The sea has always been Martha?s escape-first from the sadness and strife of her childhood home, then from the drudgery of life as a wife and mother-but she can never quite escape the pull of love and family, despite her desire for freedom.Her husband, John, struggles to understand her; their son, Iain, lives in faraway Australia; and they haven?t spoken to their daughter, Harriet, for years-not since she came home for Christmas and announced that she was in love with a woman. When John?s mind begins to unravel, Martha must care for him alone-until she falls ill herself, and wonders how she?ll ever keep her head above water.Set against the stunning backdrop of Shakespeare?s Bay and the white cliffs of Dover, The Last Wave is a story spanning three generations, from the 1940s to the present day, and encompassing all the grief and joy of family life.