This novel is set in the fictitious central European kingdom of Ruritania. I’ve read several novels about imposters, but the one I’ve chosen to link to next is a classic from 1894: The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope (3). The novel follows the gladiator Phaedrus who becomes part of a plot to impersonate King Midir of the Dalriadain. The Mark of the Horse Lord by Rosemary Sutcliff (2) set during the time of the Roman Empire, also features a matriarchal society – the Caledones who worship the ‘Great Mother’. The haenyeo are a semi-matriarchal society, with the family relying on the woman’s income while the husband stays at home to look after the children. It’s a fascinating novel, but also a powerful and poignant one, as the time period in which it’s set covers World War II and the Korean War. This book is set in South Korea and tells the story of Young-sook, a woman who belongs to the haenyeo community – female divers who gather seafood from the waters surrounding the island of Jeju.

It’s a story of falling in love, loss, grief, and what life there is in the deep deep sea.Īlthough I haven’t read the Julia Armfield book, the title and blurb immediately made me think of another novel about women who work in the sea: The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (1). Our Wives Under The Sea is the debut novel from Julia Armfield, the critically acclaimed author of salt slow. Though Leah is still there, Miri can feel the woman she loves slipping from her grasp.

Moving through something that only resembles normal life, Miri comes to realize that the life that they had before might be gone. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded on the ocean floor, Leah has brought part of it back with her, onto dry land and into their home. It soon becomes clear, though, that Leah is not the same. Miri thinks she has got her wife back, when Leah finally returns after a deep-sea mission that ended in catastrophe. Yet another book I haven’t read! Here’s what it’s about: This month we’re starting with Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. A book doesn’t have to be connected to all of the others on the list – only to the one next to it in the chain. The idea is that Kate chooses a book to use as a starting point and then we have to link it to six other books of our choice to form a chain. It’s the first Saturday of the month which means it’s time for another Six Degrees of Separation, hosted by Kate of Books are my Favourite and Best.

Our wives under the sea cover