The Waters: A Novel
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- Create Date：2024-01-06 04:21:48
- Update Date：2025-09-14
- Status：finish
- Author：Bonnie Jo Campbell
- ISBN：B0BWG8ZNBB
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Reviews
Colleen
，
Rose Thorn and Titus have had a thing forever。 Rose Thorn disappears and later reappears with a 3 day old baby。 Titus knows it isn't his and his insistence that Rose Thorn tell her all the details regarding the conception prevents Rose Thorn and the baby and Titus from becoming a family。Rose Thorn leaves the baby with her mother Hermine Zook on a swampy island。Mississauga rattlesnakes are featured prominently and consistently throughout this book。I was anxious to read this book because of the Mi Rose Thorn and Titus have had a thing forever。 Rose Thorn disappears and later reappears with a 3 day old baby。 Titus knows it isn't his and his insistence that Rose Thorn tell her all the details regarding the conception prevents Rose Thorn and the baby and Titus from becoming a family。Rose Thorn leaves the baby with her mother Hermine Zook on a swampy island。Mississauga rattlesnakes are featured prominently and consistently throughout this book。I was anxious to read this book because of the Michigan setting; but honestly， it seemed very foreign to this Michigander。 Rounding up to 4 stars （the snake thing was a little too creepy for me）。Many thanks to NetGalley for introducing me （yet once again） to a new to me author。 Thank you to NetGalley and W。W。 Norton & Company for approving my request to read the advance read copy in exchange for an honest review。 Publication date is 09 Jan 2024。 。。。more
Jan Fore
，
The WatersBonnie Jo CampbellJanuary 09， 2024Isolated residents live in Whiteheart， Michigan in an area known as ‘The Waters’ where an island is surrounded by surly waters。 Few people inhabit it。 The cottage that stands alone amongst the jungle growth is in the maze of the landscape。The owner is Hermine Zook aka Herself。 The lone mother of three daughters， two of which have moved away from the Great Massasauga Swamp looking to build a life among the intelligent civilizations。 The youngest， Rose T The WatersBonnie Jo CampbellJanuary 09， 2024Isolated residents live in Whiteheart， Michigan in an area known as ‘The Waters’ where an island is surrounded by surly waters。 Few people inhabit it。 The cottage that stands alone amongst the jungle growth is in the maze of the landscape。The owner is Hermine Zook aka Herself。 The lone mother of three daughters， two of which have moved away from the Great Massasauga Swamp looking to build a life among the intelligent civilizations。 The youngest， Rose Thorn would stay， then leave to visit her sister on the west coast， then work her way back to her beau， Titus Clay， Jr。 Herself is a healer。 Finds her meds and ways via the wildlife of the island or the serum of the rattlesnakes that breed within the waters。 The Waters will be published on January 09， 2024 by W。W。 Norton and Company。 I was able to read Campbell’s latest gem via NetGalley。 To the readers who venture into this extremely intelligent novel， I advise to take the time and the patience to continue with this ‘marathon’ book。 It is an exceptional story that will be true to her award winning talents。 Truthfully， I became lost in the characters a time or two and went back for a review。 It’s one that I can highly recommend。 Do Enjoy！ 。。。more
Andy Mozina
，
This is a truly amazing book。 It's nothing short of a sort of a feminist bible， or feminist cosmology， reimagining the founding myths and stories of the western world from a female perspective。 There's mysticism here， to be sure， but the miracle of this book is how grounded it is， both in the literal swamp and in the facts of women's bodies--how they desire and inspire desire， bear children， make medicine and do physical and emotional and intellectual work。 The book is perfectly constructed。 The This is a truly amazing book。 It's nothing short of a sort of a feminist bible， or feminist cosmology， reimagining the founding myths and stories of the western world from a female perspective。 There's mysticism here， to be sure， but the miracle of this book is how grounded it is， both in the literal swamp and in the facts of women's bodies--how they desire and inspire desire， bear children， make medicine and do physical and emotional and intellectual work。 The book is perfectly constructed。 The men of Whiteheart are understood as well as the women and they have their place and their deep flaws。 The last chapter and the Epilogue bring everything together in wise and satisfying ways。 A real triumph。 。。。more
Melki
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"Love is a sharp hollow tooth。"Man， I pretty much hated this book， but it was undeniably goodI wanted to slap nearly every character for being so stubborn and set in their ways that they became blind to the needs of those around them， AND for placing so much responsibility on a young girl who really only wanted to go to school。 ALSO， there are highly detailed， horrific instances of animal cruelty。 On the other hand 。 。 。This is first and foremost a book about women - three sisters， one of the wo "Love is a sharp hollow tooth。"Man， I pretty much hated this book， but it was undeniably goodI wanted to slap nearly every character for being so stubborn and set in their ways that they became blind to the needs of those around them， AND for placing so much responsibility on a young girl who really only wanted to go to school。 ALSO， there are highly detailed， horrific instances of animal cruelty。 On the other hand 。 。 。This is first and foremost a book about women - three sisters， one of the women's daughter， and one domineering legend of a matriarch who looms large not only over her offspring， but over the neighboring town as well。 She's a woman townsfolk both rely on AND resent。 The main characters live on an island， accessible only by a sort of drawbridge controlled by the women on the island。 Pretty cool， I thought。 As for the menfolk， well 。 。 。 right up until the end of the book when an emergency forces them to "man up，" male characters exist merely as sperm donors， or catalysts for crises that the women must handle。If none of this has dissuaded you， you may find the book to be an involving， immersive， character-driven read。 I certainly did。 As I've said before， I don't need to like characters to find them interesting， and the womenfolk of this novel were pretty fascinating。 This is one that'll stick with me for quite a while。Thanks to W。 W。 Norton & Company and NetGalley for sharing。 。。。more
