Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Well: A Novel
    The Well: A Novel
    The Well: A Novel
    Ebook449 pages9 hours

    The Well: A Novel

    By Catherine Chanter

    3.5/5

    ()

    Switch to audiobook
    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Set in a modern-day Britain where water is running out everywhere except at the farm of one seemingly ordinary family whose mysterious good fortune leads to a shocking act of violence, The Well is “extraordinary...a mesmerizing read…combining a gripping mystery, nuanced psychological drama, and striking prose” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

    When Ruth Ardingly and her family make that first long drive up from the city in their grime-encrusted car and view The Well, they are enchanted by a jewel of a farm that appears to offer everything they need: an opportunity for Ruth, an escape for her husband, and a home for their grandson. But when the drought begins, everything changes. Surrounded by thirty acres of lush greenery, the farm mysteriously thrives while the world outside crumbles under the longest dry spell in recorded history. No one, including the owners, understands why.

    But The Well’s unique glory comes at a terrible price. From the envy of their neighbors to the mandates of the government, from the fanaticism of a religious order called the Sisters of the Rose to the everyday difficulties of staying close as husband and wife, grandmother and child—all these forces lead to a shocking crime. Accusations of witchcraft, wrongdoing, and murder envelop the family until their paradise becomes a prison.

    A beautifully written debut novel that “channels Margaret Atwood and Gillian Flynn, creating a story that’s speculative and suspenseful” (Minneapolis Star Tribune), The Well is an utterly haunting meditation on the fragile nature of our relationships with each other and the places we call home.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAtria Books
    Release dateMay 19, 2015
    ISBN9781476772783
    Author

    Catherine Chanter

    Catherine Chanter is a teacher, poet, and short story writer. She is the winner of the Yeovil Poetry Prize and the Lucy Cavendish Prize awarded by Cambridge University. She grew up in the West Country before attending Oxford. The Well is her first novel.

    Related to The Well

    Related ebooks

    Literary Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Editorial: A Lesson From The Holocaust: Never Stop Telling The Terrible Stories

      Apr 13, 2018

      "My mother went in the gas chamber first," the Holocaust survivor recalled. "They took my sister and me to the bathhouse, shaved our heads and gave us striped clothes and wooden shoes. We started asking for our parents and crying, 'Where is Mom? Wher

      2 min read

    • Article

      Mr. Rain Jacket

      May 20, 2019

      Mr. Rain Jacket
      10 min read

    • Article

      A Heroine for Our Time

      Oct 7, 2017

      JENNIFER EGAN JOINED THE WHO’S WHO of American letters in 2011 when she won a Pulitzer for A Visit From the Goon Squad, an interlinked-story-collection-as-novel that bucked more than a few conventions. Her new novel Manhattan Beach is more convention

      1 min read

    • Article

      Paul Tremblay

      Jun 17, 2020

      IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY BIGGEST FEARS that I would live to see the end of everything,” says Paul Tremblay, speaking to SFX from his Massachusetts home in the middle of lockdown. It’s a singularly peculiar time, and a peculiar interview for him to

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Moment That Made Me Slim

      Jan 11, 2022

      As I reached for a carton of milk, I caught sight of a little girl looking at me. ‘Mummy, look how fat that lady is,’ she said loudly, pointing in my direction. I saw the girl’s mother gasp, her cheeks red with embarrassment as she hurriedly shuffled

      4 min read

    • Article

      ‘I Prescribe Opioids. We Shouldn’t Treat Everyone Like An Addict’

      May 5, 2023

      One of the very first patients I treated after opening my pain practice tested positive for heroin. It was 2017 and I had just started a clinic focusing on the integrative management of pain patients after over 20 years of practicing as a medical doc

      5 min read

    • Article

      Christopher Pike

      Jan 29, 2020

      Christopher Pike
      2 min read

    • Article

      Secrets, Lies And Mysteries

      Sep 8, 2020

      Adelightful,discombobulating read from the author of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It’s set in a dreamlike house inhabited by the singular and self-sufficient Piranesi, who is not sure how he got there or who he is. Attempting to unravel his story

      1 min read

    • Article

      London Fog Sheet-Pan Cake

      Mar 26, 2021

      London Fog Sheet-Pan Cake
      2 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Steph Opitz

      Dec 17, 2018

      I put down a lot of books that didn’t do it for me, and shuffled and reshuffled my to-be-read pile to my heart’s content. It’s been liberating. The post A Year in Reading: Steph Opitz appeared first on The Millions.

