Book Review & Giveaway: Sweet Salt Air

By Miriam Plotinsky

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I went on a mini-vacation to the beach for some rare time off. It rained almost the entire time we were gone, but I didn’t care because, to paraphrase an old travel commercial, "a bad day at the beach is better than a great day anywhere else." When we got back, a much more well-rested and friendly version of me kept the relaxed vibe going with Barbara Delinsky’s Sweet Salt Air, a novel that takes place on an enviably sensuous and private Maine island called Quinnipeague.

The book opens with Charlotte, a wandering writer who picks up freelance jobs all over the world. Despite strong hesitation, she decides to spend the summer in Quinnipeague when her childhood best friend, Nicole, asks for help writing a cookbook about the island’s legendary fare. Because of a dark secret from the past, Charlotte hasn’t been to the island in years, but she capitulates out of a strong sense of obligation to Nicole. As they spend the summer collecting island recipes that feature the potent herbs of a mysterious island woman and her son, Charlotte finds herself getting sucked back into the drama that resulted from a major betrayal years before.

Much of the book’s appeal comes not from the mystery behind Charlotte’s hesitation in going back to Quinnipeague, which is revealed fairly early in the book, but rather from the suspense surrounding Nicole’s husband, Julian, who has Multiple Sclerosis. Julian, a noted surgeon, is intent on trying an experimental treatment with umbilical stem cells to improve his condition, since the MS tremors have interfered with his ascendant career. However, because the treatment could incapacitate or even kill him, he and Nicole are in constant turmoil as they try to navigate the path to potential recovery.  Adding to the drama is Charlotte’s budding relationship with a reclusive islander, Leo. As Julian gets sicker and Charlotte’s relationship with Leo becomes increasingly and unexpectedly serious, the characters are forced to decide just how much they will change the lives and habits that have entrapped them for so long.

Sweet Salt Air is full of sensory delights. Food is featured in a detailed, loving way that indicates a true respect for the culinary arts. In fact, sometimes the story almost takes a backseat to the gathering of recipes and the descriptions of table settings, but it’s a welcome break from the intensity of feeling that the characters experience. As for the story itself, while it is sinfully escapist, it occasionally pushes suspension of disbelief a little far. One of the characters lives in a house that just seems too good to be true given his circumstances, but it still feels luxurious to read about a place like that. As for the stem cell cure that Julian is intent on receiving, the fairy-tale denouement of that episode might leave a sour taste in the mouths of those who struggle with MS. Then again, it could also provide a ray of hope.

Either way, Delinsky’s latest novel provides a welcome respite from day-to-day struggles. A real beach vacation is lovely, of course, but in its place, a visit to Quinnipeague functions as a good placebo for actual salt air.

Thanks to Wunderkind PR for the book in exchange for an honest review. They also have one copy for a lucky reader in the US or Canada.

How to win:    
Please tell us your favorite thing to do at the beach.

One entry per person.

Please include your e-mail address or another way to reach you if you win.

US/Canada only. Giveaway ends July 24th at midnight EST.

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