A Tiny Piece of Something Greater by Jude Sierra
Publisher: Interlude Press
Release Date (Print & Ebook): May 17, 2018
Length (Print & Ebook): 258 Pages
Subgenre: LGBT, Interracial/Multicultural, New Adult
Editor’s Note: Some readers may find some of the scenes in this book difficult to read. We have compiled a list of content warnings, which you can access at interludepress.com/content-warnings
Book blurb:
Reid Watsford has a lot of secrets and a past he can’t quite escape. While staying at his grandmother’s condo in Key Largo, he signs up for introductory dive classes, where he meets Joaquim Oliveira, a Brazilian dive instructor with wanderlust. Driven by an instant, magnetic pull, what could have been just a hookup quickly deepens. As their relationship evolves, they must learn to navigate the challenges of Reid’s mental illness—on their own and with each other.
Jude Sierra talks A Tiny Piece of Something Greater: I want readers to walk away with a deeper appreciation and understanding of what it is like to thrive with mental illness—or strive toward it—and what it is like for two people to be and fall in love in these situations. I’d love for readers to come away knowing that love doesn’t cure mental illness, nor should it. Reid and Joaquim love each other as they are.
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The minutes leading up to the dive were slightly stressful. All of the things they learned in the pool and all of the equipment to check and wear seemed more overwhelming on the ocean. By the time they finish descent, though, all of that stress is forgotten. All he hears is the sound of his own breathing through the respirator and the constant crackling and popping along the reef. His world narrows to blues and grays, to the work of his body as he learns to keep himself horizontal in the push-pull of currents. Once adjusted, Reid needs a moment to take in the tableau before him, the blue-gray giving way to stunning color. Pictures pale in comparison to the actual vibrancy of the reef. His classmates move along the periphery of his vision; he spends long minutes watching the delicate lace of a sea fan, brown with startling purple veins, undulating in the same currents that envelop him. A brilliant angelfish darts in and out around the crimson and honeycolored coral and sponges. Gorgeous, inspiring reminders of a beautiful world he never thought he would see or experience are right at his hands. They’re necessary indicators of the life Reid can have, can work for: full of surprises, of beautiful things, of beautiful places.
After the dive, Reid drowses on a damp towel in the sun and listens to Keith chattering with his wife, Janet, about the fish they saw. The sky is a clear, rich blue, cloudless and open, the water is a constant slosh against the sides of the boat, and Reid can still remember the absolute peace underwater. He smiles. He was a little worried that Keith would puke on the way to the dive, but Keith held it together. He’s telling Janet it was nerves. With his eyes closed, it’s easier for Reid to eavesdrop. They’ve got a book, and they’re marking the fish and coral they’ve seen. It’s very sweet. Reid has his own notebook for this very purpose, but he’s not ready to let go of the wonderful lethargy of muscles well used and the peace of the moment.
The boat hasn’t started yet. They’re all snacking and unwinding and writing in their dive logs. A small thump next to him startles Reid. The sunlight assaults his eyes, so he squints and turns to find Joaquim next to him. The can of pop in his hand drips cold condensation onto Reid’s arm, and Joaquim wiggles the can.
“Want?”
Reid is so much better than he was on the way out to the dive site, so much more present and alive. He sits up slowly and looks into Joaquim’s eyes.
“Yeah,” he says, making no move to take the can from Joaquim’s hand.
“Did—” Joaquim stops to clear his throat. “Did you enjoy today?”
“Oh my god.” Reid says. “That was fucking amazing.”
About Jude Sierra:
Jude Sierra is a Latinx poet, author, academic and mother working toward her PhD in Writing and Rhetoric, looking at the intersections of Queer, Feminist and Pop Culture Studies. She also works as an LGBTQAI+ book reviewer for From Top to Bottom Reviews. Her novels include Hush, What it Takes, and Idlewild, a contemporary LGBT romance set in Detroit’s renaissance, which was named a Best Book of 2016 by Kirkus Reviews.
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Giveaway Prize of A TINY PIECE OF SOMETHING GREATER by Jude Sierra (5 eBooks + $25 IP Web Store credit Grand Prize):