The House in the Cerulean Sea

This book is a treasure; share it widely.

A beautiful, simple tale about the power of friendship and connection in the face of misunderstanding and prejudice. This novel is easy reading, and purposefully straightforward to understand. It acts as a gigantic metaphor for every minority, anyone who has been othered or outcast by society; and the power of chosen family in the face of that.

Linus is a government employee, living a rainy, mundane life. He’s isolated in a 1984-esque bubble, and wishes only that he could see the ocean. For a living, he investigates orphanages to make sure children with unusual qualities are treated fairly and safely. One day, a work assignment takes him to an island at the end of the train line, far from home for an entire month - where his life is thrown into technicolour and magic.

“A home isn’t always the house we live in. It’s also the people we choose to surround ourselves with.”

It’s a small book about very big things, and one that will stay with me for a long time. I’d recommend it all round, but particularly as an uplifting love story - something to lose yourself in and come out marvelling at the wonder of our differences.