We Run the Tides

Bookseller recommendation

“Wow, this book was hard to put down! The story feels so familiar, yet full of unexpected twists and turns. I was immersed in the beautiful and tumultuous world of these girls on the brink of adulthood. A fun, mysterious, compelling, and ultimately profound novel about power, truth, and growing up.”

— Sarah Fischer • Downbound Books

Bookseller recommendation

“We Run the Tides is a coming-of-age story, written by Vendela Vida with two teenage girls at the heart of it. Eulabee and Maria Fabiola (Maria Fabiola is only referred to by both her names, never one, which isn’t the weirdest thing about the book) are in a lifelong duel. They’re both drawn to each other, Eulabee because she needs others to see how toxic Maria is even as she still craves her company, and Maria because she needs adoration from her peers. Their fallout leads to multiple kidnappings, being expelled from school, and a dead boyfriend (possibly). It’s a quiet book but it’s endlessly readable. The narrator is the perfect voice for Eulabee and her trying to make sense out of what she's seeing.”

— Caren • Jackson Heights Books

Bookseller recommendation

“We Run the Tides kept me listening late into the night—actually into the morning. I wanted to know what Eulabee would choose: the truth or keeping her friend, and what would be the consequences of that choice and those she had already made. In this coming-of-age story, Eulabee navigates the world of her posh San Francisco neighborhood, exclusive girls’ school, and friends with more wealth than she. An unremarkable encounter with a man asking Eulabee and her friends what time it is on their walk to school one morning begins a series of events that become serious and even tragic. In the eighth grade in the early 1980s, the girls are transitioning from childhood, still protected and privileged, and entering a world changing as rapidly and dramatically as they are. Eulabee narrates the novel and through her eyes, we come to know the stories and secrets of the other characters. The novel’s resolution comes nearly 40 years later, in 2019, with a chance meeting between Eulabee and Maria Fabiola. This is a thoroughly enjoyable novel of adolescent female friendship, accurately reflecting the inherent joys, pains, and betrayals. It will resonate with many of us of a ‘certain age.’”

— Nancy • Raven Book Store