Seascraper by Benjamin Wood

 

In the small coastal town of Longferry, Thomas Flett is a shanker, a gatherer of shrimp at low tide in nets.  He has a cart and horse and throws his nets over and over until he has enough and then goes to the wholeseller who pays him on the spot.  Thomas is only twenty and learned the trade from his grandfather who has died.  Thomas lives with his mother and it is a hand-to-mouth existence.  He has dreams of becoming a singer and guitar player but will it ever happen?

Then something exciting happens.  Thomas comes home to find his mother entertaining a stranger.  The man says he is a director and thinks that Longferry might be the perfect location for his next movie.  He wants to pay Thomas to take him out on a shanker run so that he can see everything at low tide and make a decision.  Thomas is hesitant but is soon convinced by the large amount the man offers to pay.  Could this be the break Thomas has been awaiting?

Benjamin Wood is an English author who grew up in North West England.  He has written five novels with this one being his most recent.  He has received various awards and this novel was longlisted last year for the Booker Prize.  He has managed to capture the life of Thomas and the hope that lives in even the most impoverished lives.  There is a shocking turn at the end of the novel that I didn't see coming and I loved this novel.  It is recommended for readers of literary fiction.