Osvalde Lewat
Coffee House Press
2 December 2025 (2021)
240
eBook - PDF
Contemporary Fiction
ARC via Edelweiss
In the fictional African country of Zambuena, Katmé Abbia enjoys a life of privilege and influence married to Tashun, the powerful prefect of Zambuena's capital. Yet after years spent playing the obedient, demure wife to a husband who has ceased to notice her, Katmé grows increasingly restless. Her one source of connection is Samy, a childhood friend, struggling artist, and gay man—an offense punishable by law in Zambuena. When Katmé discovers that Samy’s new exhibition, funded by herself and Tashun, boldly critiques Zambuena's social and economic inequities, her public, married life is set on a collision course with her one true friendship. As social pressures and political rivals sow life-threatening consequences, Katmé faces an agonizing choice: abandon her friend or destroy her family.
The Aquatics is a book that crept up on me. I initially requested it because it ticked off another country on my list in my challenge to read a book written by an author born in every country in the world. Save for that I might not have picked it up based solely on the blurb, so when I started reading, I did so without many expectations. However, by the midway point I had become invested in the characters and their situations, and that interest remained until the end. The book explored themes such as discrimination, societal hierarchy and values and family dynamics, and it did so in a way I found honest and open. This is a book I would recommend to fans of contemporary fiction that portrays social issues while also telling an engaging story. I am giving it four stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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