Suzanne Kamata has a knack for writing novels that stay with you.

In both her critically acclaimed novel, The Baseball Widow, and her newest publication: Cinnamon Beach, Kamata’s signature multi-POV storytelling style deepens the narrative as we experience it from all angles. This results in a deeply emotional ride through The Baseball Widow, making it a haunting read for some. This is softened however in Cinnamon Beach thanks to the warm tropes of a romantic beach read. 

Crossroads and coming home

Cinnamon Beach is a story about moving on from heartbreak as experienced through the three POVs: protagonist Olivia, her sister-in-law Parisa, and her daughter Sophie.

Olivia has brought her two teen twins to the States in order to spread the ashes of her late brother, Ted. Burned out by a toxic work environment and her (secret) divorce, Olivia begins the story feeling like she has failed at everything, and is deeply uncertain of her future.

Returning home can be hard. Olivia, opines in the opening chapters how disconnected she is from much of the family updates, even the really big ones. Her old life in Japan looms large in her thoughts, but, as with any good beach read, a past romance promises to distract her and deliciously complicate everything.

Parisa, bereaved of her best friend and husband Ted, is faced with all the dangling responsibilities of her life with him. Decisions about the restaurant Ted built and the failing health of his parents compete with possibilities of building her small fashion business into something more.

Different people want different things from Parisa, but the question is what she wants from herself, now that the life she imagined is gone.

In comparison with the adults, Olivia’s teenage daughter Sophie starts her story happy to be away from home, in Tokushima, Japan. Home is comforting. It’s where her teachers, community and favourite festivals are. But thanks to her mixed genes, she is doomed to forever stick out. In addition, her deafness means she is often left out of her brother’s adventures. Embracing her invisibility from the first chapters, Sophie’s story branches off from the rest of the narrative as she enjoys her independence and a romance of her own.

Spice

The most comforting aspect of a beach read book are the fantasy love interests that inhabit them. Vicarious readers require lovers who are thoughtful, kind, blessed with a high density of muscle tone around the abdominal areas, and, most importantly, an unwavering and obvious interest in the protagonist.

Olivia’s story leans into the trope hard. An old flame from her college days has moved into the neighbourhood, only now he is a world famous musician. While he seems to be 100% on team Olivia, she has reservations and doubts that first need to be settled. Luckily, country & western superstar Devon has never had a biography written about him, giving Olivia plenty of opportunities to wield her tape recorder while asking more intimate questions.

Meanwhile, Sophie enjoys a sweet summer fling with Dante, a surfer boy who learns how to sign for her, and takes her to see the turtles. He is the perfect first love: respectful, curious about both the girl and her culture, and quick to text back. Through Dante, Sophie begins to navigate her first steps into adulthood.

Though less spicy than many modern romantic readers may expect, Cinnamon Beach brings warm fuzzies as the characters negotiate the tensions of their own will they/won’t they relationships.

An authentic touch

What makes Cinnamon Beach such a thoughtful read is how it synthesises Kamata’s realistic and relatable style of writing with more fanciful tropes expected of this genre. The feelings and emotions of all the characters come from a very real place, as do some of the events in the story. A truly infuriating section details the pervasive academic power harassment suffered in many tertiary institutions, for example. Olivia’s biography shares similarities with her author – a caucasian woman working in Tokushima, Japan, mother to two children, a boy and a girl, with a Japanese husband. Kamata herself is always quick to point out that her stories are fiction, but these insights into the world she has inhabited for decades gives her works a unique dimension.

Final thoughts

While Cinnamon Beach certainly touches on the pain of loss and the complexity of redefining one’s identity after grief, the novel balances this heaviness with the warmth of second chances and self-discovery. Kamata invites readers to connect with each character’s journey while delighting in the genre’s escapist pleasures.

The nostalgic seaside setting of Cinnamon Beach serves not only as a place for reflection but also as a subtle metaphor for the tides of change in each woman’s life. A backdrop that is both healing and serene. A place we all wish we could visit when at our own crossroads.