★《柯克斯書評》、《出版人週刊》及《書單評論》星級評論
★已授權英、法，2國語文

One family across four centuries, a poignant examination of belonging, place, and how individual acts of moral compromise contribute to cycles of injustice and destruction

In the shifting bayous of coastal Louisiana, on a rapidly disappearing spit of land, generations of Acadians have kept their heads above water any way they can. When an offshore rig explodes and unleashes a catastrophic spill, the people of Pelerin Parish face a reckoning that tests the bonds of family and the survival of their way of life.

As the toxic plume of oil advances across the Gulf, Boy Broussard, already living hand to mouth off another man’s land, finds himself raising a daughter he barely knows. His dying aunt, Rosa Terrebonne, tries to right the misdeeds of the past yet finds herself thwarted by her husband, Jacot, a retired landman for big oil who refuses to give up claim to the plot of ground where Boy makes his living.

Meanwhile, the parish priest, Father Fabian, far from his home in the Niger Delta, lends his assistance to Boy’s all-but-motherless daughter, only to be met with suspicion and hostility from the insular community. When a powerful hurricane threatens to turn an already dire situation into a total cataclysm, this sharp-edged cast of characters collides in a thunderclap of resentment and violence. Throughout all this, Soileau unfolds a sweeping tapestry of loss, resilience, and the fragile miracle of hope.

Should the Waters Take Us reaches across four hundred years of history to illuminate the many epochs and peoples of this storied place. Soileau has crafted an emotionally explosive family saga, as well as a masterful literary crie de Coeur about the ways in which moral compromise can eat away at the very fabric of the places we call home.

 

Stephanie Soileau is the author of the critically acclaimed story collection Last One Out Shut Off the Lights. Her work has been supported by fellowships from the Wallance Stegner Fellowship Program at Standard University and the National Endowment for the Arts. Originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, Soileau now lives in Chicago with her family and teaches in the creative writing program at the University of Chicago.

 

“An evocative sense of place is created by Soileau's keen descriptions of the bayous, lakes, and marshes…Equally compelling, her characters are set in motion against a backdrop of environmental uncertainty, family disharmony, and economic stress…This book is a gorgeous meditation on the forces that create and destroy communities, families, and lives.”－Kirkus Reviews

“Soileau deftly balances the fragility and desperation of Gulf Coast life with the resilience and pride of its people. The novel’s lyrical prose and strong sense of place call to mind Jesmyn Ward…while its portrayal of the devastation of climate change and pollution will resonate with fans of Eiren Caffall…and Charlotte McConaghy.”－Booklist

“Wonderful…Steeped in history…What sets this book apart are Soileau’s heroic and tragic characters. It’s remarkable.”－Publishers Weekly