I just finished reading a book that can be described in one word… wow. It was a work of art unlike anything I’ve read before.

“Whose Waves These Are” is a debut novel written by Amanda Dykes and published by Bethany House. This story spans two points in time, the 1940s and 2001, and weaves together the lives of a town, and specifically a family, who are connected by an unusual secret and a man who sacrificed so much for the ones he loved. The characters truly make this novel unforgettable.

Written in present tense, this uniquely lyrical story took a little while for me to fully step into. Before long though, I was immersed in a story that is both heartbreaking and hopeful, poignant and powerful. As our protagonist says, “In this pocket of a harbor where broken lives, like waves upon the shore, are gathered up and held close. . . I never imagined that it would be my breaking place, too. Nor how beautiful the breaking could be.”

If you are looking for a new Christian Fiction title to immerse yourself in this summer, I highly, highly recommend “Whose Waves These Are”. It gets off to a bit of a slow start, and you need to be paying attention to catch all the layers and nuances of the writing style, but the reward is a book that will touch your soul in ways you wouldn’t normally expect from fiction. I cannot wait to read more from this incredibly talented new author. . . Thank you for sharing your gift with the world, Amanda Dykes!

“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”