BOOK REVIEW: Casting Off

The term “casting off” can have several meanings. To a fisherman it can mean to place his boat in the water; to a knitter it can mean the beginning of putting yarn on the needle. It can also mean to move beyond the hurt of the past and get on with the future.  Nicole R. Dickson’s novel CASTING OFF has as many levels to it as the term as meanings.

Rebecca and her six-year-old daughter Rowan have arrived on a small island off the coast of Ireland. Rebecca has received a grant to do a book on the history of the patterns of the traditional fisherman hand-knit sweaters. She and her daughter have been on the move since Rowan’s father died almost six years earlier.

Keeping Rowan safe has been the number one priority in Rebecca’s life and the relaxed life on the small island is very hard for her. Her daughter has more freedom than Rebecca is ready for and she does not understand that the people are always taking care of each other.

As the village embraces her and her daughter, Rebecca tries to keep Rowan away from Sean Morahan. He is a cantankerous old fisherman and despite his attempts to scare Rowan off and Rebecca’s fear, the old man and the young girl become friends.

The two stories, Rebecca’s and Sean’s, almost parallel. We learn that her relationship with Rowan’s father had been very abusive, although it is not until near the end that we learn how bad it had been. Sean also has a past that he constantly relives. He blames his own cruel behavior for the death of his sons and their mother.

The author may have meant the story to revolve around Rebecca, but I was more involved with Sean and his past. His dead sons were so much still with him. His pain over past hurts were so real and so crippling.

I do not knit and I would imagine that a person who does would get even more out of this book. The author explains knitting terms and then ties them into the fabric of the story in a very original way. Saying that, I was very touched by the characters and the way they helped each other grow. I am passing my copy to all of my friends. This would be a terrific choice for a book group.