Coastliners A Novel
Coastliners A Novel by Joanne Harris, published by HarperCollins on September 3, 2002, is a work of fiction that immerses readers in the sensory experiences of a tiny French island. The narrative unfolds in Le Devin, where the contrasting villages of Les Salants and La Houssinière are separated not just by geography but by a history of animosity. The story centers on Madeleine, who returns to her childhood home after a decade in Paris, grappling with her past and the changes that have taken place in both her family and the community.
In this edition, readers will discover the complexities of Madeleine’s journey as she confronts her father’s silence and the decline of her hometown, which has suffered economically after losing its beach. The novel explores themes of loss and belonging, as Madeleine finds herself drawn to the village’s other inhabitants, each facing their own struggles. With 368 pages, this first edition invites readers to experience the rich tapestry of life on Le Devin, where the interplay of personal and communal histories shapes the characters’ paths toward survival and redemption.
Official synopsis Publisher
Joanne Harris writes fiction that engages every one of the senses: reviewers called Chocolat “delectable” and Five Quarters of the Orange “sweet and powerful.” In her new novel, she takes readers to a tiny French island where you can almost taste the salt on your lips.
The island, called Le Devin, is shaped somewhat like a sleeping woman. At her head is the village of Les Salants, while the more prosperous village of La Houssinière lies at her feet. You could walk between the towns in an hour, but they could not feel further apart, for between them lie years of animosity.
The townspeople of Les Salants say that if you kiss the feet of their patron saint and spit three times, something you’ve lost will come back to you. And so Madeleine, who grew up on the island, returns after an absence of ten years spent in Paris. She is haunted by this place, and has never been able to feel at home anywhere else.
But when she arrives, she will find that her father — who once built fishing boats that fueled the town’s livelihood — has become even more silent than ever, withdrawing almost completely into an interior world. And his decline seems reflected in the town itself, for when the only beach in Les Salants washed away, all tourism drifted back to La Houssinière.
Madeleine herself has been adrift for a long time, yet almost against her will she soon finds herself united with the village’s other lost souls is a struggle for survival and salvation.
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