That Beautiful Atlantic Waltz by Malachy Tallack
Malachy Tallack's two-stranded novel is a tender-hearted and graceful exploration of the extraordinariness of everyday life
Malachy Tallack’s That Beautiful Atlantic Waltz has two strands which converge as the novel progresses. It begins in 1957 when a young sailor’s near-death experience makes him yearn for home and the promise it holds. We then jump to present-day Shetland, where Jack Paton leads a relatively solitary life, one with which he seems content until someone leaves him the unexpected gift of a kitten. Both then befriend Vaila, the daughter of his neighbour Sarah. Between them, they show Jack there is more to life than simple existence, but also that with relationships comes risk and the need for courage, something Jack has to dig deep to discover.
Music and song are central to the novel, with many of Jack’s life lessons learned from his record collection. He writes his own songs to try and make sense of life. Don’t make the mistake of skipping them (they appear as Jack’s own handwriting), as they don’t just mirror events but are where real emotional punches land. Tallack will be releasing an album of these songs as a companion piece, and they work together beautifully, both touching on love, loss, heartache, and regret, but also hope. That Beautiful Atlantic Waltz gives up its secrets subtly, so much so that when you eventually piece everything together the effect is unexpectedly profound. Tender-hearted and graceful, this is a novel to be cherished. A quite beautiful evocation that every life is extraordinary.