The Siege of Salt Cove, by Anthony Weller

The Siege of Salt Cove, by Anthony Weller.

New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004

I thought I would read The Siege of Salt Cove, by Anthony Weller given to me by my sister-in-law while I was at the beach, you know "salt cove"/ "beach."  They seemed related to me.  A beach read.  And I did read it at and on the beach--I read the first part while laying on the bed in our beach cottage during the red flags of turbulent tides and finished the book while sitting on the beach when the flags turned to yellow, indicating you could swim if you use caution.

This novel is written from the perspectives of multiple folks who in live in Salt Cove, Massachusetts, during the  siege of their small fishing village, a pitched battle over the preservation of an old wooden bridge.

The primary voice is town secretary, Jessica Stoddard, a 70-something year old woman who records the events for posterity and has some adventures of her own during the siege.  It is a classic tale of big government run amuck over small town folk who just won't lay down and say "uncle."  They are willing to die to preserve their way of life, and unfortunately before it's over, some do make the ultimate sacrifice.

I really couldn't relate that well to the characters and their plight, despite my interest in historic preservation.  I also had trouble with the author's style of writing-- it didn't sound natural to my ears.  I think the problem is more mine than Weller's, however.  The book is unusual and probably not easily forgotten.  Others may enjoy it more than I did.


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