A Local’s Reflections on The Shore by Sara Taylor

The Shore, Sara Taylor


When my husband’s cousin (Monica) emailed me that she’d finished reading The Shore and shared her thoughts, I immediately thought they were something others might be interested in given Monica’s unique perspective and the lively discussion this book generated among book bloggers.

Although she wasn’t born there, Monica has lived on the Eastern Shore of Virginia (specifically, about 40 miles from the setting of The Shore) for many years and is entrenched in the community there. Her husband’s mother (like my husband’s father, they were siblings) grew up there and much of their extended family remains there today. And, Monica is a voracious reader who I love talking books with every time I visit!

Here are Monica’s thoughts…

Taylor captured the feeling of the shore

  • In so many ways, Sara did an incredible job of capturing the feel of the Eastern Shore: the colors, the smells, the landscape, as well as the poverty and lack of jobs. There has always been a bit of a wild west quality to the shore and drug running, like rum running during prohibition, has certainly thrived in certain areas of the shore and its barrier islands.
  • She also captured the sense of connection that those who are “born here” feel for the shore, the draw of feeling that marsh mud between their toes. Each year, there are stories of young people born and raised here who have left for college only to drop out and return to the shore within a year. They just don’t thrive anywhere else.

But, some details weren’t accurate

  • Sara obviously lived on the shore, and uses real town names, even the name of a restaurant (now closed) that was a bit of an icon for years. So, why does she change things about the geography and small facts? The Eastern Shore is a peninsula of two counties (Accomack and Northampton) with 23 barrier islands, but Sara instead refers to it as 3 islands of Accomack, Chincoteague and Assateague, and mentions North Hampton and Norfolk as two cities.
  • Why does she say the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) opened in 1967 when it opened in 1964?
  • Why does she talk about the stench of chicken plants hitting you as soon as you cross the CBBT when you have to drive one hour before you get to the chicken plants?

And, a major historical event was left out entirely

I had also been hoping that Sara would draw on the important historical aspects of this area, like the 1933 hurricane that affected the entire region, washed out homes and entire villages. In fact, she set a chapter in 1933 but there was no mention of the hurricane, even though weather is an important theme in the book.

Overall, The Shore and Bull Mountain struck similar chords

  • I just finished reading Bull Mountain this weekend and find so many similarities in how the books made me feel. There is certainly a commonality in the gritty realism of the alcohol, drug and physical abuse that permeates the books. And, the connection to the land is so important.
  • But, even though both settings offer a bleak picture of life, The Shore brings in magic and an ending that really takes the book into a different genre.
  • Sara Taylor’s book was very compelling. and well worth the effort of referring to the family trees. I was drawn to it because of the setting, and was probably a tougher critic because I am familiar with this area. I think the word I would use in reference to Sara’s descriptions of people, scenery and situations is powerful. 

For me, The Shore‘s sense of place was one of my favorite elements of the book, so it’s fascinating to see how that translates for a local. What do you think when details of a book aren’t exactly true to real life? Does the inaccuracy taint the book for you or are you generally able to look past it?

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22 Comments

  1. I am familiar with the Eastern Shore and stayed there for a few days. It definitly has a unique feel to it. I would rather the book be historically accurate, but probably would not know when it’s not.

    Posted 10.22.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I’ve been going to the shore a couple times a year for about 7 years now and didn’t pick up on the inaccuracies in The Shore! I guess it takes a true local’s eye 🙂 However, I have had a couple of inaccuracies in another novel (The Vacationers) completely drive me crazy! I think when it has to do with small things in fiction that only a very tiny group of people would ever pick up on, it tends to slide by.

      Posted 10.22.15 Reply
  2. Carmen wrote:

    I don’t like when the author doesn’t seem to do her homework; that said, in fiction authors take liberties and can get away with it, so I wouldn’t mind. If the book is powerful enough or the story got me hooked enough, I do background research using Wikipedia and usually find out more about what I just read.
    In political thrillers I prefer accuracy even if certain liberties are taken (though I don’t forgive them easily), but in contemporary fiction I don’t expect an author to be 100% truthful.

