"Freya, the novel's protagonist, has never swum in the ocean, and over the course of the morning she learns how. She discovers that she can dive under a swell, "feel the tug of the wave's underturn," and shoot up when it has passed; that she can swim fast up waves that are about to break, then "crash through their crests and fall down their backsides";"
"Freya swims under, over, and along the waves, one after another. Each wave is its own event, difficult or ideal, but collectively they chain together in a soothing rhythm. Sometimes she has to rush to handle a fast set of waves, but such moments are rare; most of the time, she can navigate the wave in front of her, and then turn to the next."
A swimmer learns a range of ocean maneuvers: diving under swells, feeling the wave's underturn, shooting up after a pass, sprinting up breaking waves, and surfing along crests. Powerful waves can also overwhelm and tumble a swimmer along the bottom, creating risk. Individual waves present distinct events, but they link into a soothing, navigable rhythm that allows movement from one wave to the next. Fast sets occasionally demand urgent action, yet most moments permit steady navigation. The sea’s patterned tempo can feel miraculously predictable compared with the irregular speeds and pressures of everyday time.
Read at The New Yorker
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