricism and endearing humility, Ash gives this rage both voice and face."

Oliver Balch· Financial Times Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"The only flaw, though slight, is in the structure of the book."

Elissa Greenwald· The New York Journal of Books Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Ash's search for a sense of authenticity and belonging is part of the story-within-a-story that remains unresolved."

Ruth Guilding· Times Literary Supplement Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Playwright Ash turns a curious and empathetic eye on the small fishing village of Newlyn in Cornwall, England, weaving history, myth, and memoir into a gripping and affecting debut ..."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Ash, who now works for an educational charity, has done her homework."

Lucy Knight· The Times (UK) Read review ↗ Maybe Someday

"Ash captures the color and rhythms of a close-knit community where life, livelihood, and death center on the sea ..."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Dark, Salt, Clear is a deep dive into a distinctive culture rather than a tale of confronting adversity with a literal walk on the wild side."

Heller McAlpin· The Wall Street Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

Preview


Reader Reviews

0 reviews

Sign in to write a review.

No reader reviews yet. Be the first!