REVIEW | The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor

“Trailing a respectful distance beside her pectoral fins, I could feel the sheer force of her in the water. The sound her movement made was like thunder coming from far away, yet I felt it shuddering against me. I swam instinctively, not thinking, floating in a half-dreamed place, and what came to me was the quote stenciled on the wall in room 202 of my grandmother’s hotel—the Keats Room: ‘Love is my religion. I could die for that.’ The sea, its creatures, its sharks—they were my religion. I could die for that.”

 

Themes:

• Balancing career and family
• Holding grudges and offering forgiveness
• Personal growth over time, and how it can change not only who you are, but who and what you need

 

When I first picked up this book, it was for two reasons: I love Sharks, and I enjoy Sue Monk Kidd’s work, so I thought it would be really cool to read something by her daughter. But after the first few pages, I knew this book was going to end up meaning a lot more to me than all that.

This novel was emotional for me, in ways I totally didn’t expect. I lived in South Florida for the last 15-plus years. Even before we moved there, we had family there. Some of my most vivid childhood memories take place at my grandparents’ house in Key Largo. From the mangroves to the great key lime pie debate, The Shark Club took me back to a place I’ve long considered a home in one way or another. Everything about the setting of this book and the characters’ lifestyles was nostalgic to me!

That being said, this was a unique read for me in another way. I seriously almost stopped reading it at one point. I almost never abandon a book once I’ve started it. This is because even when I really dislike something, I’ve found that if I push through I usually end up enjoying, maybe even loving, it by the end. But I almost gave up on The Shark Club, even given the aforementioned love for the atmosphere. I think it was partially because the setting meant so much to me, personally, and Mauve’s story had me enchanted from page one. It’s so great! So when she returned and got back with Daniel, only to have him angry with her about following her passions (AGAIN?!), and then also finds out about Robin’s book—I was not enjoying it! I also really disliked that Mauve actually felt guilty about some of the things with Daniel. I didn’t love him. He was problematic for me. But, I pushed through, and gosh, I love this book. By the end, it all made sense—Taylor is trying to portray the mess that emotions and relationships are in real life. She does a great job, if you ask me. When the reader turns the last page, the characters have all sort of come to terms with their realities. Still, there will probably always be moments when Mauve thinks of Daniel; moments when she reflects on Robin’s betrayal; moments when she aches for Hazel and wishes she were hers. I like the way Taylor provided closure without wrapping everything up in a neat little bow.

The exploration of pursuing a career while maintaining family life was a core concept throughout the book, as was the idea that what you want and need in relationships might change over time, especially from childhood to adulthood. That Daniel wanted her to give up everything to stay with them and be a family, while Nicholas would travel with her as a partner, presented interesting questions: Is it easier to make a long-term relationship work when you both want the same things, not only from each other, but out of life? Does that mean you should look for this? Or was it just that Daniel and Mauve ended up in situations that were too different at this point? If Hazel has been their child, would he be okay with Mauve going away for research for just a little while?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the atmosphere alone makes it enjoyable. I would highly recommend that anyone give it a try!