'Secrets of the Sea' by Nicholas Shakespeare

FOR THOSE of us who don't expect to travel soon to Tasmania, reading Nicholas Shakespeare's "Secrets of the Sea" is a decent alternative. His fifth novel draws much of its allure from its wild setting on this remote Australian island at the bottom of the world (next stop: the polar ice cap), and the artful ways in which he infuses his narrative with Tasmanian flora, fauna and lore.

By Jane Ciabattari

July 29, 2008