The Sea Painting (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781918422054)

Gillian Marshall is a hardworking potter, drifting towards mid-life. Captivated by the sea and a keen sailor, she attempts to revive her relationship with her husband, Mark, on a sailing trip, but the past intrudes to disrupt everything. She unexpectedly encounters Colin, a lover from her art school days. Soon afterwards, the past turns up again. She is visited by Ben, the estranged son of her best friend, Stella.

The narrative unfolds in the past and the present as Gillian navigates her close relationships and the entangled circumstances of her life, facing both her passions and uncertainties.

This is a story of friendship, love and loyalty, loss and resilience that reveals the subtle contradictions of desire and will and of strength and fallibility. It tells how one woman experiences power, both that of others and also her own, and where that takes her. Gillian knows the force of the sea and how hard it can be to steer a course through it.

'This is a novel that is liberating and sad and joyful. There is no sentiment here. Rather, there is a character we all root for as she faces tough choices. We want her to rediscover her passion for art and life. Sue Cox has crafted a subtle, moving and intricate novel and I can't recommend it highly enough.'

Ian Nettleton. Winner of the Bath Novel Award 2023.