Woman at Sea

Supple and taut, brutal and delicate, Woman At Sea pulled me about with the tug and thrust of an ocean-storm. The roars gave way to calm spells, though, so intensely beautiful I thought them made by magic. With whip-crackingly smart dialogue, and prose as clean as a sea-breeze, this book is delightfully, heartstoppingly frank. I devoured it, and will be pressing it on everyone I know. – Elanor Dymott, author of EVERY CONTACT LEAVES A TRACE and SILVER AND SALT
Vividly evoked… Poulain’s visceral account of what it’s like to live such a heightened existence is gripping. * Herald Scotland, Best Paperbacks of the Year *
A vivid account of hard graft in treacherous conditions … The salt-stung pages practically reek of the cod that the 30-something narrator, Lili, spends her days gutting, as she wins over a gruff crew doubtful she can earn her keep. – Anthony Cummins * Daily Mail *
Poulain’s enthralling book… is utterly compelling. Like a tiny, vibrant dart hurled into an immensity of sea and sky, Lili commands attention throughout. – Davina Langdale * Literary Review *
A debut novel of dazzling beauty. * Elle *
A tale of travel and adventure, the story of a body utterly surrendered to pain and joy. It is mind-blowing, a delight. * Le Monde *
A breath of fresh air … the most unusual and enthralling account of the human condition. * Le Figaro *
An untamed successor to Conrad and Melville … a stunning, roaring first novel. * L’Obs *
An extraordinary and ultimately life-affirming novel, distilling what 58 years on this earth has taught Poulain about herself, and about others who share her desire to reach the edge of the world and peer over into what lies beyond. – Alastair Mabbott * Herald Scotland, Books of the Year *

Spring sees a raft of female voices share stories of women in the wilderness. We love … Woman at Sea by Catherine Poulain.

Catherine Poulain (Author)

Catherine Poulain has lived on the road and on the sea for most of her life. Employed in fish farms in Iceland and as a farm worker in Canada, she also worked as a barmaid in Hong Kong and in naval shipyards in the US. She spent ten years fishing in Alaska before returning to France, where she was born. Woman at Sea is her first novel.

Adriana Hunter (Translator)

Adriana Hunter has translated some eighty books, mostly works of literary fiction. She won the 2011 Scott-Moncrieff Prize for her translation of Veronique Olmi’s Beside the Sea, and was twice shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. She lives in Kent, England.

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