We Run the Tides

We Run the Tides follows thirteen-year-old Eulabee and her best friend Maria Fabiola during the 1980s in San Francisco's Sea Cliff neighborhood. After witnessing an incident on their way to school, the two girls offer different accounts of what happened, creating a rift that reverberates through their friendship and their wider social circle. The story takes place against the backdrop of a changing San Francisco, where old money mansions and dramatic coastal views exist alongside the realities of a city in transition. When Maria Fabiola disappears, the narrative shifts from a tale of fractured friendship into something more complex, raising questions about truth, perception, and identity. Through Eulabee's perspective, the novel captures the precarious moment between childhood and adolescence, where certainties dissolve and alliances shift. The setting becomes a character itself - the fog, the beaches, and the tides mirror the fluid nature of memory and the mutable bonds between young women coming of age. The work explores themes of class, privilege, and the stories people tell themselves and others to make sense of their world. It examines how truth can be both absolute and subjective, especially in the vulnerable space between girlhood and adulthood.

Readers describe the book as a nuanced portrayal of female friendship and coming-of-age in 1980s San Francisco. Many connect with the authentic depiction of teenage girl dynamics and the specific sense of place and time. Readers appreciated: - The accurate capture of adolescent intensity and uncertainty - Rich descriptions of pre-tech boom San Francisco - Complex female characters and relationships - Precise, understated writing style Common criticisms: - Plot meanders in the middle sections - Some found the ending unsatisfying - Character motivations can feel unclear - References may be too specific to 1980s SF Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (8,900+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (1,200+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (400+ ratings) "Captures that dreamy, dangerous feeling of being thirteen" - Goodreads reviewer "Beautiful writing but the story lost momentum" - Amazon reviewer "Perfect snapshot of a specific time and place" - LibraryThing reviewer

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🌊 The novel is set in Sea Cliff, San Francisco, during the 1980s - a wealthy neighborhood known for its dramatic ocean views and historic homes. 📚 Author Vendela Vida co-founded the nonprofit writing center 826 Valencia with her husband, author Dave Eggers, which provides free writing programs for youth. 🎬 The book captures the final moments before technology transformed teenage life - a time when landline phones and face-to-face interactions were still the primary means of communication. 🗺️ The title "We Run the Tides" refers to both the literal tides of the San Francisco Bay and the metaphorical ebb and flow of teenage friendships and coming-of-age experiences. 🏛️ Sea Cliff's most famous resident was photographer Ansel Adams, and the neighborhood's artistic legacy serves as a subtle backdrop to the novel's exploration of truth and perception.