One Boat by Jonathan Buckley (2025): A Review

Title: One Boat

Author: Jonathan Buckley

Publication Year: 2025

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pages: 171

Source: audiobook and eBook @storytel.tr

Genre: literary fiction

Awards: Longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize

Opening Sentence: The first time, the intention was simply to find a place that was quiet, but not somnolent. A town rather than a village. There had to be activity to observe. A few tourists, but only a few.

Jonathan Buckley’s One Boat follows Teresa as she returns to a Greek village, a place marked by her experiences of grief—first for her mother’s death, now for her father’s. While the premise may seem familiar—a woman seeking solace in a distant land, forming fleeting connections and romance to ease her pain—the novel quickly reveals layers of complexity, particularly as its third chapter unfolds in unexpected ways. I had to stop the audiobook and pick up the eBook to understand what happened and who was who.

This is not solely Teresa’s journey. The narrative interweaves the lives of those she encountered nine years prior, each character subtly shaping and being shaped by the others. Teresa’s return is an attempt to reconnect with this shared past, and the novel becomes a meditation on memory, loss, and the intertwining of destinies. There are elements of mystery and suspense surrounding a secretive resident, reflections on political unrest, the remnants of old love affairs, and the quiet sorrow of John, another outsider with his own motives. Most of all, One Boat is a philosophical exploration of revenge, memory, and the ways we seek meaning after loss. The narrative’s blend of stream-of-consciousness and diary entries deepens this introspection. By the final chapter, it becomes clear that Teresa’s return is about far more than grief. For those drawn to contemplative, philosophical fiction, this novel offers much to ponder.