      6 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Paul Tremblay

      Dec 3, 2020

      For the first time in weeks, I was swept along into that trance, that magic inner space where stories live. The post A Year in Reading: Paul Tremblay appeared first on The Millions.

      7 min read

    • Article

      Just Trust Me: In Praise Of Strange Books

      Dec 23, 2017

      Author Victoria Schwab says she loves the books that can't be categorized, that fall between library-shelf categories, and that spark passionate debate among readers who either love them or hate them.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Penny From Heaven

      Feb 27, 2020

      Penny From Heaven
      5 min read

    • Article

      Above Santa Cruz

      Jul 2, 2019

      Above Santa Cruz
      5 min read

    • Article

      Four Poems

      Mar 1, 2024

      I was trying to look a little less like myselfand more like other humans, humans who belonged, so I put on a skort.Purchased in another life, when I had a husband and wrote thank-you notes and held dinner parties,the skort even had its own little poc

      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Well

    3.5/5

    9 ratings8 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      A gripping and tragic story set in a dystopian future that has enough parallels with the present that it's possible to imagine the scenario arising.
    • 4/5
      Ruth Ardingly has just been released from prison to serve out a sentence of house arrest for arson and suspected murder at her farm, The Well. Beyond its borders, some people whisper she is a witch; others a messiah. For as soon as Ruth returns to The Well, rain begins to fall on the farm. And it has not rained anywhere else in the country in over three years.

      Ruth and her husband Mark had moved years before from London to this ancient idyll in the hopes of starting their lives over. But then the drought began, and as the surrounding land dried up and died, and The Well grew lush and full of life, they came to see their fortune would come at a price. From the envy of their neighbors to the mandates of the government, from the fanaticism of a religious order called the Sisters of the Rose to the everyday difficulties of staying close as husband and wife, mother and child—all these forces led to a horrifying crime: the death of their seven-year-old grandson, drowned with cruel irony in one of the few ponds left in the countryside.

      Now back at The Well, Ruth must piece together the tragedy that shattered her marriage, her family, and her dream. For she believes her grandson’s death was no accident, and that the murderer is among the people she trusted most. Alone except for her guards on a tiny green jewel in a world rapidly turning to dust, Ruth begins to confront her worst fears and learns what really happened in the dark heart of The Well.

      A tour de force about ordinary people caught in the tide of an extraordinary situation, Catherine Chanter’s The Well is a haunting, beautifully written, and utterly believable novel that probes the fragility of our personal relationships and the mystical connection between people and the places they call home.

      Ordinary couple wanting to escape the London rat race buy a idyllic farm and then the drought begins.....

      While the rest of the country suffers the Well appears to be the only place in the UK where rain still falls. Soon they are under siege from the media, the curious public and increasing government interest. Disgruntled locals are muttering about witchcraft, their lives are torn apart and Eden becomes Hell.

      Ruth's troubled traveller daughter arrives with son and fellow travellers in tow, closely followed by a group of creepy nuns calling them the Sisters of the Rose of Jericho.

      The overwhelming feeling I got from this book was a sense of isolation, The Well had become a prison for Ruth and her increasingly disturbing thoughts.

      Beautifully written, the descriptive prose is very evocative:

      Dawn was late, dusk early in the dying days of the year, but the mornings were medieval blue and gold.....

