Tidelines

It’s Sydney in the early 2000s, and Grub is spending the summer with her universally adored older brother, Elijah, and his magnetic but troubled best friend, Zed. Their days are filled with surfing, swimming and hanging out; life couldn’t be better.

But years later, Elijah disappears and Grub’s family unravels. At first, Grub blames Zed: he was the one who derailed Elijah from a bright future in the arts. But as Grub looks back at those dreamy summer days, the sanctuary of her certainty crumbles. Was Zed really responsible for her brother’s disappearance? Was anyone?

Tidelines is a tender coming-of-age novel about growing up in the face of unimaginable loss. It examines the stories we subconsciously write for ourselves, and what remains later, when we have the courage to tear them apart.

Shortlist—Varuna House Publisher Introduction Program (2020)

Longlist— Queensland Writers Centre Adaptable Program (2020)

Shortlist—Queensland Writers Centre Adaptable Program (2025)

‘This measured, thoroughly engaging coming-of-age  tale hits all the right emotional notes.’—Kirkus Reviews (Blue Tick)

‘A debut novel rich with humanity and compassion.’—Good Reading Magazine

‘The poignant tone of her reflections showcases a graceful style.’—The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age

‘Approaches the subjects of mental illness and drug addiction with sensitivity and insight.’ —The Saturday Paper

‘Tidelines has a rich heart; it is lyrical, it is tender, it is compassionate.’—The Australian

‘It’s about grief and loss and the stories we tell ourselves, and it’s crazy talented for a first time effort.’—Michael Williams, Read This podcast

‘Sasson has created complex and empathetic characters. Family expectations, intergenerational trauma, and marital difficulties are tied into the narrative cleverly.’— Readings

‘A moving coming-of-age novel, exploring the intricacies of sibling bonds and family loss.’—Mumbrella

‘An eerily poignant read…But Sasson’s writing is the standout here for me. Her beautiful prose do the story of Grub and Elijah justice taking readers along, traversing love, anger, fear, guilt, regret, grief, loss and disappointment.’— Debbish

‘The lyricism of a poet and precision of a doctor fuse to create unforgettable metaphors.’ —Honi Soit

‘The break between each passage, each memory, marked by a simple tilde, echoes the much fuller world that Sasson masterfully gestures to in her minimalist prose. This trait is a core strength of the novel, leading the reader by an innocuous description before delivering the punch of poetics.’—Blitz Magazine

‘Tidelines is a wonderful debut novel that weaves the author’s medical and scientific knowledge with poetic prose and complex, flawed characters.’ —Other terrain journal