Monette, Sarah. Somewhere Beneath Those Waves

Monette’s second short story collection (after The Bone Key,2007) is lyrical and evocative. Where the earlier collection was tightly focused around the experiences of one character (Kyle Murchison Booth, who also makes an appearance in one story here), Somewhere Beneath Those Waves is far-reaching and diverse. Monette’s protagonists face magic and despair, hope and everyday life with equally compelling results. Stand-outs in the collection include the title story, in which a selkie and a human woman both find themselves trapped on land; Katabasis: Seraphic Trains, in which a naïve young woman uses a magical gift to save a man who does not deserve her love; and Three Letters from the Queen of Elfland, about the perils of loving the fairy queen. Highly recommended.