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The Stranding

Lex Henderson washes up in a small coastal village after a tragedy shatters his life in Sydney. He is broken in every way, and wants only to escape from the world. The best place to hide is one where you'll be left alone, or so Lex thinks until the small community of Merrigan starts taking an interest in him. Despite himself, he is soon drawn into the community in ways he could never have anticipated. He meets Callista Bennett, an artist with a hidden history, and enters into a friendship with her that is both volatile and difficult.

What Lex does learn to trust is the beauty of the natural world, the strange comfort of the wild seascapes he sees from his windows, and the transfixing majesty of the whales that swim close to his house on the Point. He gives himself up to nature, swimming out among the whales, spending hours studying the ever-changing patterns of the sea and the play of light and shadow, storm and sunshine. This is one way he can connect with Callista, whose paintings reflect the natural world so vividly.

Then a whale is stranded on a remote beach near Merrigan, and Lex, Callista and the townsfolk become involved in a tense and uncertain rescue that challenges their attitudes and beliefs. It is through the trials and emotions of this event that Lex and Callista see a way through their grief. But will their pasts let them go?

The Stranding is a beautifully told story of loss and recovery, exile and belonging, and the redemptive power of the natural world.

  • Format
  • hardcover
  • Pages
  • 364
  • Language
  • english
  • ISBN
  • 9781741754018
  • Genres
  • fiction, australia
  • Release date
  • 2008