Deborah J. Brasket's This Sea Within is the story of Lena Landon, who is an aspiring photojournalist and a young American surfer. In 1971, she travels to San Balanque to explore her mother’s roots, and is drawn into a revolutionary movement that seems to reflect everything she has ever dreamed about and wanted to do. She is still haunted by her mother’s abandonment, but the activism of her father inspires her. She becomes entangled with the Aguileros, a guerrilla faction led by Raoul Aguilero. From the start, it is curiosity for her, but her fight for freedom becomes a passionate commitment when she falls for Raoul. She trains as a soldier and undergoes dangerous undercover work by infiltrating the government, the same regime whose Vice President is married to her mother, Dolores Machado.

This is a story of political reckoning and is most suitable for those looking for well-written and epic protest literature. The author writes brilliantly about romantic obsession, dividing the story into three parts that skillfully move from the stage of dreaming to commitment and conflict, and finally to an hour of blood that delivers a mesmerizing climax. Deborah J. Brasket captivated me with the seductive allure of an idealism of a powerful revolution and how it connects with nuanced morality. The sea is a well-thought-out metaphor, rich in its destructive and creative forces, and it is cleverly used to mirror the tension in the heroine. This Sea Within features complex and revolutionary characters, exciting prose, and streams of consciousness that lay bare the psyche of the key characters. Fans of The Red Sparrow trilogy by Jason Matthews and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini will enjoy how this book explores the way personal passion becomes inseparable from the cataclysm of history.

This Sea Within by Deborah J. Brasket is the engrossing story of Lena Landon. In 1971, she is a journalism graduate, torn between her buried Maya heritage and her identity as a surfer-journalist-artist. She also discovers that her estranged mother named her after a Mayan goddess who sacrificed herself for revolution and love. Curiosity about her roots leads her to San Balanque and an encounter with Raoul Aguilero, the leader of a rebel movement fighting to overthrow the dictatorship of Viktor Ortiz. She falls in love with Raoul and the revolution. She is tested in many ways, including the experience of guerrilla warfare, radicalization, hard training, and the brutal “Hour of Blood.” But her mother is Dolores Machado, who is married to the Vice President and Ortiz's closest adviser. How far can she go in her quest for freedom?

Deborah J. Brasket’s novel is the kind of work that ignites revolutions, and I would rank it alongside classic novels like Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal. The author forces readers to rethink the cost of freedom and what patriots went through to liberate their countries. The historical setting is rendered with fascinating details, and the author captures the fever of demonstrations against the Vietnam War and the role of the US in backing Ortiz’s dictatorship. The writing is lyrical and filled with symbolism. Some metaphors translate painful truths, like the words of the poet who spoke to Lena, describing San Balanque as “easy to love, but she will break your heart.” Characterization is accomplished with psychological authenticity, and Lena stands apart from other characters as someone who is broken but refuses to surrender. She is complex in how she is simultaneously attracted to violence and repulsed by it. Raoul is an irresistible character, and his magnetic personality feeds many relationships in the story. This Sea Within is a page-turner that melds history with echoes of mythology in delivering an entertaining read that will appeal to romance fans and anyone looking for a resonant story.