The beautiful, mysterious Emily De Soto returns to Key West, where, as a child, she visited her grandparents. She's an adult now, married to a Cuban political philosopher she hasn't seen in 14 years. That's why she's in Key West: to help smuggle her husband, Raul, into the United States. But while she's waiting for Raul, Emily falls in love with an apolitical sailor named Harry. When Raul arrives, Emily must choose between the man who fought alongside Fidel and now wants out, and her stormy new lover with a fragile heart. Before the novel ends, one man will claim Emily's loyalty, and the other will die. As the plot thickens, so do the skies. The weather gets stormy, and the sea churns as dangerously as the hearts of the protagonists. In a classical counterpoint, a slut named Wanda wanders the streets of Key West, peddling pornographic poems themed to the action on the novel.
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Emily De Soto, a stunning 34-year-old, arrives in Key West in 1994 full of secrets and anxieties. Fourteen years earlier, she immigrated to Miami from Cuba, leaving behind her new husband, political philosopher Raul, whom she hasn't seen or heard from since. Her family, however, has heard news, and Emily is on hand to help smuggle Raul into the country. While she's waiting for a man she barely knew in her youth, Emily meets Harry, a handsome and reticent sailor. She falls deeply in love with the blond American and soon has to choose between the two very different men. Brackenbury expertly weaves together the viewpoints of her three main characters, then adds a first-person point-of-view from a seemingly objective source: Harry's mate, Martha. A pragmatic soul, Martha is deeply touched and altered by what she witnesses that muggy, languid summer. Sensuality abounds in this lyrical novel, yet each lush description of this colorful seafaring community is laced with mystery and danger. Kristin Kloberdanz
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
From the Publisher
KEY WEST—AN ISLAND IN THE STREAM OF LIFE AND DEATH
Key West is an island of many peoples—tourists, artists, writers, and celebrities, not to mention the locals, the “conches,” who stay there year-round, as if dog-paddling in the stream and waiting for something to change. And of course there are the Cubans, the people seeking refuge in Florida, who arrive one at a time or one small boatload at a time, always in the midst of night.
There’s something dangerously seductive about Key West, something that attracts people to its shores, to bask in the tropical heat, the spectacular sunsets, the boats, beaches and bars, and each other. There’s also something seductively dangerous: warm breezes can turn to storms, romance can turn to hearthache, and a boat ride can end in disaster.
This is the Key West found in Rosalind Brackenbury’s Seas Outside the Reef, a sensuous, lushly written novel of love and politics, sailors and tourists, locals and illegal Cubans, danger, sex, and death. It is the story of Emily (or Emilia) De Soto, originally from Cuba, who has come to Key West with a mission: to help smuggle in her Cuban husband, Raul, whom she hasn’t seen for fourteen years.
But Key West can be as unpredictable as the human heart, and before Raul arrives, Emily has time to fall in love with a local sailor, a man with a weak heart and a strong suit of private demons. When Raul shows up, Emily finds herself battered by emotional and political crosswinds. Before the novel ends, one of these men will claim her loyalty, and the other will die.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Love and Mystery in the Florida Keys,
By A Customer
This review is from: Seas Outside the Reef: A Novel (Paperback)
I found this book to be lyrical, introspective and intriguing. The characters in this book are right out of the Florida Keys. I felt I knew some of them, because they are so familiar here. Brackenbury poetically describes Key West with accuracy and precision. Her characters seem very real. Cuba appears fascinating, as did Raoul, Emilia's Cuban husband. It's really a simple tale about complex emotions and love. The story slowly pulls you in, drawing you in to its current until the very end.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Beautiful, Haunting Look at Key West,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Seas Outside the Reef: A Novel (Paperback)
I discovered this book as I was preparing for a trip to Key West. Before I take any trip, I like to immerse myself in the place I'll be visiting. I buy travel guides, historical books, and novels to learn as much as I can and to get a feel for a place before I go. I couldn't have found a more perfect novel to prepare myself for my trip to Key West. The writing style is unique, the characters are heartfelt and memorable, and, above all, Rosalind Brackenbury is so clearly in love with the island of Key West. Her descriptions of the trees, the people, and especially the storms that prevail during the summer the novel takes place are lyrical and beautiful. I found myself reading passages to my husband because they were just too incredible to keep to myself. I thank Ms. Brackenbury for writing this novel anad for bringing Key West to life for me. I can't wait until my trip!
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