Shining Sea

I have to admit that I read Shining Sea in one sitting. So this post may be a bit shorter than others, but I found Korkeakivi's second novel to be extremely engrossing. It felt like a book you would read on a plane, or a beach, or somewhere where you are just sitting and reading and nothing else is on your mind but the story of this one family. However, even though Shining Sea felt remarkably readable to me, the story wasn't all that special. It was the tale of a family impacted by war -- of WWII, of Vietnam -- and of the matriarch, Barbara, who persisted throughout it all. It felt like Korkeakivi was pushing many elements together from the last half-century or so and having them all dramatically impact this one family's life; from a Prisoner of War of WWII to the AIDS crisis to Woodstock... it felt like Shining Sea was trying to tell this tale of America without deeply diving into what made those huge events so impactful. I am partial to agree with Kirkus Review's assessment -- "Everything works out a little too beautifully—despite the war-induced deaths—tipping the novel somewhat toward the maudlin, its moral toward platitudinous" -- but if you are looking for an absorbing tale that seems to just float along, Shining Sea is worth the read. Rating: ★★★