We Were Never in the Sea 

Im Meer waren wir nie

review

‘We Were Never in the Sea’ is an exquisitely crafted meditation on life, death, love, and belonging that will appeal to readers of Rachel Cusk and Deborah Levy.  

Set in present-day Bern, Switzerland, this introspective novel explores the emotional life of an unnamed narrator as she reflects on her relationships with those closest to her, particularly the recently deceased ninety-five-year-old Lili, whose presence continues to ripple through the lives of those she left behind. 

The novel opens with Lili’s funeral, but death is not the end here; rather, it is a beginning. The narrator, who was paid to visit Lili regularly during her final years, becomes the keeper of her stories, letters, and secrets. As Lili’s past slowly unfolds – including her lifelong love for a man named Winter, whose ashes were scattered in the sea – we gain insight not only into Lili’s life but also into how love and loss shape memory. The narrator follows Lili’s instructions in her last letter, scattering Lili’s ashes in the same ocean as Winter’s. 

Kureyshi masterfully balances intergenerational relationships: the narrator’s tender but complex bond with Lili’s niece, Sophie and her outspoken young son Eric, her ambivalent closeness with her younger sister Nuri, and her memories of their father, who died young and is buried in Kosovo. Through these dynamics, the novel explores themes of migration, cultural dislocation, and the effort to belong – between languages, customs, and countries. 

Written in spare yet lyrical prose, the novel uses brief vignettes, poetic images, and white space to invite reflection. The narrative is gentle and understated, and Kureyshi has a knack for capturing small, mundane details and imbuing them with meaning: a shared swim, a missed conversation, a child’s candid comment in a supermarket. 

The novel concludes on a quietly hopeful note: the narrator, who has secretly accepted a new job far away, reconnects with a man she once met on a train. Their meeting hints at a new beginning, a subtle promise of love and forward motion. 

‘We Were Never in the Sea’ is a slow, contemplative read. It is a graceful exploration of how life continues, reshaped but not undone, in the wake of loss. 

Find out more: https://www.limmatverlag.ch/programm/titel/972-im-meer-waren-wir-nie.html

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about the author

rights information

Larissa Waibel, kontor@limmatverlag.ch, +41 44 445 80 82

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