The Tide of Whispers
(2026)(The first book in the Almanac of Forgotten Dreams series)
A novel by Gregory Parrott
Oakhaven is a town clinging to the edge of the world, where the rhythm of life is dictated by the tides and the whispers of the sea. When the town's oldest resident, the eccentric Miss Thessa Quill, passes away, her most peculiar possession - a leather-bound almanac filled with cryptic symbols and handwritten notes - is bequeathed to Nolen Ashwick, the stoic lighthouse keeper. Nolen, a man of routine and solitude, is initially skeptical, believing it merely an old woman's ramblings.
But Nolen soon discovers this is no ordinary book. In The Tide of Whispers, it subtly reveals the deepest, unfulfilled dreams and secret longings of Oakhaven's residents, past and present. He notices strange entries correlating to his neighbors: Edra Cobble, the kind baker, secretly longs to be a concert pianist; Finnan Creel, the gruff fisherman, dreams of sailing to an uncharted island; and Kit Solmere, the restless young artist, yearns for recognition beyond Oakhaven.
As Nolen observes, he sees how these "forgotten dreams" subtly influence the present, stirring quiet anxieties or unexpected acts of kindness. He confides in Marlowe Pike, his practical, grounded friend who dismisses it, and Fen Wilder, a curious young resident fascinated by its potential. As Nolen delves deeper, he finds entries related to his own family and Miss Thessa herself, revealing long-buried secrets. The almanac's "whispers" begin to stir dormant tensions within the community, forcing Nolen to confront his own past and accept his role as the almanac's compassionate guardian.
Genre: Fantasy
But Nolen soon discovers this is no ordinary book. In The Tide of Whispers, it subtly reveals the deepest, unfulfilled dreams and secret longings of Oakhaven's residents, past and present. He notices strange entries correlating to his neighbors: Edra Cobble, the kind baker, secretly longs to be a concert pianist; Finnan Creel, the gruff fisherman, dreams of sailing to an uncharted island; and Kit Solmere, the restless young artist, yearns for recognition beyond Oakhaven.
As Nolen observes, he sees how these "forgotten dreams" subtly influence the present, stirring quiet anxieties or unexpected acts of kindness. He confides in Marlowe Pike, his practical, grounded friend who dismisses it, and Fen Wilder, a curious young resident fascinated by its potential. As Nolen delves deeper, he finds entries related to his own family and Miss Thessa herself, revealing long-buried secrets. The almanac's "whispers" begin to stir dormant tensions within the community, forcing Nolen to confront his own past and accept his role as the almanac's compassionate guardian.
Genre: Fantasy
Used availability for Gregory Parrott's The Tide of Whispers