In this memoir that traverses five continents and spans two centuries, Sonja Boon explores archives, family stories, and her memories in a search for origins, belonging, and home. Her journey is interwoven with reflections on the meaning of music, love, legacy, freedom, memory, ruin, and the relevance of our past to understanding our present.

Sonja Boon is Professor of Gender Studies at Memorial University. An award-winning researcher, writer, teacher, and flutist, she is passionate abut life writing, archives, and identity. For six years, she was principal flutist of the Portland Baroque Orchestra (Oregon). In 2020, she was awarded the Royal Society of Canada's Ursula Franklin Award in Gender Studies. What the Oceans Remember is her fourth book.