Award-winning novelist Martha Southgate (who, in the words of Julia Glass, can write fat and hot, then lush and tender, then just plain truthful an...
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Nov 13, 2011
Justice
rated it: 
My Review (tread lightly, spoilers abound):
I received TToS from Jen, Devourer of Books, as the November Book Club read. I am happy I received it; I don’t think I would have picked this book on my own accord, and I think I would have been missing out. Southgate is a brilliant author, and I would like to read more of her work.
TToS tells the history of a family, told in several voices: Josie, our black female marine biologist; Tick, her recovering alcoholic brother; Ray, her recover More...
I received TToS from Jen, Devourer of Books, as the November Book Club read. I am happy I received it; I don’t think I would have picked this book on my own accord, and I think I would have been missing out. Southgate is a brilliant author, and I would like to read more of her work.
TToS tells the history of a family, told in several voices: Josie, our black female marine biologist; Tick, her recovering alcoholic brother; Ray, her recover More...
Jan 27, 2012
Arzella
rated it:
When I decided to read this book, I chose it becasue of the cover and becasue I read the word "ocean" in the review. Ii was excited to see what a Black woman would write about the ocean. I have lived near the ocean my whole life. I love it and I love being in it.
Southgate delivers a story about the Black experieince. About coming from a working/middle class family and becoming something and becoming nothing at all. Most importantly it talks about the effects of substan More...
Southgate delivers a story about the Black experieince. About coming from a working/middle class family and becoming something and becoming nothing at all. Most importantly it talks about the effects of substan More...
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Nov 02, 2011
Lissa
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I feel somewhat sad to report that I felt this book failed it's promise. There aren't many books about the African American middle class, and probably even fewer that deal candidly with alcoholism and addiction. My book club got all excited about it because of the backjacket blurb about an African American woman in the sciences-she's a marine biologist, a topic which takes up perhaps six pages here and there. Since I am about as comfortable in the water as your average house cat, I had a sense o
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Oct 18, 2011
Adwoa
rated it: 
The Taste of Salt is a tour de force. The writing itself was mostly excellent, but what made it so strong for me personally was the way I felt both spoken to and skewered. Josie, the protagonist, is a ferociously (at times aggressively, defensively) smart woman.
She’s obsessed with the ocean, and has given it a sensual starring role in the otherwise buttoned-up, anhedonic way that she lives her life. This is not to say that her life is completely without pleasure. But it is to say tha More...
She’s obsessed with the ocean, and has given it a sensual starring role in the otherwise buttoned-up, anhedonic way that she lives her life. This is not to say that her life is completely without pleasure. But it is to say tha More...
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Sep 23, 2011
Shannon
rated it:
In The Taste of Salt, Martha Southgate has written a book that could be about me, my life and how I experience life. Depending on what your story is, you may not relate to the book as deeply and instantaneously as I did. Read it anyway.
The Taste of Salt is narrated by Josie Henderson, marine biologist, wife of a scientist, daughter of an alcoholic, sister of an alcoholic addict. It's the story of Josie's current life, but told partly through the lens of her entire story. And isn't More...
The Taste of Salt is narrated by Josie Henderson, marine biologist, wife of a scientist, daughter of an alcoholic, sister of an alcoholic addict. It's the story of Josie's current life, but told partly through the lens of her entire story. And isn't More...
Sep 11, 2011
KC
rated it:
*Book obtained gratis via Goodreads First Reads giveaway*
Martha Southgate's novel "The Taste of Salt" dives into two generations of relationships entangled in addiction, self identity and relationships. Anchored by protagonist Josie Henderson, the story threads the voices and experiences of her immediate family, each of her parents as well as her beloved brother Tick.
The alcoholic father who was never there, the son who can't escape his father's disease, the broken More...
Martha Southgate's novel "The Taste of Salt" dives into two generations of relationships entangled in addiction, self identity and relationships. Anchored by protagonist Josie Henderson, the story threads the voices and experiences of her immediate family, each of her parents as well as her beloved brother Tick.
The alcoholic father who was never there, the son who can't escape his father's disease, the broken More...
