Secrets We Tell the Sea

Starred review from August 21, 2023
Though she has never seen the ocean in real life, 10-year-old Sofía has always loved the sea. This fondness is “the only thing keeping her afloat” as her mother, a sex worker, drives her to the coastal town of Bahía, where Sofía will live with her abuela, whom she’s never met. Even though Sofía and her mother don’t see eye-to-eye, Sofía knows they’ll miss each other; she won’t, however, miss José, her mother’s boorish boyfriend. Despite her apprehension about being in a new place with new people, Sofía can’t wait to finally meet the sea. In Bahía, Sofía befriends local tween Louisa, who shares her love of the ocean. But when tragedy strikes in the form of a hurricane, Sofía must reckon with the destruction she hadn’t known that her beloved waters could wreak. Evocative, fantastical descriptions of the natural world and oceanic phenomena, such as a seashell’s changing color, organically reflect Sofía’s emotions. Throughout this profound and insightful tour de force, Palacio Obon employs humor, lighthearted observations, and elements of magical realism alongside Sofía’s astute third-person narration to tackle challenging topics surrounding death, domestic violence, parental abandonment, and sex work. Ages 8–11.