Sea State: A Memoir

Meer over het boek

A stunning and brutally honest memoir that explores the conflict between female desire and a culture of masculinity in crisis. In her mid-thirties and recently freed from a toxic relationship, Tabitha Lasley leaves her London magazine job, invests her savings in a six-month lease in Aberdeen, Scotland, and embarks on a long-deferred book project about oil rigs and the men who work on them. Intrigued by what men are like without women around, she immerses herself in the roughneck subculture filled with brawls, hard labor, and deep friendships. As she becomes more entrenched, her presence begins to destabilize both the men and herself. The memoir serves as a portrait of an overlooked industry, representing the lives of working-class men, while also delving into complex themes such as class, masculinity, and the slippery nature of desire. Simultaneously, it tells the story of a journalist whose professional detachment fades. In Aberdeen, Tabitha relives her youth, dancing and getting high, while navigating a reckless and explosive attraction to Caden, a married rig worker. Their relationship, fraught with tension, ultimately exposes them both.