2007-02-21 Enchanting - a true gem

I devoured this little book in the space of a few hours. I enjoyed it so much, I really did wish it had been longer, so that I could have savoured even more of the rich prose.

The story is about Peri, or Periwinkle, whose father has been taken by the sea. In Peri's eyes, the sea has taken everything from her - although her mother still lives, Peri says that she has been enchanted by the sea, as she yearnfully watches it ebb and flow, longing to catch a glimpse of the world beneath the sea, the world that has taken her husband from her. In desperation of losing her father physically and her mother emotionally to the sea, Peri decides to hex it in order to get vengeance. It is from all of this hate and sorrow that the magic of the sea begins to untangle. Peri releases a sa-dragon and so then begins a discovery of what truly lies beneath the waves, and why. . .

But, THE CHANGELING SEA is more than just a book about what lies beneath the sea. Despite its length, it also examines love and loss. It also deals with finding your own identity, the one that is true to you. It is about transitions and learning the lessons of life; that humans are not perfect beings, but they should have the grace to accept and deal with the consequences.

This is a beautiful little book, a true treasure of a story. The perfect place to have read this would have been next to sea, so that you can hear and smell it as well as read about its wonders and mysteries. I also thought it was a breath of fresh air that the heroine of the story is not the typically stunning young woman, who is perfectly at ease with herself. Peri is certainly not the most physically attractive character, nor is she very comfortable in her own skin, yet there is something about her which rings very true.
What I loved about this story was how McKillip manages to make the sea into a character in its own right. Towards the end of the book there is a lovely passage which sums up the essence of the book:-
"Humans say the sea sings to them and traps them, but sometimes it is the human song that traps the sea." (p. 124)

Hunt this book out and read it. I am so glad I stumbled across it. It has made me desperate to read more by this author; and, of course, it has made me long for the sea. . .