Review: The Taste of Salt
The Taste of Salt by Martha Southgate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My friend, Amanda, gave me an advance copy of The Tast of Salt a little while back, and I picked it up shortly thereafter because the cover looked pretty and I didn’t have anything else to read. I am so glad I did. In this novel, Martha Southgate has woven an incredible tale of addiction and romance, family and friendship. She deals with issues of race and gender and relationships in a way that strikes true at the heart.
Josie Henderson is the only black scientist working with marine mammals in Woods Hole, Mass. She and her husband, David, a white man, work there at the same institution. Quickly after beginning her story, we get the sense that she is running from a dark family secret. Born and raised in Cleveland, we find that she has both a father and a brother that suffer from alcoholism. In Woods Hole, however, she has run so far from these issues that she rarely speaks of them to anyone, including her husband.
Woods Hole hires another black scientist, Ben, shortly after Josie makes a visit home to see her brother, who has just been released from rehab for the second time. Upon meeting Ben, Josie feels an instant connection, and decides she can trust him with her family’s secrets. As you can imagine, this causes quite a divide between her and David. Soon, her brother comes to live with her because he can’t seem to stay clean, and tragedy strikes. We watch as everything Josie knew to be true slowly and steadily unravels, changing her view of the world.
Martha Southgate has the unique ability to weave a story so bold and beautiful that it is impossible to put down. The story of Josie’s family swells and recedes just like the tide of the ocean Josie holds so dear. The story is so delicately crafted that you find yourself excited and devastated with Josie at every turn, and you close the book after the last page truly changed.
I would highly recommend The Taste of Salt. The tentative release date is 9/13/2011, so pick up your copy soon.