Emilia has it all: arewarding career as a statistician, a wonderful husband, two healthy young sons,and a house in the countryside. But when a brief moment of panic triggers thememory of a traumatic experience from twelve years before, Emilia finds herselffloating away from her average existence. The secret she’s kept for so longrefuses to stay hidden, and as Emilia’s grip on reality loosens, heavy rainsbegin to fall and the river threatens to overflow the house. In this criticallyacclaimed novel, Schermer explores the impact of sexual violence, and whetheror not it’s possible to truly know another person. Breakwater is a haunting examination of memory and trauma, writtenin prose stunning in its frankness and precision.

Emilia has it all: arewarding career as a statistician, a wonderful husband, two healthy young sons,and a house in the countryside. But when a brief moment of panic triggers thememory of a traumatic experience from twelve years before, Emilia finds herselffloating away from her average existence. The secret she’s kept for so longrefuses to stay hidden, and as Emilia’s grip on reality loosens, heavy rainsbegin to fall and the river threatens to overflow the house. In this criticallyacclaimed novel, Schermer explores the impact of sexual violence, and whetheror not it’s possible to truly know another person. Breakwater is a haunting examination of memory and trauma, writtenin prose stunning in its frankness and precision.