Cracks in a Frozen Sea – Sandra Galton

Description

England, 1969. When Freja, a shy eighteen-year-old, is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, she is relieved to have left home, but soon feels alienated from life as she knew it. There she encounters a strange young man who seemingly goes by a number of names. Though he appears lost, something about him offers Freja solace and a longed-for avenue of escape from her predicament. But where has he come from, and is he really who he says he is?
As trust builds between them, the man confesses his true identity to Freja, and their connection deepens through a mutual love of literature. She finds herself growing dependent on him, dreading being discharged. What if she never sees him again? As the bounds of reality continue to slip, a traumatic incident will propel Freja into making an impulsive choice.

‘Kafka wrote that literature must be an “axe to break the frozen sea within us”, but what violent forces might such an axe set loose? A deeply singular portrait of a young artist struggling for freedom, it is as tense as a thriller – part The Bell Jar, part Piranesi. A luminous debut.’ Clare Pollard, author of The Modern Fairies

‘A rich and deeply inspiring reflection of a young woman’s journey from existential crises to existential emergence. Illuminating, captivating and beautifully written.’ Mark Shiels, psychotherapist

An ebook version can be purchased here.

Sandra Galton holds an MA in Writing Poetry (Poetry School, London/Newcastle University, 2017). She received mentorship from Clare Pollard and Tamar Yoseloff, amongst others, at the Poetry School. Since then, her poems have appeared in many journals, and she has read at a number of venues, including Poetry in Aldeburgh. Her pamphlet Shadow Selves was published by Green Bottle Press in 2020. Two poems from here appear amongst new ones in Cracks in a Frozen Sea, which is her first novel.