The Water Children: A Novel
By Anne Berry
4/5
()
About this ebook
From the icy banks of a secluded country pond to the fevered core of a historic London heat wave and immersion in an abandoned underwater village in the Tuscan mountains, four young people—each of whose lives has been irrevocably altered by water— converge in this brilliantly plotted drama of passion, betrayal, revenge, and redemption.
Owen is haunted by nightmares of the Merfolk. He believes they have stolen his little sister, who vanished while he was meant to be watching her on the beach. But he was only a child himself. Is it fair for his mother to have blamed him all these years?
Catherine’s perfect Christmas was ruined when she went skating on a frozen pond with her cousin and the other girl nearly died. Yet it is Catherine who feels, as she says, “permanently trapped under the ice.”
Sean grew up on a farm in Ireland. Learning to swim in the River Shannon was his way of escaping the bitter poverty of his childhood, but communing with the river spirits incurred his superstitious father’s wrath.
Naomi never feared the water. She was orphaned, cruelly abused, and the sea offered a cleansing balm; she reveled in the ocean’s power. But Naomi has another secret buried deep within her, and during one searing hot summer she will be the catalyst for the coming together—and tearing apart—of the water children.
Anne Berry
Anne Berry was born in London in 1956, then spent much of her infancy in Aden, before moving on to Hong Kong at the age of six, where she was educated. She worked for a short period as a journalist for the South China Morning Post, before returning to Britain. After completing a three-year acting course, she embarked on a career in theatre, playing everything from pantomime to Shakespeare. She now lives in Surrey with her husband and four children. ‘The Hungry Ghosts’ is her first novel.
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Reviews for The Water Children
3 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sort of middling story about sad British people who have a sad connection to a river or the ocean or a pond.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Initially I struggled with this book as I felt that the story setting up process was taking far too long and it took me until over half way to really engage with the characters. With the 4 main characters [Catherine, Owen, Sean and Naomi] we first discover their individual stories and how interactions with water have affected their lives but it is in the second half as the 4 adults become entangled that I found myself drawn into their lives. The book twists and turns with some 'Fatal Attraction' elements as betrayal and hurts surface but for me it is in the character of Owen that we find the most rounded and developed characterisation. Some of the desciptive passages early on are clunky and it is disjointed in places, for me the Italian episode doesn't add greatly to the story, but ultimately the book did grab me and I felt moved to tears by the ending so probably 3.5 stars would have been the more accurate rating.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a very accomplished book by the writer of the prize winning author Anne Berry who wrote "The Hungry Ghosts".The story revolves around 3 main characters...all linked by water. Catherine almost drowned whilst playing on an iced over lake with her cousin. Sean is mesmerised by the river Shannon in his native Ireland. Owen is deeply damaged by the death of his younger little sister who drowns in the sea whilst he is supposed to be caring for her when he is only a child himself. Add to the mix, a mesmerising woman called Naomi, a disturbed individual who is addicted to the sea's power. Each of our characters encounter Naomi, and her alter ego Mara, and it changes their lives forever.The novel is mainly set in London during the very hot summer of 1976. So vivid is the writing that the heat seems to emanate from the pages. Owens' story is by far the strongest and most effective for me. His sadness, guilt and longing to be loved by his bitter mother are heart breaking. His fear of water is palpable."The Water Children" is deeply moving and demonstrates how our past can have such a powerful effect on our present and future lives. I can certainly recommend it and it would make a great book club read with it's multi faceted characterization.This book was made available to me, prior to publictaion, for an honest review.