We Are Water: A Novel

Written by Wally Lamb

Narrated by Wally Lamb, George Guidall, Maggi-Meg Reed and 7 more

“A mesmerizing novel about a family in crisis.”— Miami Herald

A disquieting and ultimately uplifting novel about a marriage, a family, and human resilience in the face of tragedy, from Wally Lamb, the New York Times bestselling author of The Hour I First Believed and I Know This Much Is True.

After 27 years of marriage and three children, Anna Oh—wife, mother, outsider artist—has fallen in love with Viveca, the wealthy Manhattan art dealer who orchestrated her success. They plan to wed in the Oh family’s hometown of Three Rivers in Connecticut. But the wedding provokes some very mixed reactions and opens a Pandora’s Box of toxic secrets—dark and painful truths that have festered below the surface of the Ohs’ lives.

We Are Water is a layered portrait of marriage, family, and the inexorable need for understanding and connection, told in the alternating voices of the Ohs—nonconformist, Anna; her ex-husband, Orion, a psychologist; Ariane, the do-gooder daughter, and her twin, Andrew, the rebellious only son; and free-spirited Marissa, the youngest. It is also a portrait of modern America, exploring issues of class, changing social mores, the legacy of racial violence, and the nature of creativity and art.

With humor and compassion, Wally Lamb brilliantly captures the essence of human experience and the ways in which we search for love and meaning in our lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Oct 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9780062282859

Wally Lamb

Wally Lamb is the author of five New York Times bestselling novels: She’s Come Undone, I Know This Much Is True, The Hour I First Believed, Wishin’ and Hopin’, and We Are Water. His first two works of fiction, She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, were both #1 New York Times bestsellers and selections of Oprah’s Book Club. Lamb edited Couldn’t Keep It to Myself, I’ll Fly Away, and You Don’t Know Me, three volumes of essays from students in his writing workshop at York Correctional Institution, a women’s prison in Connecticut, where he has been a volunteer facilitator for two decades. He lives in Connecticut and New York.

Reviews for We Are Water

[lauren3doninger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Captivating, like all of Lamb's writing.

[berthacummins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If I could give this 6 stars I could, absolutely breathtaking and engaging all the way through to the very end of this lengthy novel. Lamb takes issues sometimes hard to write about - child molestation, gay marriage, and artificial insemination as well as some other more commonly used threads as murder, neglect, class as well as ratial segregation and makes it all work into a very engaging book I could not put down. Very masterfully done!

[kara.shamy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had never read Wally Lamb's work before I received We Are Water in a Goodreads Giveaway. Talk about a prize! I just finished the book, and I recommend it with great enthusiasm to readers generally with one caveat. Namely, I would warn readers to maintain an emotional release valve when engaging with as intense a novel as this one. This book is a pretty massive tome, even at 576 pages, and sometimes it feels longer. The reader is completely immersed in the characters' respective psyches -- characters at crossroads and under significant stress, who even count sexual abuse victims and perpetrators among their number. There may be places some readers don't want to go; in any case, it can be draining. Unintentionally, I ended up reading a really un-psychological, action-oriented novel alongside this one. I was grateful for something that bore less scrutiny and so had less pull on my emotions and intellect...perhaps some guilty pleasure television would serve many readers well?

I am very grateful to have read this book, and I look forward to reading more of Lamb's writing.

[reluctanttechie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An absorbing, but painful read. Some scenes are vivid, but brutal in their details. I finished it, and there was some redemption in the end, but if this book is representative of the author's works, I don't think I'll read more. It was well-written in some respects.

[carriewuj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wally Lamb presents characters who are damaged and flawed, which should be enough rationale to like them, but that doesn't always compute. The story of an upcoming wedding between 2 women is told from multiple perspectives, including one of women's (Annie Oh)former husband and children. All events lead up to the wedding day which has an unforseen complication and unpredictable results. Since Annie is an artist, there are some very thoughtful commentaries on art and creativity sprinkled in. All characters ring true and past and present are combined smoothly. Very rich with much depth. Not a beach read, despite the cover.

