You know that feeling when you’re swimming in a lake, and suddenly the water beneath your feet turns ice-cold? That’s the sensation Sarah Sawyer’s debut novel “The Undercurrent” left me with—a chill that starts in your toes and creeps up your spine, leaving you unsettled long after you’ve dried off on the shore.
A Slow Burn That Ignites
Set against the backdrop of a sleepy Austin suburb in the 1980s and present-day Portland, Maine, “The Undercurrent” weaves together the stories of three women across two timelines. At its core is the disappearance of 13-year-old Deecie Jeffries—a tragedy that sends ripples through the community and the lives of our protagonists for decades to come.
Sawyer’s prose is like honey dripping off a spoon—smooth, measured, and deceptively sweet. She lures you in with the familiar trappings of suburban life – sprinklers ticking in manicured lawns, the hum of cicadas on a summer evening—before revealing the rot lurking beneath the surface.
A Trio of Compelling Voices
The narrative unfolds through three distinct perspectives:
- Bee: A new mother in 2011 Portland, grappling with postpartum anxiety and a growing obsession with her hometown’s cold case.
- Mary: Bee’s mother in 1987 Austin, a frustrated housewife seeking escape through community theater.
- Diana: The enigmatic neighbor, an academic with ambitions beyond her roles as wife and mother.
Sawyer deftly juggles these voices, each one feeling authentic and fully realized. Bee’s sections, in particular, capture the fog of new motherhood with razor-sharp accuracy. Her spiraling thoughts and desperate need for connection will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt adrift in their own life.
Secrets Buried in the Texas Soil
As Bee delves deeper into the mystery of Deecie’s disappearance, she unearths long-buried family secrets that force her to question everything she thought she knew about her childhood. Sawyer expertly ratchets up the tension, dropping breadcrumbs of information that keep you turning pages well past your bedtime.
The author’s background as an English teacher shines through in her literary allusions and thematic depth. Greek mythology, particularly the story of Artemis and her young bear-priestesses, weaves throughout the narrative, adding layers of meaning to the characters’ struggles.
More Than Just a Mystery
While the disappearance of Deecie Jeffries serves as the novel’s central mystery, “The Undercurrent” by Sarah Sawyer is far more than a simple whodunit. Sawyer uses the framework of a thriller to explore weighty themes:
- The suffocating expectations placed on women and mothers
- The ways trauma reverberates through generations
- The fine line between protection and control in parenting
- The power of art and storytelling as a means of escape and understanding
A Critique of Suburban Conformity
One of the novel’s strengths lies in its unflinching examination of the dark underbelly of suburban life. Sawyer peels back the veneer of picture-perfect lawns and neighborhood potlucks to reveal the isolation, desperation, and quiet acts of rebellion simmering beneath.
Mary’s sections, in particular, offer a scathing indictment of the pressures placed on women to maintain a façade of domestic bliss. Her attempts to find fulfillment through community theater serve as a poignant metaphor for the performative nature of motherhood itself.
The Complexities of Mother-Daughter Relationships
At its heart, “The Undercurrent” by Sarah Sawyer is an exploration of the fraught bonds between mothers and daughters. Sawyer doesn’t shy away from the messiness of these relationships, portraying both the fierce love and the simmering resentments that often coexist.
The parallels between Bee’s struggles as a new mother and Mary’s past are particularly well-drawn. We see how patterns of behavior are passed down, even as each generation strives to break free from the mistakes of the last.
A Few Ripples in the Narrative
While “The Undercurrent” by Sarah Sawyer is an impressive debut, it’s not without its flaws. The pacing in the middle section occasionally drags, and some of the secondary characters feel underdeveloped. Additionally, the resolution of the central mystery may leave some readers wanting more concrete answers.
However, these minor quibbles don’t detract significantly from the overall impact of the novel. Sawyer’s strength lies in her ability to create atmosphere and evoke complex emotions, rather than in crafting intricate plot twists.
A Voice to Watch
Sarah Sawyer’s debut marks her as an author to keep an eye on. Her ability to blend literary fiction with elements of suspense brings to mind authors like Celeste Ng and Liane Moriarty. Fans of character-driven mysteries with a focus on family dynamics will find much to love here.
The Verdict
“The Undercurrent” by Sarah Sawyer is a haunting, atmospheric novel that lingers in your mind long after you’ve turned the final page. Sawyer’s keen observations of human nature and her ability to build slow-burning tension make for a compelling read.
While it may not satisfy those looking for a straightforward thriller, readers who appreciate nuanced character studies and explorations of complex family dynamics will find themselves swept away by the currents of this story.
Who Should Dive In?
- Fans of literary suspense like “Little Fires Everywhere” or “Big Little Lies”
- Readers who enjoy dual-timeline narratives
- Anyone fascinated by the darker side of suburban life
- Those interested in explorations of motherhood and generational trauma
Final Thoughts
“The Undercurrent” is like that lake I mentioned earlier—on the surface, it’s calm and inviting, but dive in and you’ll find unexpected depths and hidden dangers. Sawyer has crafted a debut that’s both unsettling and deeply moving, a reminder that sometimes the most treacherous waters are the ones closest to home.
So, grab your metaphorical swimsuit and prepare to be pulled under by this compelling exploration of motherhood, memory, and the secrets we keep—even from ourselves.