Book review: That Beautiful Atlantic Waltz by Malachy Tallack
Genre: Literary fiction
Release date: February 11, 2025
Goodreads rating: 4.35
My rating: 3.5
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That Beautiful Atlantic Waltz by Malachy Tallack follows Jack, a 66-year-old solitary man living in Shetland who, one day, finds a mysterious gift at his doorstep that will come disrupt his daily habits.
As we follow Jack in 2022, we also follow a dual timeline in 1958, meeting Sonny and Kathleen, Jack’s parents. This dual timeline allows us to see the evolution of Jack’s personality from childhood to now, and better understand his introverted personality.
We discover that Jack has a talent and passion for music that helps him escape his solitary existence. He views music—country music in particular—as a living breathing thing through which he can escape his loneliness and live many lives and emotions. “The way the melodies could feel like company, could move and amuse and console. These were connected.”
I found Malacky’s writing style to be clear and graceful. His depiction of the island and its people was vivid and compelling. I also particularly liked how he incorporated handwritten song lyrics at the end of key chapters, to tie in the relevance of the songs to the story.
The book follows a slow pace. I had hoped for a bit more insight on life on a whaling ship but only one brief scene is described at the start of the book. However, the whales play a key role in the life of this family.
I recommend this book if you are in the mood for a slower-paced tale centered on character development that tugs at the heart.
Thank you go NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
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