Of Sea and Seed: The Kerrigan Chronicles, Book 1

Daylon’s talent is apparent in this engrossing opening to a projected series about the travails of a Newfoundland family. In 1915, matriarch Kathleen Kerrigan’s family is sustained by cod fishing in the village of Argentia, but when her three-month-old baby dies, the loss signals further devastation ahead. Kathleen’s depression combined with a diagnosis of consumption forces the family to send her to a sanatorium. Her 16-year-old son Kevin deserts the family, leaving eight-year-old Clara alone with her father, Alphonse, who has been emotionally devastated by his combat involvement in WWI (“War can leave scars on a man… inside scars,” Kevin explains to Clara). As the narrative shifts between Kevin, Clara, and Kathleen, the family suffers through relentless tribulations—death, abuse, infidelity—but it’s the family secrets that come to light that might destroy them. Fisherman jargon and the family’s Irish ancestry add flavor to the strong imagery (“When the sea can retreat no farther it pauses, then plunges forward, from the bottom... it becomes a murderous mountain of emerald marble”). Intriguing characterizations and a surprising level of suspense make this a page-turner. (Self-published)