A Most Anticipated Book (The Guardian, Good Housekeeping, BookRiot, Bustle, LitHub, Autostraddle, GeeklyInc, Stylist)
“Sublimely gorgeous…Readers are treated to a stunning love story about a couple trying to make sense of their new unfamiliar situation, while also learning about what happened to Leah on the ocean floor. It’s pretty much perfect.”
—Liberty Hardy, BookRiot
“Without a doubt, Our Wives Under the Sea is one of the best books I've ever read. It's not only art, it's a perfect miracle. We are lucky for it.”
—Kristen Arnett, author of With Teeth and Mostly Dead Things
“A wonderful novel, deeply romantic and fabulously strange. I loved this book.”
—Sarah Waters, author of Tipping the Velvet
“I was entirely captivated by this book. A gorgeous debut.”
—Jami Attenberg, author of I Came All This Way to Meet You and The Middlesteins
“Beautiful, otherworldly, like floating through water with your eyes open.”
—Daisy Johnson, author of Sisters and Everything Under
“Julia Armfield is one of my favorite writers. Our Wives Under the Sea is a contemporary gothic fairy tale, sublime in its creepiness.”
—Florence Welch, lead singer of Florence + the Machine
“This phenomenal book is a marriage tale unlike any other. Thrilling, funny and exquisitely crafted, this book will make you question everything while it keeps you up all night turning its pages.” —Danielle Lazarin, author of Back Talk
“A strange, unnerving novel that wrongfoots you at every turn and invites you to think again about loss, absence, and transformation. A lyrically written elegy.”
—Neel Mukherjee, author of The Lives of Others
“Tender, strange, lucid, and so assured. If you love sci-fi or love stories or books that defy labels or chew-your-arm-off good writing, this is for you.”
—Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies
“Spooky and romantic: a gorgeous novel that gets under your skin. Armfield leads you softly through a story that feels epic and intimate at the same time.”
—Sarvat Hasin, author of The Giant Dark
“Delicate and horrifying, Our Wives Under The Sea is a darkly brilliant novel that submerges the reader’s imagination in the depths of the unknown.”
—Megan Hunter, author of The Harpy
“Reading this book is like diving into the deepest depths of the ocean and finding beautiful and disturbing wonders.”
—Kirsty Logan, author of Things We Say in the Dark
★ 12/01/2022
Armfield's beautifully descriptive debut (after her short story collection, salt slow), blends elements of horror and science fiction with a quiet and painfully sad story of a relationship strained to the breaking point. The story's protagonists, Miri and Leah, are a couple dealing with uncontrollable changes in their lives. Leah, a marine biologist, has just returned home after months of being stranded on the ocean's floor in a disabled submarine. Leah's wife, Miri, is desperate to help her adjust, but it's difficult to deny that something is very wrong, and she begins to wonder if the Leah she once knew is gone forever. Annabel Baldwin and Robyn Holdaway take turns narrating alternating chapters, with Holdaway giving voice to Leah, and Baldwin narrating the part of Miri. Their presentation is so attuned to the characters' personalities that the boundary between narrator and character disappears entirely. VERDICT This haunting book transcends genre distinctions and will likely appeal to readers of literary fiction, horror, and psychological drama. Highly recommend for all audio fiction collections.—Ammi Bui
This haunting novel is beautifully written and artfully narrated by Annabel Baldwin and Robyn Holdaway. Leah, a marine biologist, returns from a submarine research mission that trapped her at the bottom of the ocean for six months. When she returns, her wife, Miri, is frustrated by inexplicable changes in Leah. In alternating chapters, Holdaway captures Leah’s pre-mission excitement and her post-mission distraction, especially her seeming otherworldliness. In brooding, thoughtful tones, Baldwin precisely reflects Miri’s heartache, isolation, and distress. She captures Miri’s anguish and shock as Leah undergoes mysterious, horrific transformations. Thanks to fine performances, Leah’s diary entries, Miri’s flashbacks, and the unimaginable mystery of the deep ocean all seem real. Listeners won’t want to miss this genre-bending love story. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
This haunting novel is beautifully written and artfully narrated by Annabel Baldwin and Robyn Holdaway. Leah, a marine biologist, returns from a submarine research mission that trapped her at the bottom of the ocean for six months. When she returns, her wife, Miri, is frustrated by inexplicable changes in Leah. In alternating chapters, Holdaway captures Leah’s pre-mission excitement and her post-mission distraction, especially her seeming otherworldliness. In brooding, thoughtful tones, Baldwin precisely reflects Miri’s heartache, isolation, and distress. She captures Miri’s anguish and shock as Leah undergoes mysterious, horrific transformations. Thanks to fine performances, Leah’s diary entries, Miri’s flashbacks, and the unimaginable mystery of the deep ocean all seem real. Listeners won’t want to miss this genre-bending love story. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
