Reading The Waves

By Lidia Yuknavitch

Lidia, Lidia, Lidia. I’m going to begin with the wine because I don’t know what to say. Reading Lidia, I need fortification, which is why I’m sipping a Carcavelos Villa O’Eirdas. It tastes of gold. Pear and nectarine gold. With a finish of pure honey. And, most importantly, there is not a trace of bitterness. It’s a wine to drink in the evening before a fire while reading the memoir, “Breaking the Waves,” in which Lidia lays her soul bare.

Yes, I know Lidia. And am honored to call her a friend. Though to know to read Lidia’s work is to know her. In “Reading the Waves,” even more than her previous memoir “Chronology of Water,” Lidia lays her soul bare. To read these pages is to know a strong woman’s journey, a swimmer’s, a champion’s, a failure’s, a wanton woman’s, and that of a loyal wife and a lover of life. A woman who has made her way from an abusive childhood through several marriages.

What is love? What does it mean? Who do we give it to and why? These are the questions Lidia asks. It is a woman’s book, first and foremost, though I say this as a woman who has been married to the same man for many years, despite temptations. And there are always temptations. Think of Eve. And Lilith. And what does it all mean? Nothing and everything. A life, the life of a women who is brave enough to literally read the waves, the violent waves of a winter storm on the Oregon Coast. A swimmer so gifted she can swim through the waves with seals.

I don’t know what to say to such a brave act except to recommend that my friends and family and cohorts read it. For read “Reading The Waves” is to know Lidia and her brave heart.

I also highly recommend sipping Carcavelos. To fortify yourself. It’s a perfect match. Pure honey. Some might find is so sweet as to be unappealing, but at the end of it all, whatever it means, one hopes life’s elixir tastes so well rounded and sweet.