Book Review: The Salvage By Anbara Salam

 The Salvage is a hold over from last year's water theme.  

I bought the actual physical book because the blurb was amazing and I LOVE the cover. 

 I mean, look at that cover. 

  The blurb was also amazing. It's 1962.  Marta, a female marine archeologist travels to Cairnroch, a small island off Scotland. She's there to dive a Victorian shipwreck. The ship and it's crew had personal significance to the small community on the island, especially the one family with wealth. Marta is struggling with the wreckage that is her personal life, which is also tied to her employment and thinks that her service in the community can bring her some sort of redemption. 

    Things start off well, but quickly turn a bit sour as odd things start happening, and Marta is not sure if she's seeing things, or if things are really just a bit creepy. Things get even stranger as a record setting cold and snowstorm settle in, at the same time as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Ferries and trains aren't running. Fuel is frozen, and Marta has some things she must do to right her personal ship. 

    Salam tells the tale of the winter of 1962-63, but also tells, vaguely, the tale of the Victorian fleet in interspersed chapters. She then deftly ties the situation created up into a bow that still left a reader with some thought provoking questions. 

   The writing is tight and paints a grim, eerie picture of Cairnroch, Marta and the sea. I admit the writing itself paints such a picture, that I did start to feel a bit melancholy while reading the novel. I honestly did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped, but after waiting over 6 months for it on hold on audio at the library, I knew I was going to finish it. I loathed Marta.  She was a sad little hard character who created more drama than needed, but as the book unfolds, I realized that she wasn't the only pot stirrer, and I was glad that things seemed to come to a solid resolution there at the end. 

Do I recommend this novel?  YES - for those who enjoy literary fiction, and historical fiction, as it fits both genres pretty well. If you are primary horror reader, this horror might be too mild for you, are it might tickle your brain as something suspenseful but quite different. Did I enjoy this novel?  Kindof...but also not really. I recognize that it's well constructed, interesting and unique, but I can't say I Had a good time while reading it. I do wish I knew more folks who had read the novel so we could talk about it! 

STATS

First Published :  10/7/25

Pages: 384

Available as an Audio Book :  YES ( ~ 12 hrs) 

Trigger Warnings: violence, death, prejudice, racism, LBGTQIA themes, alcohol use, nudity, references to attempted religious conversion, religious trauma. Historical event references. 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)