Aug 28, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
I received this book as part of a first-reads giveaway.
Martha Southgate's novel The Taste of Salt got my attention from the first page and held it to the last. I enjoyed the first-person narrative style of the book, it made the novel feel authentic and real. The Taste of Salt is told from the point of view of Josie, a black woman and a scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. It is also sometimes told from the point of view of her brother Tick who struggles with alcho More...
Martha Southgate's novel The Taste of Salt got my attention from the first page and held it to the last. I enjoyed the first-person narrative style of the book, it made the novel feel authentic and real. The Taste of Salt is told from the point of view of Josie, a black woman and a scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. It is also sometimes told from the point of view of her brother Tick who struggles with alcho More...
Dec 14, 2011
Larry
rated it:
Josie is a marine biologist, one of only a few senior-level black women in her position at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. In achieving professional success, she has finally been able to free herself of her childhood in Cleveland, of her alcoholic father and addicted younger brother, and she can spend her time in the ocean, where she loves to be more than anything. But she has never fully disentangled herself from the trauma and disappointments of her childhood, and that has a ripple eff
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Nov 17, 2011
Serena
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The Taste of Salt by Martha Southgate is the tumultuous tale of Josie Henderson and her family. Josie is a successful scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, but the journey that helped her achieve her dream was wrought with sadness and anger. Her brother “Tick,” once her ally against their alcoholic father, has just emerged from another stint in rehab and seeking her help, which brings to the forefront everything Josie has tried to push aside and avoid.
The narrative beg More...
The narrative beg More...
Sep 20, 2011
Andre
rated it:
Some have said this book is about addiction, I disagree. The novel is essentially about family and the dynamics surrounding familial communication or the lack thereof. So, potential readers don't let the "addiction" thing keep you from reading this book. You will be sorry you skipped it. Ms. Southgate is a very talented writer, and I hope she is headed for superstardom.
The story feels so real(I know it's a cliche)and flows so easily. Literally from page one you will be inter More...
The story feels so real(I know it's a cliche)and flows so easily. Literally from page one you will be inter More...
Sep 15, 2011
Hattie
rated it:
I love my family. Like most people I admit family is a very complex system. This truth came home to me once again while reading THE TASTE OF SALT by MARTHA SOUTHGATE. In this novel I met the Henderson family. There is Josie, the daughter. The son is Tick. There is Ray, the father. There is the mother, Sarah. Then, There is Daniel. He is Josie's white husband. Josie is Black. They are a biracial couple. For different reasons Josie's childhood was uniquely painful. Her father was an alcohol More...
Nov 14, 2011
The Taste of Salt is one of those novels that requires time to sit and stew on what was just read. The power of the novel only comes after the reader has had time to reflect. While it could be construed as depressingly realistic in its portrayal of family and addiction, there is an underlying beauty that rises to the top after time.
The name of the novel itself is a subtle hint to the pleasures and pain that await the reader. Salt itself can be delicious and necessary for life. At the More...
The name of the novel itself is a subtle hint to the pleasures and pain that await the reader. Salt itself can be delicious and necessary for life. At the More...
Oct 17, 2011
Rosanna
rated it:
Perhaps this was a four star read. It kept me turning pages and I finished it in a day.I was looking for more informatioon on why the father and the son both had addiction problems. There didn't seem to be sufficient reason for the father to just give up on his life and start to drink.He had a steady(if not fulfilling ) job in a car plant. His wife was devoted and caring individual. The son after a good education follows the same course.Is the author pointing out that addiction runs in the fami
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Sep 05, 2011
Mandy
rated it:
I received a copy via the goodreads first reads program.
This is a thought provoking account of a family dealing with alcoholism and drug abuse, normally I might have passed on this but I am so glad I read it. The narratives comes from several different perspectives and this makes it all the more interesting and endearing. This is another one of those books which seem to master the art of enabling the reader have sympathy, even for the most flawed characters.
Along with the More...