[christopherswann · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Starts slowly, then sucks you in with multiple first-person narratives. Not hard to follow, unlike some similar stories. If you like families and secrets, check this out.

[oldblack-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

very good. disturbing in parts (family sexual assault and paedophilia). well drawn characters. worth reading more of his work.

[booklovers2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Listened to this as an Audible Audio.... The author, Wally Lamb actually was the voice of Orien Oh in the book - that was revealed at the end of the audio book by an interview with the author. Great Book, it captures the intimate details of some very horrific events. The story centers on Annie Oh, divorced with 3 children, an artist with violent depictions, her impending marriage to Vivica (the high powered NY art dealer) and her ex Orien Oh. There are secrets that most of these family members are keeping. Secrets that have shaped their lives. Devastating secrets that eventually unravel and leave scars on all of them. Its also about love, a family who survives the secrets and who learn to either forgive or surrender to the aftermath. Great Read!

[pamv-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a story of the Oh family. Each member of this family has secrets. Some of them have darker secrets than others.

I absolutely LOVED the way these secrets are revealed and the way that they all related to one another without anyone realizing it. The way it is written makes me feel like I am a part of this family with secrets of my own.

This book is filled with so much emotion and it has taken me 2 weeks to get through it. I felt like it has been such an investment of my time. This has not been an easy breezy summer read. It is involved, it is dark, it is deep and it is disturbing.

It wasn't until the very end that the reason for the title is revealed and it made perfect sense. The ending also reminded me of Mr. Lamb's other book She's Come Undone (which I loved).

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone! Many thanks to HarperCollins Publishing and Edelweiss for this advanced readers copy. This book is scheduled for release in October 2013.

[jreynolds1959 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Artfully written, as is usual for Wally Lamb. Sometimes you can tell a secret, other times you must keep it a secret.

[chrisway · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I didn't really like this book much which was disappointing because I adore his other books. Some of the subplots seemed gratuitous and awkward. Some of it felt unnecessary and detracted from the storyline.

[karconner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wally Lamb never disappoints me. This one had a political bent from time to time that I hadn't noticed in any of his other books, and I wasn't sure, at first, what to think of that. It turned out, I think, to be a the connection to change that was happening to each character in the novel. America was changing; society was changing; the characters were changing. There is a sadness in this book, but there is also a sense of hopefulness in the end as well. I'll be waiting for Lamb's next one.

[dawnlovesbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

very good book!!! In middle age, Annie Oh—wife, mother, and outsider artist—has shaken her family to its core. After twenty-seven years of marriage and three children, Annie has fallen in love with Viveca, the wealthy, cultured, confident Manhattan art dealer who orchestrated her professional success. Annie and Viveca plan to wed in the Oh family's hometown of Three Rivers, Connecticut, where gay marriage has recently been legalized. But the impending wedding provokes some very mixed reactions and opens a Pandora's box of toxic secrets—dark and painful truths that have festered below the surface of the Ohs' lives.

[maggieflo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two years ago I read She's Come Undone and did not rate it very highly. Being open -minded, I gave Wally Lamb another try by reading this novel. I must say that I really enjoyed it. It's the story of Annie and Orion Oh, their past, their marriage, their children and their survival through trauma. What I really liked was how Lamb tells the story through the voices of his main and secondary characters in individual chapters. Gradually Annie's past as a survivor of a massive flood, abandonment, sexual abuse and emergence as an artist and Orion's abandonment by his father are told through internal monologues. Their children's stories as adults reveal a great deal about their mother's anger while suppressing her childhood memories and sexual identity. The fact that she is divorcing Orion and marrying her female art agent makes sense when the truth is revealed. The story is very well told with tenderness and gentle humour.

[gingermama-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting and complex, the story confronts the secrets people keep and unfolds from many different characters' points of view. Some parts are challenging and heartbreaking to read (pedophilia and its victims). The story will keep you guessing, but I have to admit I did not enjoy the ending...much too sad.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the dust jacket: In middle age, Annie Oh—wife, mother, and outsider artist—has shaken her family to its core. After twenty-seven years of marriage and three children, Annie has fallen in love with Viveca, the wealthy, cultured, confident Manhattan art dealer who orchestrated her professional success. Annie and Viveca plan to wed in the Oh family's hometown of Three Rivers, Connecticut, where gay marriage has recently been legalized. But the impending wedding provokes some very mixed reactions and opens a Pandora's box of toxic secrets—dark and painful truths that have festered below the surface of the Ohs' lives.


