Crossings by Laurel Ferejohn

                                                     

Ebook:  287 pages                                                                                                

Genre: Fiction, 

Publisher:   Silent Clamor Press 8th Dec 2026. 

Source: NetGalley

First Sentences: Tomby's buoyant floating turned fist to treading when he caught sight of two of the guys slicing through the swells swimming straight for him.

Review Quote: “[Crossings] is a remarkably assured debut … a fresh and authentic novel that captures the difficulty of being true to oneself.”

—Kirkus Reviews

My Opinion:   

When deciding to read and review 'Crossings' from the summary I was expecting the relationship between two protagonists, Tomby and Valletta to be the main plot. Instead the storyline focuses more on Valetta's life story and her relationship with her abusive husband.

Set in Hawaii during the Vietnam War over a period of several months, it is a tense and thought provoking story as Tomby and Valetta gain the confidence to cope with their problems.

Found this disjointed in some aspects, such as the number of characters, that do not feel relevant to the story. Also the chapter lengths feel overly long, making the story drag at times.

With thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Hawaii, 1968. Vietnam always on the horizon.

Closeted, yet still not safe from harassment by certain fellow Marines, Tomby finds a lifeline in a secret friendship with one of their wives—Valetta. She married for the wrong reason and is stuck on the island with no one she can call a friend—until Tomby.

Their bond becomes a safe harbor as adversaries persist, accidental mentors show up, and Vietnam draws closer. The pressure mounts to choose between duty and truth, and the two friends risk everything for a chance at freedom.

Rendered in precise, lived-in detail that brings to vivid life the Hawaii of Vietnam-era recruits, Crossings is a novel about desire and constraint, the courage to find true home—and the heart to make that crossing possible.

Author Profile

                                                 
                                                  Courtesy of Goodreads

Profile from Goodreads:

I emerged from a career in journals publishing about a decade ago, and I've been writing ever since, along with freelancing as an independent developmental editor for creative writers.

During this decade of writing, I finished my novel and dared to hope it would be published, but I didn't dream reviews would call it "a remarkably assured debut … a fresh and authentic novel" (Kirkus Reviews), and "a thoughtful, deeply felt novel” (San Francisco City Book Reviews, 5 stars).

I'm overjoyed that Crossings is forthcoming from Silent Clamor Press in December 2026. Along the way, it was named to the longlist for the Lee Smith Novel Prize, and a story from it won the Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize. My published short fiction, memoir, poetry, and essays appear in journals including Quiddity, Southeast Review, Flash Fiction, Salvation South, Persimmon Tree, and others.

California born and raised, I live with my wife in a vibrant region of the southeast known for its universities, arts, foodie scene, and progressive political culture.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.

Goodreads Profile.    Official Author Website.     Crossings on Amazon