This is a thought provoking account of a family dealing with alcoholism and drug abuse, normally I might have passed on this but I am so glad I read it. The narratives comes from several different perspectives and this makes it all the more interesting and endearing. This is another one of those books which seem to master the art of enabling the reader have sympathy, even for the most flawed characters.
Along with the More...
Sep 26, 2011
Babydoll
rated it:
The Henderson family is all too familiar with the claws of addiction. Despair and disappointment are not strangers amongst this family of four, plagued by the torments of substance abuse. The Taste of Salt is a compelling story that highlights the tribulations of addiction as well as the emotional, physical and mental effects it sustains on a family.
Martha Southgate created quite an intriguing read, with an equally captivating title. Throughout the narrative, salt is used metaphoric More...
Martha Southgate created quite an intriguing read, with an equally captivating title. Throughout the narrative, salt is used metaphoric More...
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Sep 09, 2011
Ashley
rated it:
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 ma More...
Josie Henderson is the only black scientist working with marine ma More...
Aug 24, 2011
Cathy
rated it:
This was an enjoyable book to read. The author is very perceptive in her novel about flawed sibling and parent relationships and the relationships in this book were immediately relatable. I thought the characters themselves could have used a bit more fleshing out however. What was interesting about this book was that the author was able to so perceptively show the relationships between the characters and make the relationships feel very real and complicated without having characters that were to
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Nov 17, 2011
Heather
rated it:
Josie Henderson is a marine biologist who has always been fascinated with water. She has a good job and she’s married to a good guy; her life seems pretty ideal from the outside. Behind the scenes, though, it’s a different story.
From the back cover:
From the back cover:
…as a senior-level black female scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, she is practically alone in her field. But in building this impressive life for herself, she has tried to shed the one thing she cannot: her famMore...
Oct 02, 2011
Alexis
rated it:
In The Taste of Salt, we get a picture into Josie's life at a point where her past connects with her present and forces her to stop ignoring her history, family, and choices. This is a complex story dealing with issues of addiction and alcoholism; yet, it is surprisingly easy to read. I found myself getting lost into Josie's story. Though events are primarily through Josie's eyes, the reader views her same story through other perspectives, but this technique is used sparingly. Though I didn'
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Oct 13, 2011
Vanessa
rated it:
Martha Southgate has written such a beautiful, haunting and complex novel that I loved! The language is enchanting and gorgeous, and she writes with emotion and care for her characters. This novel reminds me that no one is perfect. We are all human, and we all make mistakes. But sometimes our mistakes swallow us alive, sadly. There was a point in the book where I got so misty eyed, it really hit me hard. That's what a great novel does, it draws you in and resonates with you even after the last p
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Jan 04, 2012
Donna
rated it:
This book is the library pick this month. It was a gripping story of the struggle of a family and a culture. The story focuses on the main character, Josie, as she moves through her life running from difficult family issues of addiction, those of her father and brother and then facing her own of a different kind. There are rough places, rough language and tragedy as the reader is brought into the life of Josie from her point of view and from the point of view of the others in her life: her h
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Nov 17, 2011
I loved this book. I first got interested in it when I saw it on the staff picks section at my local store (the author works there), but I probably wouldn't have ended up picking it up if Jen and Nicole hadn't picked it for BOOK CLUB (an online book club on devourerofbooks.com.) Discussing this book made me like it even more than I had initially. Southgate's depiction of what it's like to be an adult child of someone who has struggled with addiction resonated with me so much. Here was a book abo
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Sep 07, 2011
Cate
rated it:
* In compliance with FTC guidelines, it should be noted that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
The Taste of Salt is a story of Josie and her family’s struggles with alcoholism and addiction. Josie Henderson is a successful marine biologist originally from landlocked Cleveland, Ohio. She now works and resides near the coast with her husband Daniel. One day, she was asked by her mother to return to Cleveland to fetch his younger brother, Tick, from his second More...
The Taste of Salt is a story of Josie and her family’s struggles with alcoholism and addiction. Josie Henderson is a successful marine biologist originally from landlocked Cleveland, Ohio. She now works and resides near the coast with her husband Daniel. One day, she was asked by her mother to return to Cleveland to fetch his younger brother, Tick, from his second More...
