Our Wives Under the Sea cover art

Our Wives Under the Sea

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Our Wives Under the Sea

By: Julia Armfield
Narrated by: Annabel Baldwin, Robyn Holdaway
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About this listen

Named as a book to look out for in 2022 by Guardian, i-D, Autostraddle, Bustle, Good Housekeeping, Stylist and DAZED.

Our Wives Under the Sea is the debut novel from the critically acclaimed author of salt slow. It’s a story of falling in love, loss, grief and what life there is in the deep, deep sea.

Miri thinks she has got her wife back when Leah finally returns after a deep sea mission that ended in catastrophe. It soon becomes clear, though, that Leah may have come back wrong. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded on the ocean floor, Leah has carried part of it with her, onto dry land and into their home.

To have the woman she loves back should mean a return to normal life, but Miri can feel Leah slipping from her grasp. Memories of what they had before—the jokes they shared, the films they watched, all the small things that made Leah hers—only remind Miri of what she stands to lose. Living in the same space but suddenly separate, Miri comes to realise that the life that they had might be gone.

©2022 Julia Armfield (P)2022 Macmillan Publishers International Limited Genre Fiction Horror Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Romance Women's Fiction Scary Fiction Heartfelt Mind-bending Tear-jerking Marriage

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Critic reviews

Julia Armfield is one of my favourite writers, Our Wives Under The Sea moves fluidly between horror story and love story, the gorgeous and the grotesque. A contemporary gothic fairy tale, sublime in its creepiness. (Florence Welch)
Julia Armfield’s weird and wonderful debut feels fresh (or rather, salty) . . . You hear a lot of people lamenting the death of innovation in contemporary fiction . . . and Armfield is a brilliant counterpoint. (Susie Goldsbrough and Robbie Millen)
A wonderful novel, deeply romantic and fabulously strange. I loved this book. (Sarah Waters)
All stars
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Slow start but it all makes sense with gradual reveal. Loved this and have recommended to others.

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The majority of the book feels like it is building to this big reveal of what has happened but it doesn't really go anywhere. However, some of the writing is really well done at points. There were a few things that I felt weren't really explained, or perhaps I wasn't listening. Overall I wouldn't really recommend it

Great narration, disappointing ending

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A really well written story with very real characters but with a very meh ending.

Really well written but with a very meh ending.

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I loved this book, having had my partner die of a terminal illness a few years ago, I didn’t expect when choosing this book, I’d get to revisit a lot of the same loving feelings that are so beautifully outlined by the author, again. I know I’ll reflect on this book for years.

Gripping, beautiful and nicely weird

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well read, beautifully descriptive, but lacked meat. there was nothing that happened at the end that didn't happen at the beginning

raw representation of loneliness

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A witty, funny and horrifying exploration of loss. Excellent characters and dialogue. well paced and thought provoking.

A Lovecraftian Romance

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I loved the gentle mystery of this story and how it was unraveled even though the end to me was somewhat expected, this didn’t take away for the beautiful storytelling. I really liked the voices of the two characters and found them perfectly fitting.

Wonderful and eerie

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A story that is related by two different characters, gradually reveals the mystery at its heart. It’s a strange and unsettling tale of a journey to the deepest of places, and how nothing will ever be the same. I really enjoyed the performance, as well as the story. A really good listen. Prepare to be spooked.

Mysterious

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Beautifully written. A fascinating tale of deep lesbian love. It captured my heart. The sacrificial love that Leah and Miri share is refreshing and captivating.

Deep Love

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A glorious and rich horror/weird fiction book about grief and the ocean. I loved it! And the reading was pitch perfect

Heart breaking horror

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