THE MIDCOAST: A Novel (2022) - Review

The Midcoast by Adam White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: June 7, 2022

There's always a reason I pick a particular book to read next. In the case of "The Midcoast" what caught my attention was the setting. I have childhood memories of summer vacations near Damariscotta. It didn't hurt that The Washington Post noted that "The Midcoast" was one of the most anticipated books of 2022. The evocative cover was a plus.

FIRST SENTENCE: "Back when I lived out of state, people always used to get excited when they found out where I was from."

QUOTE: "I don't know, but maybe, or definitely, it has something to do with storytelling. When we narrate the past, it helps to place ourselves as close as possible to the center of the action. But the problem is: The vast majority of humans, or maybe just well-to-do Americans, never get all that close to the center of anything."

THE STORY: Andrew, a teacher, grew up with the goal of escaping his small seaside town. Eventually he returned with his family and was surprised to find his former boss Ed Thatch newly wealthy and powerful. Andrew starts watching and listening to figure out how this unexpected change in people he knew growing up had happened.

WHAT I THOUGHT: "The Midcoast", Adam White's debut novel, is a sobering account of life choices with lots to think about. The author has done an excellent job of describing the setting, dialect, and prevailing class distinctions as well as exploring the curiosity we have about other people's lives and hopefully reconciliation with our own existence. Definitely a cautionary tale.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "The Midcoast" by Adam White from NetGalley/Random House Publishing Group - Random House Hogarth for my honest review.

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