Will Dean is a British author based in Sweden known for his Tuva Moodyson novels which began with Dark Pines and carry the Nordic noir traits of his setting. However, in between novels in this series, he has been exploring the wider world through standalone thrillers like First Born, which was set in New York. Adrift is his third such novel, and this time he takes us to the Midwest for some domestic noir, with a family living through a stressful situation… to say the least.
Drew and Peggy Jenkins, along with their teenage son, Samson, have recently moved to an old narrow boat in Cairo, Illinois. It’s a fictional town, in an area with a stagnating economy. There will be unanticipated challenges living on the water. Poverty is an underlying theme throughout the book as it amplifies the events that occur. But Drew believes that living on the canal will save them money and be good for his writing.
The prologue to Adrift is told from the perspective of a 15-year-old Drew Jenkins. It opens with him describing how he would burn butterflies to death. This is ominous foreshadowing. It’s clear that he was exposed to violence as a child and that he may be capable of horrific acts.
The rest of the tale is presented from Peggy and Samson’s perspectives, and takes place in 1994. The mother and son have a close relationship, feeling the need to protect one another from Drew’s wrath. He is not physically violent – instead he controls them with constant putdowns. The family must follow his strict rules about everything. One rule that is especially difficult to follow is Drew’s demand for absolute silence while he writes. Can you imagine how challenging that must be when all three of them share only 300 square feet? Drew’s rule makes the claustrophobic feeling of the narrowboat all the more palpable.
Samson does not have his own room and sleeps on the dinette sofa and table converted to a bed. His father constantly critiques and mocks him. Things are not much easier for him at school, where he is bullied, often because his family is poor. He is mocked for his poor-fitting shoes and he’s been nicknamed ‘Noodles’ because of his painfully thin arms.
Samson dreams of leaving town when he finishes school. His joy comes from observing nature and listening to music on an old Walkman. The only time he feels truly safe is when he’s doing odd jobs for Mr Turner, an elderly man who treats Samson with kindness. Peggy also dreams of freedom but in the interim she complies with all of Drew’s wishes. Even though things are tight, she volunteers at the library rather than looking for a paid position. Drew has convinced her that a job would be damaging to her mental health. As a result, Peggy is financially dependant on him.
He has a tight control on her actions. To punish her for talking to an electrician about their broken fridge, Drew moves the boat away from the marina. This makes things more uncomfortable as the family loses access to its services. Isolating the victims is common behaviour in abusive relationships.
However, Peggy has a secret that gives her a sense of hope. Her supervisor at the library has encouraged her to write herself, giving her access to a computer. Peggy dreams about how much better her life would be if she could earn some money. To her surprise and delight, a publisher expresses interest in her book and requests to see more chapters. When Peggy finally shares her news with her family, Drew is furious. She has accomplished something he desperately wants for himself. Her potential success weakens his hold on the family. Once again, he relocates the boat even farther from the town so their isolation increases.
Drew may struggle with writing a book that appeals to publishers, but he has no problems conceiving diabolical ways to manipulate and gaslight his family. He is a truly unlikeable and cruel antagonist. Dean does an excellent job in creating that ‘walking on eggshells’ tension whenever Drew is around.
Adrift is a well-written book with fully-drawn characters that grab your attention, placed in a gripping yet heartbreaking situation and the darker elements of the plot make for very uncomfortable reading. The best and sometimes most difficult thing about a good book is its ability to transport us into others’ lives – good or bad…
Also see Under Vixens Mere by Kit Fielding.
Hodder & Stoughton
Print/Kindle
£12.99
CFL Rating: 5 Stars
