Book Review: They Drown Our Daughters

THEY DROWN OUR DAUGHTERS | Katrina Monroe
7.12.22 | Poisoned Pen Press
Rating: 3/5 stars

They say Cape Disappointment is haunted. That’s why tourists used to flock there in droves. They’d visit the rocky shoreline under the old lighthouse’s watchful eye and fish shells from the water as they pretended to spot dark shapes in the surf. Now the tourists are long gone, and when Meredith Strand and her young daughter return to Meredith’s childhood home after an acrimonious split from her wife, the Cape seems more haunted by regret than any malevolent force. But her mother, suffering from early stages of Alzheimer’s, is convinced the ghost stories are real. Not only is there something in the water, but it’s watching them. Waiting for them. Reaching out to Meredith’s daughter the way it has to every woman in their line for generations-and if Meredith isn’t careful, all three women, bound by blood and heartbreak, will be lost one by one to the ocean’s mournful call.

They Drown Our Daughters is a modern Gothic story set in an eerie, quiet town. I absolutely adore the way that Monroe was able to create such a brilliant, atmospheric setting. I could feel the dread and history of sorrow living in Cape Disappointment. Woven together through alternating timelines and narratives, the reader is introduced to the ghosts of the sea and a force of revenge that has been raging for years. 

I loved traveling back in time and getting to know all of the women from Meredith’s family. At times I did get confused about where in the timeline I was and how the narrator was connected. This problem can easily be avoided for those reading the physical or digital copy, as Monroe has included a family tree, however, I chose to consume this book over audio on my commute, so I wasn’t able to easily refer back. 

🎧: The narrator for this book does an incredible job of embodying each of the women telling their stories. I highly recommend the audio!

A huge thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for my gifted copy!