"Submergence" by J.M. Ledgard (published 2011)

“Submergence”, written in 2011 by J.M. Ledgard (who has written for both “The Economist” and “The Atlantic”) is a novel that is shaped perfectly for the contemporary world. Its scope covers geography, philosophy, science, and politics. Though “Submergence” is all these amazing things, Ledgard manages to subtlety underscore these weighty themes with a poignant drama and romance that travels far deeper within the emotional psyche compared to how far it actually treks globally. While all this may seem in the written word - to some narrower minds - as pretentious, it is, in fact, the opposite. “Submergence” aims to illuminate how so very small, so very precious, but still small, humankind really is in the face of the natural world: which includes its technology, the subsequent wars produced by that technology, in this case the War in Afghanistan which continues to the present, as well as untouched Earthly landscapes such as the Hadal Deep, the deepest part of the ocean.

Granted, this book may not have the same staying power it does currently if read fifty years from now. It is not a classic, and it does not pretend to be. As contemporary literature, however, its substance does not wane. There are a couple reasons for this, namely, the two main characters, James More and Danielle (“Danny”) Flinders.

James More is a British spy who travels to Somalia as a water engineer. His heart lies more with his knowledge and expertise as a water engineer than with his work as a spy. Yet, his allegiance to duty is unwavering. Despite all the times he is urged to convert to Islam during his captivity or to agree with a jihadist on some small level, James remains true to himself by his ability to criticize, clearly, the acts of his enemies. James More’s understanding of the Jihadists is a political understanding, one rooted in the fact that those men are the way they are because of the world they were born into, because of the denial of all that is life ingrained to them by the culture of the jihadists. Jihad, James reiterates in different ways throughout the novel, is a life almost immediately doomed to self-annihilation because of the blind faith in some unknowable cause beyond the physical self and beyond life itself.

Intertwined with James More’s story is the character of Danny Flinders. As a biomathematician, her concern is with microbial life on the deepest level of the ocean; a part of the ocean as yet untouched and still unscathed by the greedy hands of civilization.

“She was studying life that exceeded all chronologies, that had never been studied before, and that had yet to be named. She could not imagine a career consumed by the moment. She stood in all her allure on the shoulders of giants, who had laid out science and its laws. She knew it and was cocky enough to entertain that she was going to be a giantess at the vanguard of knowledge, whose work would be appreciated for centuries to come.”

That’s another thing about Danny Flinders. Besides her professional title as biomathematician, she is a stoic and determined spirit who appreciates the Earth more than the majority of the population probably does. She retreats into her work with curiosity, care, and a humility that most people would do well to learn from. Danny’s exploration of the deep ocean is an amazing portrayal of the courageous attempt to understand the unknown and what can be learned from it. Not just what can be understood, but what can be extracted from the process of learning and going down, way, way down inside the Earth.

Because both of these characters love the world so much, Ledgard drives in the fact – through wonderful storytelling – they are willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of it, for life’s wonder and beauty and for its love; the love it contains and the love it could still possibly contain. This, compared to James’ co-inhabitants in Somalia, is a harsh juxtaposition, where we see others dying precisely because the world they live in doesn’t matter.

“Submergence” is again, not pretentious, but it is, without doubt, an intellectual endeavor. Through action-driven characters, dialogue, and plot, Ledgard weaves in classic mythology, art, political commentary on men such as Marx, literary references to Moby Dick and others, and perhaps his own subjective opinions on the world as it is. Do not try to compare this book to a major canonical novel – it is within its own glass dome of time that has lasted, so far, from its publication in 2011 until today.

The novel is also a romance which takes place on a luxury hotel in France. How might these two brilliant minds care for the physical world of objects, of food, of music? How might they speak to one another of their completely different professions and dreams? How might they connect? The beauty of their romance is that despite all the capital they are surrounded by, their relationship is quite frugal. They connect with their bodies because of a lack in what can and cannot be said or expressed in any other way.

“Submergence” is a fast paced historical novel for our time, and though there are many that claim this description, there should be more with the same depth that Ledgard brings to the table. Fall in love with the characters and immerse yourself in this story that is beyond haunting and so very real. Be infinitely inspired and thankful that J. M. Ledgard has written and is still writing.