    Posted 10.22.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I agree that fiction allows more liberties…especially if the setting is changed for a specific narrative reason. But, I think there needs to be a good reason…otherwise, why not just make things accurate?!

      Posted 10.22.15 Reply
  3. I think it’s unfortunate when an author writes about a very specific area and/or time and neglects to consult with someone who could actually contribute factual information to the story; especially something as significant as a historical event, like this hurricane! I think it’s great that Monica read the book and then was able to provide a more accurate perspective on the details within; definitely goes to show that authors should be doing their research!

    Posted 10.22.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I know Sara Taylor did live on the shore at some point, so I’m hoping it just didn’t fit the story to stay completely true to reality…and that it wasn’t a case of her not doing her research! Let’s hope!

      Posted 10.22.15 Reply
  4. susan wrote:

    Thanks to Monica for her thoughts. I like when a book is accurate so inaccuracy does taint it a bit, but I would be willing to see it thru if it’s good in other ways.

    Posted 10.22.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      The book is really great and I didn’t notice the inaccuracies despite going to the shore a couple times a year…I think it really took a true local to point them out! You probably would never notice them otherwise.

      Posted 10.22.15 Reply
  5. I wouldn’t notice the inaccuracies, but the one thing I do know is that it does indeed take some time after crossing the CBBT to get hit by the chicken stench. It’s a very distinct smell… 🙂

    Posted 10.22.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Yep – I’ve never smelled the chicken smell despite having crossed the CBBT many times! I just wondered if they existed a long time ago and maybe weren’t there anymore. Or, were completely fictional.

      Posted 10.22.15 Reply
  6. I really like that you shared another’s perspective on the setting. I’ve had the same questions about book settings that I’m familiar with and have lived near or visited often. It really makes one wonder about how much research really goes into it by an author, but the other side of the coin could be that she’s fictionalized the setting to fit the fictionalized story? I haven’t read The Shore, yet so I’m not sure about that…just guessing. I WILL read that book before the end of the year – I hope.

    Posted 10.22.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I do wonder about whether she had specific reasons for not staying true to reality that had to do with the narrative…I’m hoping that’s the case! Regardless, it’s still a great book and I do think you should read it!

      Posted 10.22.15 Reply
  7. Carmen wrote:

    Sarah,
    I nominated you at my blog for “One Lovely Blog Award” for which you have to post some answers to some questions and voila. Here is the link:
    http://www.cpa-booksandmoviesreviews.com/2015/10/one-lovely-blog-award.html

    Hope to see your answers if you decide to take part. Regards.

    Posted 10.24.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Oh my gosh – thank you so much! I’m honored! I’ll head on over there to fill things out.

      Posted 10.25.15 Reply
  8. Michelle wrote:

    These are fascinating observations, and I love a local’s take on the novel. Does it bother me that Taylor is not necessarily as accurate as she perhaps should be? I don’t think so. I have read several books that take place in or around a place with which I am intimately familiar. I note the discrepancies, but I never let that impact how I feel about the story itself. Story is more important than setting for me, I guess.

    Posted 10.24.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Though I’m familiar with this setting, I didn’t pick up on the inaccuracies. I think it really did take a true local to notice them! So, they didn’t bother me and I do think authors obviously have more license in fiction to bend settings to fit their stories. But, I can see how someone who is entrenched in the area would wonder why things were done that way.

      Posted 10.25.15 Reply
  9. Kristen wrote:

    What a fascinating way to look at the novel. I am not familiar with the area and wouldn’t notice the inaccuracies but that is frustrating that they exist, especially since a few of them would have been easy research fixes.

    Posted 10.25.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I am familiar with the area and STILL didn’t notice them! But, I’m certainly a visitor rather than a local 🙂

      Posted 10.25.15 Reply
  10. I loved this book and, having grown up in Florida, I had no idea there were any historical inaccuracies (which means they couldn’t get under my skin). I understand how frustrating that can be for you but I’m glad you liked it, anyway!

    Posted 11.1.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I didn’t notice them either despite the fact that I visit there a couple times a year…I guess it took a true local to pick them out!

      Posted 11.1.15 Reply

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