River Meets the Sea: A Novel

River Meets the Sea is a novel that explores masculinity, race, and belonging through the stories of two young men, Ronny and Chandra, who are connected by their love for water. Ronny is a white-passing Indigenous foster child in 1940s Vancouver, while Chandra is a Tamil boy who immigrates to Nanaimo in the 1970s. The novel traces their separate lives and their eventual bond, highlighting the interconnectedness of humanity and our relationship with the natural world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 13 July 2023
Publisher: House of Anansi Press Ltd ,Canada

In a captivating and spirited tale, two men embark on a profound exploration of masculinity, race, and belonging, driven by a desperate quest to find solace and acceptance within their own skin. This enthralling nautical epic, River Meets the Sea, weaves together two distinct timelines, one set in 1940s Vancouver and the other in the suburbs of Nanaimo in the 1970s. Ronny, a left-handed "alley mutt" with no official birth certificate, embarks on a relentless search for his mother, channeling her voice through the mighty Stó:lō River. Chandra, born amidst the ocean on a merchant ship departing Sri Lanka, finds refuge in the Salish Sea, where he immerses himself in swimming and surfing to escape the pressure of assimilation.

Through the seamless interweaving of these parallel narratives, the novel reveals the interconnectedness of humanity and our deep-rooted connection with the natural world. As their paths cross, Ronny and Chandra form a sacred bond, grounded in their shared understanding of being marginalized and othered. This bond illuminates the profound interconnectedness of all beings and sheds light on the innate harmony between humanity and the environment. River Meets the Sea is a testament to the power of storytelling, as it transports readers on a journey of self-discovery, empathy, and the search for a sense of belonging in a world that often challenges our identities.

Weight: 444g
Dimension: 203 x 133 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781487011420