The Sirens: A Novel

The Sirens follows three interconnected timelines of women bound by family and the sea. In 2019, Lucy awakens from a vivid nightmare to find herself attacking her ex-lover. She flees to her older sister Jess's house on the Australian coast seeking answers. While waiting for Jess to return, Lucy discovers disturbing local rumors: men have disappeared at sea over decades, a baby was found hidden in a cave, and sailors report hearing women's voices on the waves. Lucy begins reading Jess's adolescent diary to understand what is happening. In 1999, sixteen-year-old Jess lives in a rural inland town, diagnosed with a rare allergy to water that has made her feel isolated. When her young art teacher takes interest in her drawings, recognizing power and maturity in both her work and herself, Jess's life begins to change. In 1800, twin sisters Mary and Eliza are torn from their father in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship to Australia. Though they have always feared the ocean after their mother drowned in it, they begin to experience unexplained physical changes as the sea calls to them. The novel explores female resilience, sisterhood across time, and the mystery of the sea.