BOOK REVIEW by Arlene F. Marks
TITLE: TIARIS: When the Oceans Kissed
AUTHOR: D.M. Buehler
GENRE: YA Eco-Historical Fantasy, Timeslip
PUBLISHED: January 2025 by Ridgecrest Books
AVAILABLE: on Amazon or from the publisher https://ridgecrestbooks.com/?product=tiaris-when-the-oceans-kissed
eISBN-13: 978-1-0691299-1-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-0691299-0-1
THE PREMISE: Moved to Panama for a year while her naturalist parents take a sabbatical there, Tiaris, a biracial Toronto teen, is caught in a storm while out in the mangroves and is flung back in time to 1906, during the building of the canal. She learns to survive with the help of two young friends: Gianni, a Barbadian worker, and Carmen, a Panamanian herbalist. Tiaris is now a witness to history. She experiences at first hand the racial segregation and rigid gender roles of the era, but also discovers the natural wonders of the tropics and the stories of the labourers who made the canal a reality. An old legend holds the key to getting Tiaris back to her own time. As the three friends gradually unravel its meaning, they must deal with the obstacles set in their way by a cruel and determined foreman, as well as a rapidly closing window of opportunity for the magic to work.
THE RESPONSE: I don’t usually read YA novels, but I used to, when I was still teaching high school English. When making the classics on the curriculum relatable, it helped to know what my students were reading. So, I binged all the Harry Potter books one summer, and the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan during another. At one point I started The Hobbit but got bogged down. (For perspective: it took me ten years of trying to get past the first hundred pages of The Fellowship of the Ring. I may get through The Hobbit yet. I understand it’s quite exciting.) Post-retirement, I decided I was done with YA. I cleansed my reading palate with liberal helpings of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and moved on. Joined a writers’ collective. Wrote my own books for adults.
Then along came TIARIS: When the Oceans Kissed.
This is D.M. Buehler’s first novel, and it’s a standout, for several reasons. First, it reflects the author’s lived experience as well as her extensive knowledge of and passion for the natural environment. Buehler lets her own love of Panama shine through characters like Carmen, who would do anything to protect the rainforest and the creatures within it. Second, it’s imbued with historical authenticity, the result of exhaustive research. The author expertly weaves an impressive amount of detail into the narrative. And third, it’s a wonderful adventure tale with everything a reader could ask for: a cast of characters I couldn’t help but become emotionally invested in, an intriguing puzzle to solve, a richly evoked setting, and plenty of edge-of-the-seat suspense.
WHO NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK: Everyone. Seriously, it speaks to readers of all ages in language that doesn’t talk down to any of them.
In 1906, a 14-year-old on her own was treated as an adult. Tiaris is forced to get a job, and being brown-skinned makes her fit for only one kind of work—as a domestic servant in the home of one of the white American engineers and overseers. Their wives are just as much fish out of water as Tiaris is, but they can hire help, having the advantage of wealth. Meanwhile, Tiaris’s advantage is that she speaks both Spanish and English, and the other maids and nannies can teach her (and thus the reader) what is involved in keeping house in a damp tropical climate.
Similarly, eye-openers await in Buehler’s descriptions of the living and working conditions on the canal project, of the kind of medical care that was available back then to the various categories of patients, and of the devastation inflicted on the environment as the crews blasted their way across the isthmus.
THE CONCLUSION: TIARIS: When the Oceans Kissed is instructive, well-researched, and entertaining, amply stocked with both heartwarming and heart-stopping moments. Highly recommended for stuffing stockings, or at any other time of year.
REVIEWER: Arlene F. Marks is the creator of the Sic Transit Terra universe and the author of 12 novels and a story collection. She lives and writes on the southern shore of Georgian Bay, where she also helps bring events like The Word on the Bay and CollingWord into being. Her most recent release is a paranormal cozy novel titled Remains To Be Seen (Brain Lag Books).
Note: R. Graeme Cameron of the Clubhouse column states: The above review sent to me included the following message from Arlene.
“I’ve waffled literally for months about sending this to you, because I was paid to edit this book, and writing praiseful comments about it seemed self-serving. Then I realized that I could review the parts of it that I didn’t have a hand in. I tightened, clarified, and smoothed out the prose. I didn’t choose the language level, the characters, the settings, or any part of the narrative arc. But I greatly admire the way Buehler combines these elements into a page-turner of a story, and I want to help spread the word about it.”
“So here is my review. If you feel a full disclosure paragraph is in order, you can edit and/or use the one above.”
I decided to include the above in full because it reveals what a prose editor does and what a novel requires. Useful information for people just beginning to write a novel.
Thank you, Arlene F. Marks!
