Book review - The Silver Tide

* A big thank you to Rachel for inviting me on another book tour, and to J.H. Mann for kindly sending me a copy of The Silver Tides in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis

Cornwall, 1863. On a windswept beach, Maggie Pascoe watches in horror as her family is lost to the sea. Her father and three brothers are among dozens of fishermen from the town of St Branok who perish in a summer storm. 

Destitute and alone, she finds comfort in her friendship with widow Norah Bray, whose young son also drowned in the disaster. 

But the tragedy was no accident. As Maggie battles to uncover the truth, she hides a devastating secret – one that could destroy her bond with Norah forever.

Inspired by a true story, The Silver Tide is a powerful tale of love, betrayal and one woman’s courageous fight for justice.

My review

Set in 1863 in the coastal town of St Branok, The Silver Tide follows a hard-working community that makes its living from the sea. The novel delves into themes of love, loss, betrayal, and the power of people coming together in times of hardship. This was an absolute page-turner—I was hooked from the first chapter!

From the very beginning, Maggie demonstrates her bravery and fearlessness. When she senses something is wrong, she speaks up, especially when confronting the opposite sex. Although The Silver Tide is a work of fiction, the author drew inspiration from real-life events and people. The fascinating author's note at the end of the book details the inspiration behind Maggie and other parts of the story—it's well worth a read!

I loved the depiction of strong women in this book. These were the brave women behind the brave fishermen, who had to pick up the pieces when things went wrong. They were resourceful, resilient, and fierce. I also really appreciated the strong sense of community throughout the story.

I was unaware of sea rescues carried out in the form of a human chain. It must have been terrifying for the heroic men and women who did this during storms, but it shows what people can achieve when they work together. I also found the early history of lifeboat rescues fascinating. I came away from the book feeling like I’d genuinely learned something.

The sea feels like another character in The Silver Tide, it connects everyone in the story. Mann captures both its beauty and its danger. Countless Cornish fishermen have lost their lives to it. St Branok is a rugged, hard-working town where the sea provides food and livelihood, but it can also take lives and break apart families.

It’s worth noting that the author writes from experience: he is a shore-based volunteer for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. He also has strong familial ties to Cornwall, and his father was one of the county’s early lifeguards.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. You can get your very own copy here!

Meet the author

J.H.Mann is an award-winning journalist and writer living in the South West of England. His previous novel The Echoing Shore was a Yeovil Literary Prize award winner and the Adult Fiction Winner of the 2025 Selfies Book Awards at the London Book Fair. He has strong family links with Cornwall. His novels are inspired by the many stories told by his mother and father and his own experiences as a shore-based volunteer for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). He lives with his wife, Nicola, and their lively whippet Patch. www.jhmannauthor.com

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