Rosanna Xia's new book earns praise

“The sea has long inspired a human attraction, perhaps even a compulsion, to be as close to the edge as possible. Its sheer power captivates us, even on its most turbulent days, and we can't help but dream of calling the shore our own. To be out by the surf, to sense the very limits of where land can go, to feel the rise and fall of each wave like our own breath is to reckon with a force so alive it feels otherworldly. But the ocean is not “out there” beyond the shore, it is upon us, carving away at the coast each day despite our best efforts to keep the water at bay. We thought that with enough ingenuity we could contain the sea, but the rising tide is proving otherwise.”

“Studying this confluence of land, people and sea has kept Gary Griggs busy for much of his life. Seventy-six years old, with a shock of white hair and a long stride, Griggs has spent decades examining every inch of the California coast. An oceanographer, coastal geologist and longtime professor at UC Santa Cruz, he has a way of explaining erosion with the excitement of someone who's seeing everything for the first time. The coast is always, has always been, changing, he likes to say. Every high and low tide brings new surprises.”

So begins Chapter Two in a new book by Rosanna Xia, a writer for the Los Angeles Times and a 2020 Pulitzer Prize finalist. “California Against the Sea — Visions for our Vanishing Coastline,” is an 1,100-mile journey from the rugged redwood-mantled coastal mountains of northern California to the sunny beaches of the south coast. Rosanna talks to coastal people of all stripes, small town mayors, homeowners, environmental advocates, indigenous leaders, and even scientists. Her writing is eminently readable, thoroughly engaging and deeply personal.

She has written a timely, perceptive and important book on the past, present and potential future of our beloved coastline with a balance of concern and