Joshua Alston “Saint X,” Alexis Schaitkin’s acclaimed 2020 novel, has roiling depth beneath its placid surface, much like the pristine waters of the Caribbean island where it takes place.
The body of a young American girl washes ashore in those tropical tides, and because her death incites the story, “Saint X” initially cuts the figure of a thriller.
Yes, the book slowly unfurls the details behind her untimely demise. But the story isn’t really about what happened, it’s about the grief, recrimination and obsession that consumes the survivors over time.
It’s a meditation on trauma, shot through with social commentary and disguised as a nondescript “imperiled woman” beach read.
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