      A long, melancholy book that maybe could have done with a little pruning here and there but worth the investment.
    • 1/5
      What a stupid, awful, boring, stupid (did I say that already?) book. I felt absolutely no connection to any of the characters, and would it have killed the author to give us some sort of explanation for the origin and resolution of the drought? Nitpicking: the main character's insistence on calling her guards "Three," "Anon" and "Boy," rather than their given names, was extremely annoying. This book was just a mess.
    • 4/5
      This was almost an apocalypse novel (and how I love apocalypse novels!) with its scenario of a drought-stricken country in which water shortages are causing all sorts of chaos, except in a smallholding called 'The Well' which lives up to its name and has a plentiful supply. A story of marital breakdown, religious nutters and murder is played out against this backdrop, and an impressive degree of suspense is built up. This book will appeal to readers who like a well-turned sentence. it's written in beautifully poetic prose and at times when I read slowly I appreciated this very much - it's atmospheric and has a very original feel - but at other times, like when I was racing to find out whodunnit, the dense, descriptive text was like creepers snaking around my feet, hindering my progress.As with apocalypse novels, there is a sense of reading fiction that could easily become fact given a particular conjunction of events or conditions in the real world. I found myself wanting to know more about the situation outside the gates of The Well, but information is scant as almost all of the story takes place within its curtilage. I get that the outside world wasn't where the author was going with this story; her concerns were with the interplay between the characters living at the smallholding; it's just a personal preference thing.
    • 5/5
      Recently one of the book sites I follow asked when the last time was that I knew from the first page that I was going to love a book. This was the book. And it never disappointed me at any time. To me, this is what great literature is all about. Each and every chapter grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go. The book centers around The Well, which is a plot of land recently purchased by a middle-aged couple who are trying to make a new start in life. This takes place during a period when there has been a terrible drought throughout Britain, causing severe water shortages and new rules and laws imposed by the government; however, it’s still raining at The Well. Of course, that brings up all kinds of doubts and fears about this couple and their land. Is there something scientific causing this peculiarity or is the woman a witch – or possibly even a messiah?While The Well is a paradise for Ruth and Mark, it comes with a heavy price. When tragedy strikes their family, the suspense and horror builds as they try to unravel what actually happened and who was to blame. As their world is torn apart, they struggle with trust and forgiveness and try to hold on to their own sanity. I was completely absorbed in this book and so many parts struck a deep chord in me. Catherine Chanter has the heart of a poet and has constructed a beautifully written work of art. The Well and its inhabitants will haunt you long after you lay this book down.An ARC of this book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
    • 3/5
      THE WELL by Catherine ChanterTHE WELL is several buckets of water too long. The first 200 pages of the book were boring. The last 100 were fast paced and absorbing. The question – Are the last 100 pages worth the first 200? If you like many pages of psychological wanderings to get to the real story then – Yes, you will like this book. If you just want your mystery to get to the point with logic, this book will drive you crazy. The identity of the murderer was never really in doubt. The characters were unknowable until near the end of the book so a connection with the characters was difficult. The one “knowable” person was Lucien. The sub plot of drought was the link that held everything together, unfortunately, the drought was known only through inference. A reasonable explanation of why the drought was everywhere except at the well was never addressed. That leaves one with magic, psychology and an unsatisfying read.3 of 5 stars for good writing but a plodding plot.
    • 3/5
      The beginning of The Well captivated me. The premise of the story was interesting, and I appreciated how Chanter made the land where it continued to rain a character in the novel. Unfortunately, as soon as the Sisters of the Rose entered the story, it lost some of its momentum. The religious elements didn’t interest me enough, and Ruth’s role in the rise of it didn’t seem well enough explained. The book is beautifully written, and the imagery in it is stunning, but it wasn’t quite enough to overcome my impatience with how the story unfolded.
    • 4/5
      I'm not going to rehash the plot because the description on the book page is a very good one. I'm just going to write what I thought of the book. When I first started this it seemed a bit wordy, though I was interested to see where this was going and of course to find out who really killed Lucien, her five year old grandson. It soon became apparent that this is a character study of Ruth mainly but of others too, how they reacted to the circumstances. How the fact that rain only fell in one place, at the Well, while the rest of the continent seems to be in a drought. Sure brought out the worse in people as Chanter so ably describes.I soon became immersed in this story, although it was centered in one place there was much happening. Neighbors turn against them, crazies come from all over and finally the Sisters of the Rose, who view Ruth as the chosen one. I found fascinating how Ruth herself, was induced into believing this, soon putting everything on the line. A good view of how people become seduced into a cult, acting against their own best interests. I ended up really liking this book, it is very well written and the psychological aspects were intriguing. How people act and why, how they behave under untold stress. Did I feel sorry for Ruth? Yes and no, some I think she brought on herself but the penalty was one she didn't expect to pay. Although I did guess the who on the who done it, the ending was still a surprise because there is more than just the unmasking of the killer. All in all, I liked this book, it was different and in the end I felt satisfied with all I read. ARC from Publisher.

