ABOUT
THE BOOK

2020 Longlist

The Luminous Sea blends magic and reality in a spellbinding debut novel about our relationship with the unknown and our responsibility to defend the powerless.

A team of researchers from a nearby university have set up a research station in a fictional out port in Newfoundland, studying the strange emergence of phosphorescent tides. And Vivienne, a young assistant, accidentally captures a creature unknown to science: a kind of fish, both sentient and distinctly female. As the project supervisor and lead researcher attempt to exploit the discovery, the creature begins to waste away, and Vivienne must endanger herself to save them both.

About the Author

Melissa Barbeau is a founding member of the Port Authority Writing Group. She has been anthologized in Racket: New Writing Made in Newfoundland, The Cuffer Anthology, and Paragon. She lives with her husband and gaggle of children in Torbay, Newfoundland.

Librarian’s Comments

A novel of magical realism, full of vibrant language and imagery. Timely in its look at human interaction with the environment, including the scientists who study it. Newfoundland and Labrador Pubic Libraries, Canada