Dec 29, 2011
Marian
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was beautiful, and I couldn't wait to get back to it when I wasn't reading it. But now that I have finished it, I can't say what it was about. It touched on too many topics to say that it was a commentary on anything. Was it about a black woman trying to achieve success in a white male dominated profession? Was it about racism? Was it about racial identity? Was it about addiction? Was it about family struggles?The description on the back of the book sugges
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Sep 07, 2011
Patty
rated it:
First of all, thanks to the publisher and Good Reads for providing review copies to general readers. This is a great program and I appreciate the opportunity to read this story early. I'm going to make sure that we get some copies at my library - I think this novel will be well received.
I fell into this book without too much trouble. The story is begun with the voice of Josie, an African-American marine biologist. She is trying to figure out how she and her family ended up where they More...
I fell into this book without too much trouble. The story is begun with the voice of Josie, an African-American marine biologist. She is trying to figure out how she and her family ended up where they More...
Oct 06, 2011
http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/...
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 10:26 pm
The Taste of Salt
Posted by: Misha Stone
If your book group is looking for something new strong that is on character and language with weighty themes and complex family dynamics, try Martha Southgate's The Taste of Salt.
The Taste of Salt would spark a rich discussion about the pains, joys, disappointments and revelations of family life and personal achievement.
This e More...
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 10:26 pm
The Taste of Salt
Posted by: Misha Stone
If your book group is looking for something new strong that is on character and language with weighty themes and complex family dynamics, try Martha Southgate's The Taste of Salt.
The Taste of Salt would spark a rich discussion about the pains, joys, disappointments and revelations of family life and personal achievement.
This e More...
Oct 02, 2011
Marianne
rated it:
The Taste of Salt is aptly titled. Salt is an essential component of life. Salt is a curative and preservative but also a caustic when poured on a wound.
I related to the well-crafted prose. Some beautifully elegant statements express emotions that are often hidden even from one's self.
Addiction engulfs families for generations not simply because of parental weakness, but due to gene weakness. No matter how far Josie ran or how deep the water that numbed her history, she More...
I related to the well-crafted prose. Some beautifully elegant statements express emotions that are often hidden even from one's self.
Addiction engulfs families for generations not simply because of parental weakness, but due to gene weakness. No matter how far Josie ran or how deep the water that numbed her history, she More...
Feb 13, 2012
Roxanne
rated it:
The cover of this book caught my eye. Then, the name of the book peaked my curiosity.
The story is told from the viewpoints of the main characters. Josie is a black female scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic institution and she has tried to shut out her family back home in Cleveland. It is a family that has had to deal with addictions. Like many families, they end up learning the hard way.
The members of Josie's family mean to do the right thing, but the addiction More...
The story is told from the viewpoints of the main characters. Josie is a black female scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic institution and she has tried to shut out her family back home in Cleveland. It is a family that has had to deal with addictions. Like many families, they end up learning the hard way.
The members of Josie's family mean to do the right thing, but the addiction More...
Aug 18, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Once I started this book I could not put it down. The way Southgate writes just draws the reader in and doesn't let go. The characters, the story, the language: believable and skillfully crafted. I felt Josie's happiness, shame and sadness right along with her. This is my first experience with Southgate's writing and I am looking forward to reading her other work. The novel does transition between characters as narrators and More...
Once I started this book I could not put it down. The way Southgate writes just draws the reader in and doesn't let go. The characters, the story, the language: believable and skillfully crafted. I felt Josie's happiness, shame and sadness right along with her. This is my first experience with Southgate's writing and I am looking forward to reading her other work. The novel does transition between characters as narrators and More...
Nov 16, 2011
Shurronne
rated it: 
While I'm always ready for a deep, good novel to transport me into a new place, I failed to get to this place with this novel. Too many cliches, limited prose, fractured plot and annoying, flawed characters--- really left me thinking what was it the author wanted to get across. For the sake that reading time is too precious for me to waste, I suffered miserablly getting through this one. With the exception of a hand full of lines worth repeating, the rest left me wanting.....wanting a novel to r
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