    Book preview

    The Well - Catherine Chanter

    .abook_preview_excerpt.html}ے#Ǒ寀/kffgvf-c[S"5&5l@`zӗs<"^F./߾{~ݷ_~ww?ƶ]B]~!v? }:_5ٷnSKiwwabv_d_w]oov| 1]Wc͗x-m mgn2-c/ߥyw .ٵ>>dӼۥ?4LІ)r@68&hʻ7s9ekbf>/˔f׷? -.h솆?xؽaY_9lKr=(0d<,3Aۖ]V.ː.lꡳ5w+yx(G5Fݚ+ndmUnC5`4, M~d,gmicsVhksl7h`9MC qJ9`}|(>wԓ7NykH~ U7phmlSQٓi6:؞%/=ߦ?45cɶHnK'g G[mt7(C7bK]| nm& v7ۿ:3{[kj#kS/S=Ֆb7`<d*vujG+1h0uQb²̐R?lnӓ옥$~@xς7nN'?}J? %̦e45cIXxz0A~a"sgg]\pcs(c2yw-NkCMhd6M-q ]$a)񼴴Y6na fkn[繍8fQ&ljƁ{2LLuMI[:Bn=bKw<~df6@ 7h`[;"4\(@b-~JL}Jau:Cc_dh33mG$&Bc9MXWv6M8k<{/ #7av?[ԍ]+*U-9uj.Kߎa9KSs R1C>L |rvDC~cRfW'~h??c ѰU95n~'"&kW]yfXNjۗ/5eG]iMx ?&LH:>0ّ?o*^;P7*zl GvX"k0ÿ/2{ L>UI_ؙ-uQYa.giuxWb1`Bw?ASdK([;BU( f)bl'F}FȤE\۝^Mj&-~^8oZ?,zPB017Y,2%&$=}S^LDŽPٯ?.mƎ!0ڻQG}\#" cs`J~ŁIq&Xe P u~ʄpGs+)fl6Heݿ Rql7(#3ێ tպ4a"!bmn5霘3"o@Vg N( .c lnHm $iWyE#)$|epUp &̋=y^'/̫҅> ?ҝpvAz56C/ >["84kb\"8#4fx=x&Sc aLYhvIHSJ"t]e a$ݫC~Km :&dZ4_H~&!GɠC7]{T331S_%~HX RQi$9`슢2Q 8K6'1SLɆ,'ڰ] 5.PņX}<m 'P0n e;L2 0e2ր.G9D*l]a3TY<;϶e\T^2µAz:)ͷL^H>Od:y驰^;9wnݼTEt\~}kh&`|F&8ꘕ2K&vZE #)ce4!C;s< x!y= ^rsfd4ȉ4BS*h sh6jstM/dҴF2 3QwTZ:ǁL<_%0' W !hSGfWy, "{dhp놜& [ꥷ7u`l:ז 6l#ܠb5E d$Vw#~NSFLJ,<4/ŌhJ<ڳNn ])Jڼzؘ#8PwACpR0dA?<39Nk]?^ӀY(1M ^qבjzX"&_kx+cwq;Eܚ-UYU&3"D{T+†M!Ox柎0GCOGpvk@ΗY=;_N€ cVO$6aoI-tC450vS\ 440!y{a^V:sס/ǁEq2_i%o"@ѵ&)Svڦ9.C r!mmK=.O}LU2쩋MZOb?0?98L TPI?Hqc1D"p`Coej!W$CI63^I"I6X|p(8E2Są[RIs PuHmѐ3ifO3 ? zaMg>^>1ȵAɒ<-83+U6LgvݞNv:bՕ'RQax HW-pqFAN3jS4,HCOSfgglPsiv{s`[;C^ S!"