In his "finely crafted first novel" (Booklist), Peter Geye evokes the savage beauty of Lake Superior's north shore and the bittersweet reunion of a dying father and his hurting son after decades of estrangement. When Noah Torr returns to his family's Minnesota cabin to reconnect with his father, he learns for the first time what really happened 35 years ago-and how it changed his father forever. "This deeply moving, powerfully realized debut novel [is] inspiring, wise, and enthusiastically recommended for all readers."-Library Journal
About the Author :
Peter Geye received his MFA from the University of New Orleans and his PhD from Western Michigan University, where he was editor of Third Coast. He was born and raised in Minneapolis and still lives there with his wife and children. He is the author of multiple award-winning novels.
David Aaron Baker is a voice and film actor. He is an award-winning narrator of dozens of audiobooks, including the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz, Paradise Dogs by Man Martin, and The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig. He has earned several AudioFile Earphones Awards and been a three-time finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration.
Review :
"A deep hearted novel of bitten lives lived out on the cold shore of a ferocious world. In the silence of their existence, the dignity of their bearing, Geye compassionately renders the magnitudes of their despair, endurance, and greatness."
-- "Robert Olmstead"
"A finely crafted first novel...Give this book to readers of David Guterson and Robert Olmstead, who will be captured by the themes of approaching death and the pain and solace provided by nature."
-- "Booklist"
"A lyric story of familial strife and reconciliation...Geye excels at capturing the importance of life's seemingly small moments and at cataloging their beauty...Geye shows how relationships--however flawed the participants--can be salvaged and strengthened when people strive to make things work through understanding and the search for and sharing of the truth."
-- "ForeWord"
"A reader can just about feel the cold spray of Lake Superior and taste the softness of the lefse...The best sections of Safe From the Sea are the stories Olaf tells, and the questions Noah asks, especially about the tragedy of the Ragnarøk. What we expect from a man vs nature story is not that man will win, but that man will be wise and valiant, and give it everything he has. Olaf's account of the wreck lives up to the great tradition of adventure storytelling. His pain about the shipwreck is not only survivor's angst, but also specific guilt about a lost shipmate that he has never shared before...Olaf's last wish presents Noah with a watery physical challenge of his own, and gives the back end of the novel a touch of fairy tale, a la late John Cheever."
-- "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel"
"A rich, satisfying novel about family members who make amends after a lifetime of estrangement."
-- "Minneapolis Star Tribune"
"Geye is a skilled and subtle observer. Throughout the book, readers are given an affectionate and perceptive view of roughhewn northern Minnesota, not only its Walden-esque lakes and forests, but also its thrifty and honest people...He also excels in creating characters who are ordinary and exceptional at the same time--high praise for any author. The characters in Safe from the Sea are maturely-crafted; there are no heroes or villains in the book, just good people working through tough issues with grace and good humor."
-- "New York Journal of Books"