My reactions
Wow. Intricate and nuanced, Wally Lamb has given us a portrait of one American family’s disintegration and coming back together. Rather than use a single narrator, Lamb gives voice to various characters, switching point of view from chapter to chapter. In this way we learn not only Annie’s story, but also ex-husband Orion’s and that of their children: Andrew, Ariane and Marissa. We also hear from some ancillary characters, including a neighbor and Annie’s cousin, Kent.

All these characters suffer trauma and loss, and struggle to find their way back to hope. They make poor decisions, or are targeted victims. But the various members of the Oh family also face tragic events and show resilience and courage in facing their futures.

There were some scenes that really bothered me, especially dealing with pedophilia and hate crimes. But we should be bothered by those kinds of events / issues and facing what makes us uncomfortable is part of the theme of this book. Frequently the characters refuse to face what is so distressing, choosing instead to hide behind alcohol or showing displaced rage or justifying their actions with weak arguments. But it is only when we confront our demons that we can conquer them.

The audio book is voiced by a variety of talented artists, including Wally Lamb (who voices Orion Oh). I found this very effective when listening, though I do wish the jacket of the playaway gave some clue as to which artist voiced which character. The only reason I know who Lamb portrayed was because the audio includes an author interview at the end.

[dream24-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had seen this book on a lot of best seller's list and thought I would pick it up. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect...

At first I was like OK, not sure where this book is going but I gave a it a shot and made it to the end. To say the least, when I got part way through I grew more and more disturbed, not only with Annie's art but also her past. The more we got to know Annie and Orion, the more I disliked Annie and thought she was extremely selfish and guarded, but as her past was slowly revealed I understand her a little better but it still doesn't her actions towards her kids! Abuse is still abuse, doesn't matter if you were the victim one time or another.

Orion, he's kind of interesting. But seemed like the stereotypical Mr perfect until we see how his life has unraveled in such a short time period. Him being attacked and left paralyzed was such a shock, especially when he was starting to come to terms with abandonment issues (Annie with the divorce and Francis for never acknowledging him as his son)

We do get to see parts of the story told through various people in connection with the larger story. But most often through Annie, Andrew and Orion. Would have liked the story told through Ariana and Marissa a bit more, especially when they are going through a lot of stuff on their plate too. The story told through Kent....that was extremely disturbing! Especially when he so calmly and methodabily carried out his abuse on young children and got away with it for so long! All that guilt tripping, manipulation and lies! Ugh, I was so disgusted with him while I'm glad he is dead, I feel for poor Andrew who has to live the consequences of his actions in Kent's death, especially when Kent deserved every bit of punishment coming to him

There's so much going on in this novel. Death, sexual abuse, gay marriage, abandonment, racism, religion, incest, violence and child abuse. So much to take in, so much secrets to unravel. It seems like no one is perfect and everyone is emotional and/or physically wounded. All that baggage takes a toll on you, and it just seems to get darker and darker as more secrets come out.

Overall, it was a very intensive and disturbing read. Definitely not for the faint of heart as emotions run high and overflow from the pages. Especially the anger.

[heike6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I got this book last October to review, and I wound up stopping after the first couple of chapters. They were blah, and didn't keep me interested enough to make time to finish the book. I finally got a hold of the audiobook, though, and finished it.

I highly recommend the audio as it has a full cast and the author is one of the characters himself. The book got better as it went on and we got inside of the heads of the different characters. It was interesting to see played out how one experience makes waves through families, and exactly how it affects everyone's lives. Annie was hiding some big secrets for most of the book, but they came out and she ended up being very honest not only with her family, but also with herself. The end was surprising in a weird way, but overall the read was worth it.

