Customer Reviews

Sea Changes

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Being from the Great NW city of Seattle, it is delightful to read about places you know. I always looked forward to reading the latest chapter from Bill Branley's fictional blog "Peggy Finds a Friend". As the serialized novel was very near its conclusion............oh no! I do not want it to end.
A delightful read and great book club selection!

Sea Changes: A Novel is a midlife romance between a conservative man and a woman who identifies with defending the environment and other activist pursuits. They clash over political issues from Hurricane Katrina to homeland security to global warming. Yet despite their differences and the emotional pain of losses in the past, they seek happiness together in the latter stage of their lives. A heartwarming story of finding balance and compromise.

Personal experiences of the author and his mother (who lived in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina), and his travels help create realistic settings for the places the main characters, Peggy and Raoul, visit on the East and West Coast. Branley successfully puts into words the emotional pain of losing a loved one, especially a life-long spouse. While reading the story you will find yourself pondering, what would my life be like in a similar situation.

The characters in Sea Changes, loosely based on people he observed on his daily early morning ferry commute, are likeable and well-developed. The dialogue among the small group of passengers who ultimately become friends is the backbone of the story. Their conversation is realistic and lacks dependence on clichés.

Branley's sub-themes in the novel, through these conversations, the oppositional careers of the soon-to-be lovers and their adventures while dating, focus on current issues like homeland security, global warming, and how the effect of a lack of investment in community infrastructures hurts the environment. He easily makes his point about these issues without being preachy.

Sea Changes is about love, loss, grief, hardship, and ultimately moving forward in spite of an innate tendency to resist change. This debut novel is inspiring and entertaining and won't disappoint a reader looking for romance.

The focus of this work is exploration and reflection following the lost of a beloved spouse. However, anyone who has ever faced grief will find that this book hits home in ways that are poignant without being overly sentimental. Peggy thinks she is ready to move on but each cautious step she takes reminds her that transition is never easy. I like her spunk and her sense of humor. A very enjoyable read.

This novel takes you on journeys within journeys. A perfect blend of levity, emotion, drama and surprises, Sea Changes smoothly weaves the personal lives of the characters with sweeping issues and events to pull the reader deep into the story. Branley presents exactly the right amount of detail in scenes and dialogue to make the story come alive. I have traveled through many of the same places and life events as the main characters, Peggy and Roaul. Branley not only captures the feel and tone of those places, but also the pain and joy of love, loss, and life.

It is always fun to read tales set in places that we know - or would like to know. Readers will find much to like in this delightful first novel by Bainbridge Island resident Bill Branley. Two mature islanders take us geographically from the Northwest to New Orleans to Washington DC to the coast of Maine, and emotionally up and down as they share their tentative and unexpected journey together. We are left wondering "What is next?" for these two good people. We hope there is more to come.

As a former daily Ferry Commuter, this book totally captures the essence and culture of the Bainbridge/Seattle/Bainbridge ferry commuting community. This is an absolute "comfort book" from the get go and must read for everyone that is going through personal life analysis whether a commuter or not! You will be treated to an experience not unlike walking into "Mom's or Grandma's kitchen." This is the ultimate "Feel Good" novel - where else can a reader experience an authentic Northwest journey and help to rebuild the rich literary culture of our country's most valuable resource, our children.

Sea Changes does a good job of weaving a story of life transitions and changes with a sense of diverse places, as well as intergenerational relationships. All in all, a whopping good story, with plenty of meat for book group discussions.

Now waiting for the sequel, to learn the rest of the story.