Starred review from October 18, 2021
Assadi (Sonora) returns with a lyrical and melancholic tale of grief, love, and a marriage’s open secrets, narrated by a woman who has Alzheimer’s. In 1941, Elle Ranier and her jeweler husband, Simon, moved from New York City as young newlyweds to a remote island off the coast of Georgia in search of a variety of jewel akin to diamonds and known locally as the “blue legend.” Many people have drowned while seeking the minerals, which are believed to lie at the bottom of the ocean, and Simon’s fruitless search eventually leaves his business in shambles. Now, in 1997, Elle remembers her previous lover, Gabriel, in Brooklyn, whom she arranged to work with Simon on the island after claiming he was her cousin, and who died shortly after they arrived. Then, in 1961, Simon grows close with a geologist hired to prospect for the jewels. Elle’s reminiscences become hazy as a result of her Alzheimer’s, though “for a while, life remained in bright dreams,” which evokes a sense of magic with images of mermaids and fairies. As the story of the trio’s arrival to the island and their subsequent misfortunes gradually unfolds, Elle circles around the secrets about her and Simon’s relationships with other men. The beauty of Assadi’s prose and the splendid depiction of a love that transcends death make for a singular rendition of an oft-told story. This will leave readers undone. Agent: PJ Mark, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.
March 1, 2022
Elle and her husband Simon were sent to Lyra Island by Simon's wealthy father to explore the mysterious blue lights around the island and discover if they really harbor minerals with mystical properties. Decades later, Elle's mind is no longer her own and she can't tell the difference between the past and the present; her memories are jumbled. She starts to fixate on the one thing in her life that got away: her true love, Gabriel. But where has he gone? Why is Elle's life in such disarray and what has happened to Simon's family's business? What are the blue lights? Beautiful, heartbreaking prose takes listeners deep inside Elle's mind as she tries to piece together the timeline of her tumultuous life. This vivid and lyrical novel exploring the mind of a woman suffering from dementia in her old age is haunting and seductive. Narrator Hillary Huber does a perfect execution of Elle's disarrayed thoughts and narrative. VERDICT Poetic and enchanting, Assadi's (Sonora) story will stay with listeners long after they've finished the audiobook.--Erin Cataldi
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