[bonniep_52 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Every book that I have read of Wally Lamb, I have thoroughly enjoyed. He has a way of telling it like it is and I really like that you can get lost with the easy flow that he lays out for you. Now, that said I must mention that this book was just a bit too wordy for me - my only criticism mind you! It was like an immersion course in family life with many references to what many of us freely recognize such as squabbling, insensitive highly individual siblings and parents who were absent and otherwise career occupied ( the dad) and a mother who obviously was struggling to juggle her inner demons, her motherhood and her artistic talents. In today's world, the direction that this novel takes is not too much of a stretch I think. Overall sad but realistic and I must say, written so well. WL certainly can "tell it like it is" and I'm always appreciative of that. Well done. Oh, and I loved the ending - the way he marries the title of the book to Annie's planned artistic creation and the end scene of entering the ocean - even though there may be sharks lurking......

[evelynbernard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

No one writes about complicated family relationships better than Wally Lamb and this book is no exception! A story about secrets told from the perspective of different family members - I definitely recommend this one!

[bookdivasreads · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This was the first book I've read by Mr. Lamb and I was sorely disappointed. The characters seemed to be more caricatures and stereotypes than fully-developed characters, the plot came across and somewhat formulaic and contrived, and it just plods along. Some chapters felt as if they were last minute additions just to flesh out the story. Just in case you couldn't guess, I didn't enjoy this at all. The only reason I finished reading it was due to a local book discussion group meeting that I was leading.

[sharlene_w · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed the presentation with each character telling their part of story from their perspective. Interesting plot although I felt a bit jarred to resume the story 3 years later when things were so complicated and messy only to be nearly wrapped up in a chapterm or two.

[anitatally · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I quit after about 20 pages. The writing was not engaging or inspiring to me. Life is too short to read books that are just "okay."

[tnociti-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely amazing. There were characters that I hated (not necessarily the ones that you'd expect or were easy to hate) but the character development and the storyline were just fantastic and tremendously challenging and disturbing. I will be thinking on, mulling over, and meditating about this book for a long, long time.

[marcal-15 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Like all of Wally Lamb's books, this one is pretty ambitious. It touches on a wide-range of topics including racism, murder, homophobia, abuse of all kinds, child molestation and pornography, drowning, alcoholism, gay marriage, divorce, Christianity, suicide, single parenthood, guilt, PTSD and artificial insemination. I'm also certain I left SOMETHING out of the list.

[ei214 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had a love/hate relationship with this book. I am a big Wally Lamb fan and this was my third read by him. This book was as equally riveting to me, as it was draggy. There was soooo much detail... and of course it wasn't until later in the book that it all came together and it was an amazing story. But I had to renew it three times from the library. I found some of it hard to get through but I was determined.Of the three books I have read by the author, they all take place in CT, in an area I frequent near the casinos. This is a great attraction for me. His characters are very well developed and quite interesting and themes are very contemporary.I look forward to reading many more by the author and do recommend this book.

[sonjayoerg · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Of Wally Lamb's books, I've enjoyed this one the least.

First, it is far longer than it needs to be, mostly because the characters won't stop talking about how they feel about everyone and everything at every possible opportunity. Who talks that much--even to themselves?

Second, the main theme of the book--that abuse carries a terrible legacy--is repeated ad nauseum, and Lamb offers neither forgiveness nor much insight for those caught in the crossfire. They are all bloodied, innocent and guilty alike. Not sure what the message is in that.

Third, and this may be personal, there's too much here that is cringeworthy and outright revolting. It's overplayed and I can't see the justification.

I had hoped for much more than a lukewarm first draft.

[viviennestrauss · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I didn't even know I was capable of reading a 565 page book in a 24 hour period but couldn't stop despite some of the painfully graphic parts. Wow. Horror, humor, and love story (love among family mainly). The art of character Josephus Jones sounded really intriguing to me and I was able to visualize it well. The art of Annie Oh? Sounded pretty awful.

[tamara_da_hunt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book. Wally Lamb never disappoints me.

[bibliolisa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A wife leaves her husband for another woman, and the effects of her actions ripple through the family. There are parallel stories here, dealing with love, race, and secrets.