Seastroke

Summary

The debut novel by multi-award-nominated author Rachel Rowlinson, Seastroke is a beautifully written folkloric horror about queer shame and the strength of outsiders to bond in adversity—perfect for fans of Night Bitch by Rachel Yoder and Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.

Since she was fifteen, Mira has had an uncontrollable urge that she indulges in secret: to drown people. Now a university student, she convinces herself that the men she kills, these predators, deserve it.

As Mira grows closer with her housemate, Hazel, her generosity and kindness penetrate Mira’s tough outer carapace. But Mira’s yearning to give sacrifices to the sea is drifting out of control, and one terrible night Hazel almost pays the price.

With her mind spiraling and her body beginning to transform into something other, Mira travels to the small Scottish fishing village where her parents drowned, seeking answers—and a way out.

But the past is all too alive, and has been waiting for her to return …