Our Seas of Fear and Love is a romance-family saga set primarily in Maine but also in Europe, Boston, and the Southwest. Calm and stormy seas are emblematic of the characters, their influence upon one another, and the conflicts and love expressed among the four main characters – Brigit, Deirdre, Gregory and Étienne Moreau, a man who searches out art treasures to sell to museums. Étienne takes as his partner Deirdre, a dark haired, vivacious beauty he meets during World War II when she was an OSS member and he was head of a Maquis group. Brigit, an extremely attractive red-haired woman and nurse cares for Gregory wounded during the war and who becomes a well-known medical researcher. Gregory and Brigit have fallen in love and plan their marriage. Deirdre then sets her sight on Gregory, ignoring her lover and partner Étienne, and a conflict occurs between the two women. In the end, the effects of love triumph in contrast to vainness that damages self and others as the seas of fear and love engulf all.
About the Author:
Richard Shain Cohen of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, is originally from Boston. He retired from the University of Maine at Presque Isle after serving as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of English. He holds B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees.
He served as editor of the journal Husson Review and was principal participant in a National Endowment for the Arts Grant for “Images of Aroostook” that was exhibited throughout the State of Maine.
His own publications include: Healing After Dark: Pioneering Compassionate Medicine at the Boston Evening Clinic (2011), The Forgotten Longfellow: Man in the Shadows (2010), Only God Can Make a Tree, poetry from himself and his brother, Alfred Robert Cohen; and the novels Our Seas of Fear and Love, Monday: End of the Week, Be Still, My Soul, and Petal on a Black Bough. He also wrote chapters for Aroostook: Land of Promise, academic reviews, other articles, and – with the help of a Shell Grant – a monograph on Samuel Richardson that can be found in major library holdings.
“In Our Seas of Fear and Love the characters are well developed and believable as they are interwoven into a story that hits the emotional highs and lows of couples through times of adversity. The story reminds us that even people of high moral standards and values can be corrupted through lust and money. This story will draw you in from the first chapter and keep you reading until the last word. You actually feel as if you are living the story which can only happen when the writing is superb like Cohen’s.”
- Bonnie Kaye, M.Ed., Counselor and Author of ManReaders: A Woman’s Guide to Dysfunctional Men
“This meticulously crafted novel reads like a family saga, spanning about fifty years. The author weaves the warp of individual characters into the woof of both national and global affairs with great clarity. The tangled love relationships are described with candor. Sharply observed and deeply felt, the narrative plays out against the unifying backdrop of the ocean, which with its changing moods serves as a natural metaphor for the tempestuous changes that occur in history and the lives of individuals. A compelling must read.”
- J. Arthur Faber, Professor of English Emeritus, Wittenberg University
