It's Always Ourselves We Find in the Sea

by Ali Russo

College senior Lily Hammilton is on the verge of earning her psychology degree and starting a career as a general therapist. But during class, she receives an urgent message from her brother. The news is not their father, terminally ill from cancer, has passed away. At the reading of the will, Lily discovers she has inherited all her father's money. The strangest item she receives, however, is a ferry ticket to Nantucket. As a child, Lily and her father traveled to the island every summer. But why would her father want her to go now, without him? Regardless of his motives, Lily seizes on the opportunity to get away for a while and regroup. Once on the island, she lands a summer job at a bookstore; finds a new friend in Regina, a fun-spirited teacher looking for adventure; and becomes inundated with childhood memories. Yet matters of the heart begin to ensnare her when she meets Ryan, a handsome, shy young man who instantly captivates her. But Lily soon discovers that becoming the woman she was meant to be means finding herself while also embracing those around her--a task that proves easier said than done.

Genres: Romance

258 pages, Hardcover

First published January 4, 2013

Reviews

[J-walk]

The spirit of Nantucket is alive and well in this book. It was a sweet book. The duo: Lily and Regina were fabulous together with their energized bike escapades along Main Street and the beach. The young ladies thoroughly complemented one another with their vivacious personalities and happy demeanors.

And the title of the book comes from a poem written by e.e. cummings:

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her
troubles, and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles; and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we love (like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea

[Joanie]

The absolute star of this book was Nantucket. The authors love for this island was very apparent and had me Googling Nantucket after reading the book.

I quite enjoyed the story and the characters were likable but found the book needed further editing as at times it was repetitious and inconsistent.

All in all this was quite a sweet YA romance.