Where Light Meets Water

An evocative novel of love and art, and one man’s journey to find his place in the world. Where Light Meets Water is a moving debut traversing nineteenth-century London, Melbourne and New Zealand’s rugged South Island.

Shortlisted for the NZ Booklovers Awards 2024
Longlisted for the Australian Book Design Awards 2024

Where the sailor ends the artist begins . . .

London, 1847: On shore leave while his ship is being repaired, sailor Thomas Rutherford is restless, waiting to return to sea. At twenty-eight years old, Tom knows nothing but life on tall ships and is determined to captain his own.

But Tom has a second passion: painting. And so he passes time with his paintbox and sketchbook... until he is struck by the discovery of a delicate glove laced with the unmistakable scent of turpentine. The owner is Catherine Ogilvie – captivating, headstrong and a talented artist in her own right. Intrigued by this singular woman, Tom finds himself swept into Catherine’s privileged yet stifling world.

As Tom and Catherine grow closer, Tom’s eyes are opened to a new way of life. But his ambitions remain and, when the sea calls to Tom, he must face an impossible choice.

In her stunning debut, Susan Paterson explores the power of art to transform a life and to connect us to others. Where Light Meets Water is a multi-stranded novel of love – of a man and a woman, of a sailor and the sea, and of an artist and his gift.

Praise for Where Light Meets Water:

‘A splendidly engaging tale of the inner lives of artists’ Gail Jones

‘Susan Paterson wields her pen like an artist’s brush and the result is beautiful and evocative’ Pip Williams

‘Perfectly paced and sumptuously visual … A stunning debut’ Catherine Chidgey

‘This book is utterly magnificent. Susan Paterson is a wonder’ Eliza Henry-Jones

‘Sure to delight and dazzle readers’ Melissa Ashley

‘A shimmering, beautiful and deftly told story’ Michelle Scott Tucker

‘An extraordinary debut’ Kristina Olsson