ʠOxHVf9 O3cv2*80$̞ L fpue2+`X dܻ2\+~;Okږch Rav-YG-?f^$LQ"o#wi*Xu;B"G>Yc@fɳf4-/A$0rKšSA5[.I ׬uYC^U8aAX)uc+B2ϟ?Z_SQN68Z$g^B ,ob`L;`;IOYy:$lodOd?$^zpp63USY^s<9jН C(\FaL8ǯBAi8H^V KEX Gmu_icNbEGԒ|%$\јF[=ɩD4n8k6b[dZjv!G (oF8̶tS֠ÜFgitO>;5~n m|A~?HQt*٭Te!˦Iqƻi}N *\Ú(hC4c`2/ ~MSgtO,y㬨߆r+Si|Aו_pGG51X]aJF,ݥ)y?(DKbtۻpDށݝ,2&?fB%I'G#+YxnA+4 prJם=Ṭ'\چY]8W˜`s}npB{ ]b;֐kCʄV?cֆYpu`Z'q*OիEiAn?y* p&uUI"xg*-ɔ>WFkۦfVe{s%?9<w^'q- _I~,C'c%-oNF KBߦ`7C PamvUpbfom`OYAjp d'B2bzT NA{jV iDC5NL@r#'-# ϶`dF9 KS?D;u2ܷ *qb>k\nMK&IW{:dU<*ݶ2ǯȹ,^t, N{OUJ,}{8M#VX1TSq5JTŭBEbr%٥BAStC̚U;:0iFa%-B[̒&Ƹ $' !l+j\{dk)(w}~M~0Oa?_UоT,iK [ Dxb鶡S1^znIitn& vb pC/xdFF^9Ns?"#5Z49RRU.T] UwA%71ae &ʵ5,SԄe{̽1klmfaGw~bJmvoLTLb GȮE0Z=S*D&fBx~И?V\ .T^W׻ߥ ^vP=>WR,hG FlF|q́t/Q[L76Q6՟!KpXPBb rB/tP6퓣OvexVsDO;Կ,78yXdxvb"v; >)@#?IǜsiyUvSJZ(u<#`0Nmcn_x/?f~.nO0mNt@5=6=˧0~T"PSt)'e^ 3_B_.~T(J y~M3ޔTl4%R|8{ώ!jE翰X52[߈E֜*kZ@8sD=-hs]ۓS|YD\S/s$>њf0Upwp1;oǛBX`ͪeȴWmDZS"e̅kJ>5(ŮML|{ezÁ$ 9u qi?QbpDc. H%s"#e:jLgK89 {1H^rǒo>05eP:ŕˋԢ.ښբNm/Q K9n*A@͚4'W;; g3h_Cyʙl**$BASO8z5 u[MQ{[E~?!Mh6 gϖ>(ZHV7Z./|m:!J_ ½dPʡ/ ]݂&I3ctbܡ- ^o쁣w[npNq4=Ή]l`k8~ H}#eWA'=z{#UK;\P2 |XZp_JG@ezP55&NU _ PzJGLP(1kmrf~F1([wPta$vmLGRҗú޺XݍLEdmPk0]sKRHqW;*S,4[9c{./0G_F,<ٶ)K*6%Zui|7TX@4L}zbAy_~7NOBes8uv.#[AתNg2x>Nj^r{+p~a@pQ~$Z̐muRvIjg!'޽[!#LgOc(2/{ t}XW<Às2q@C+W!=2pA$JT"J4)Lj;?g׋4ǮPiiQ/5GA˵ @mh/|=%.A2˨{nC(V ׁS<9PiXZ8EXEpZ _wh_NL]Yigˎ{SEYGQĨ^~ŰcAx)}ˈa s 7Q2F["PH ۶|=36m Ձ*ٌV|VM,|6B2;;׷#ׄt%Kv{i5?mNQ~ߎ? .'. %gvRgի?pgba^t[:oK`D Y}6y`>D!![-lInC V Ln:%sZAMv4g *k%]JW~FѫjJ'l芘 !