Named a best book of 2022 by CBC Radio’s book columnist.
From the author of The Weather Inside comes this thrilling novel about two people stranded under mysterious circumstances in the South China Sea. Who are they? How did they get here? And how in the world will they ever get home?
A U.S. Navy intelligence officer, Jess is serving on an aircraft carrier—the first woman ever to do so—until she gets assigned a top-secret mission. When the mission goes wrong, she’s rescued by Philippine Navy sailors who’ve been strategically moored for far too long. Things get complicated when their unhinged leader declares Jess an angel sent to save them from their disastrous mission. But Jess is no angel; she’s done horrible things and she’s desperate for absolution.
The only person who can give it to her is Zi Shan. Exiled to a politically contentious coral sprawl called Mischief Reef, he’s been tasked with turning the reef into an island by dredging sand from the ocean floor. Each day he follows the bizarre directives from his fellow castoff, enduring the memories that torment him, and awaits a helicopter home to his daughter. But when Jess washes up on his shore, everything turns to chaos.
Inspired by real but re-imagined events and settings, the mysteries of fate unfold dramatically in Nine Dash Line. What brought Jess and Zi Shan to Mischief Reef? What binds them together? And how in the world will they ever get home?
Buy the book
Buy the paperback direct from Freehand Books, or order it from your favourite bookstore. (Or purchase online from your favourite book retailer: Amazon, Indigo, etc.) E-books are available from Apple, Kobo, Kindle, etc.
Watch a reading performance
Watch actors Deborah Verginella, Raymond Tong, and Bronwyn Szabo perform a reading from the book on stage via YouTube.
Emily Saso: Writer 