I loved Corban Addison’s first two books, A Walk across the Sun, which dealt with human trafficking and The Garden of Burning Sand, about gender-based violence. The subject matter was harsh in its reality, riveting, extraordinarily personal and deeply relevant to what we read in the papers or online or see on TV.
We live in a savage world and it is clear that Addison researches deeply into each of his chosen subjects. There is redemption in each story so the reader feels a flush of hope after all the tragedy.
One can forgive some poor writing because the storylines are so intense.
The Tears of Dark Water does not disappoint, in fact I think it raises Addison to a new level and places him firmly on the ladder of authors who make a difference, which is his intention. The writing is crisp, his pen masterful and his scene-setting mesmerising. It is a coming-of-age novel that grips from page one. Addison moves seamlessly from violence and tragedy to love, but always leaves the reader with some disturbing questions.
A story of three families brought together by an act of violence, The Tears of Dark Water explores the tragedy that is Somalia and the pirates who create havoc on our seas; the unravelling of a marriage and a teenage son in self-destruct mode; and a brother and sister whose relationship is a bond and a barrier preventing them from coming to terms with their own tragic past.
Daniel and Vanessa Parker are living the American dream, successful and powerful. But their son, Quentin, is troubled and their marriage is disintegrating. So Daniel proposes a sailing trip around the world with Quentin, a voyage that is intended to heal and redirect both of them. Vanessa, meanwhile, will stay home in Washington DC and think.
Somalia today is a country damaged by 24 years of war. Ismail Ibrahim is an intelligent young man caught in the trap of finding a way to save his sister captured by the men who murdered his father. His choices are few as the warlords turn innocents into criminals. By hijacking ships for money, he hatches an elaborate plan that could save her.
Paul Derrick is an FBI hostage negotiator, and his twin sister, Megan, a respected defence attorney.
When he is called to a hostage crisis at sea he has no inkling that it will take him and his sister on a stormy journey that will force them to face their own traumatic past. The tragedy that unfolds at sea hinges on a bureaucracy that Derrick abhors but must obey.
Breathtaking in its scope, Addison paints a picture of war-torn Somalia and its realities with a precision that brings that country sharply into focus. His legal training brings an eagle eye to the hidden stories that push people to the brink while he never takes his eye off the ultimate goal – telling a story that will touch a nerve.
Addison’s mantra is that you don’t have to do something big to make a difference, just find something you are good at and be willing to take a chance. He is certainly good at writing, his legal training makes him incisive and he understands that bringing these stories to the public can have a profound impact.
The Tears of Dark Water by Corban Addison is published by Quercus