|mꮴɶ_r1QJ~8l[A|KAvX̏Jt?_ȄYK^\P˛6zDC[z4"S۱?KkGҠ V)~eMV̅9DxKy|~6붥IŇ5v-:@WC^ 4 PUpF#y~ڨ? Xk8$܂Tn6*&#exHQїvIW)J r&g_ 8Ҭ䌆RZU/شW'Ju @<ͭG#%ǒ[D :dP+UzЏ6֒DOBO43u"tQr'!r-i@eG3#/2 31xd?{xŬ:\+ )Tԡ4^Tɨ6|?/.4tYlJ7L'A;d)`*Fw9MHDHDZ(1TQ吁ɢO{ ek8hQB꿒q3RC1$ϕJDFV;8Ŕ]+Bj1?nJαG)΢OPLj0ln|쪽{yjIֳ yaNV1l%|:/*`O~hֽp As?j˦v{v5 5 Y7WF8)]6 s!+٥AZt5i5 ;r?@u@܊sFR0í$ϥ0lP]}C P.с-foaP~|y:x>j7| [sj%oh'YrX'?'W5͎KWqP:"ü:߾}&߽GwJtng6))- V|7K8M&o4wmN 2Al(XD8LJιХ?6 pS\)GZ;{7AF\6#.[ߡp' A—4mדI[ l}BʛXB =6([aba;sؼK5H[Y wgjpTPRqOzu"W4ǶƊQTn߁b`ae⋢X&D]#<-J೜jUn.ɹ b^2J ;^3:7l(={$8n J ?wKY bZB?.zGv9> B+h-j*aWKQU;5>@DRŬ4Ey! \}t;EaٸJ{E@ƅs[~zu2kbn\UV>4_4a?h⽜*-KA_V2v3`;:] X4QIFv0'1*/6;/s!qcD+i~*; OTS^hINK'Bo[5(/Е1NI&`-hw…H;)Eŗ|y8G J &{+P]b5fX}=яtS4K6j n>Sh-Ki-Q{2KmVFjM&*CPMYfDž؟M7)0?ͩ.C?i >_by y̵-qUF-Ϡk+ۏr.Ӌnͫ wP[LrCbV۵P%9s|̰:psVr܂?uQib<[p8 kFrhʄRk?Z+PN|0qKg|WaJc.#EB51V`mׯ EV&շ RUC+iC牟h;_=l_S%BRt_쬐t4gd]޺^m+XWH 9 ՅNKٙU=]st*IL]a Wsmhn- L[  U+KF"CC6ۡ;fԛ ؒaFkS=ssˍZWVjQ͗Q-Wf ve8mɉtZوtH!֞"Xdz;?-Ӧr6tRsvߡ9㍵5'XJ0a-|cL! |4CMF>Cg斨K{s q/[&~Y*tf)X}?*6-ͳX &ac~%k)2MY~f@*1%ePpeUErYF7ҁ QXWk;\ܿ/S pظFDҍӠ5eee<vTD$N^WiLx\_&Dc6}w\tOOM{u\:%b~:{ CjWmJ|˦{<SVR}t)Ĭ< yРSz ݎ8Z_XU>װwdgq7PZ>ޚJ>ުjEх.nJW.wq޾ SgЧkϝ SyKJ) "%_䨿 " rśoRǿ["*b4"EOj2[XBkoXKs`KArBeol( 0 t}4)RV8*|M'HޢXR2&!.t zJRލyO{)#-V{}hm;U2 grPh/!; %]M2qByVa_w^T7+~}Tw9?oI"%%z<+;)#rvSaU*|F~b<өw3WȂ? 16^z{dVfr:*k+ M|u`a&}sF/~U7$Q&( ;tE;~%<Vf0{/Ó#_yV1ڣ=T4r:I0llVH'\o
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1