Jim Higgins
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4。5 stars
Sharon Dene
，
I really love this book is so well written。 Every character in this book had such a wonderful name and such wonderful background relating to each other。 There are 3 sisters。 Who had different personalities。 You live in a small town in w h I t a h e a。 The mother in the book called herself。 She was a medicine doctor living on the island and she provided stuff to get rid of babies or take babies in the basket。 The town really did not like her， but they all respected her because they helped her out I really love this book is so well written。 Every character in this book had such a wonderful name and such wonderful background relating to each other。 There are 3 sisters。 Who had different personalities。 You live in a small town in w h I t a h e a。 The mother in the book called herself。 She was a medicine doctor living on the island and she provided stuff to get rid of babies or take babies in the basket。 The town really did not like her， but they all respected her because they helped her out a lot。 The oldest one called PRI M lived in California。 She was a lawyer。。 Mary was a nurse who lived in a trailer park close to her parents。 Mother was married to a man named will， but he lived in the big house and eventually he left。 She saved him from a snakes all over the islands。 The youngest one named rose thorns was very rebellious person and she lived with her mother。 She liked a boy named Titus。。 This was a really rocking relationship on her off again。 She was also raped by titus's father。 She left when she found out she was pregnant and her mother sent a pills out to california but she chose to have the baby。 She came home and her daughter named。 Donkey。 Her mother kept disappearing all the time so her grandmother raised her。 It's a lot of issues in this book about insects。 And people who do not expect people。 It's awesome mystery book and a love story at the same time。 Everybody is related as you read the book。 You'll find out who is related and who's not。 The snake plays a very important part of this book as well。 Because donkey fell in love with her 。 This girl was very very smart。 And she helped her grandmother out She lost part of her hand。 She started to find out things about the past， but everybody was very cautious around her。 Titus had another girlfriend and he really liked her。 But rose thorn got no way as usual。 All these women are very strong when they How to be to put 。 They showed a lot of character in this book and now they stood up to their man。 。。。more
Konpeito
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I devoured this in one night。 Will review in depth later。
Sara Mcfadden
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Thank you to NetGalley and W。W。 Norton and Company for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which will be available wide on January 9，2024！This was heavy。 Not clunky or anything but the subject matter was heavy。 It gave me such a depression reading it。 I don’t know if I could actually recommend it。 The names of the characters were freaking off putting。 Honestly it felt like I was reading a really pretentious art house book trying to be gritty and raw and real but it just fell flat。 Thank you to NetGalley and W。W。 Norton and Company for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which will be available wide on January 9，2024！This was heavy。 Not clunky or anything but the subject matter was heavy。 It gave me such a depression reading it。 I don’t know if I could actually recommend it。 The names of the characters were freaking off putting。 Honestly it felt like I was reading a really pretentious art house book trying to be gritty and raw and real but it just fell flat。 It left a bad taste in my brain and a lasting funk on my soul。 。。。more
Wendy
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The Waters is full of rich characters and secrets。 We meet a family of women healers who need their own healing。 While we watch Dorothy， Donkey， grow up and learn so much about her family and life itself， the mysteries of the Waters unfold。 Many times I felt like I was reading about a swampy area of Louisiana rather than the setting of Michigan。 This book is a bit of a roller coaster， both in the story and the writing。 It is a slow start and worth the time spent getting through that to enjoy the The Waters is full of rich characters and secrets。 We meet a family of women healers who need their own healing。 While we watch Dorothy， Donkey， grow up and learn so much about her family and life itself， the mysteries of the Waters unfold。 Many times I felt like I was reading about a swampy area of Louisiana rather than the setting of Michigan。 This book is a bit of a roller coaster， both in the story and the writing。 It is a slow start and worth the time spent getting through that to enjoy the adventure of this strange and loving family。 。。。more
Carol N
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Bonnie Jo Campbell has introduced her readers to her newest novel， "The Waters， a story about 5 exceptional women and the small town of Whiteheart， Michigan。 The "Waters" is located on an island in the Great Massasauga Swamp。 When I first started to read， I felt like I was in the swamps of south Florida instead of Michigan。The main characters include an eccentric herbalist， Hermine aka "Herself，" her three estranged daughters。 and one granddaughter。 Herself inspires reverence and fear from the p Bonnie Jo Campbell has introduced her readers to her newest novel， "The Waters， a story about 5 exceptional women and the small town of Whiteheart， Michigan。 The "Waters" is located on an island in the Great Massasauga Swamp。 When I first started to read， I felt like I was in the swamps of south Florida instead of Michigan。The main characters include an eccentric herbalist， Hermine aka "Herself，" her three estranged daughters。 and one granddaughter。 Herself inspires reverence and fear from the people of Whiteheart as well as her youngest wayward daughter， Rose Thorn; the oldest daughter， Primrose， lawyer in Southern California; Molly， a local hospital nurse and Rose Thorn's only daughter， eleven-year-old Dorothy ， "Donkey。" Donkey spends her days searching for truths， waiting for her wayward mother to return and longing for a father。 She is unaware of family secrets。 While rage simmers in this small town with those on both sides of the divide， the only bridge seems to be Rose Thorn。I must admit I found the story's beginning a bit slow but since it is character driven， so it took me a while to get involved in the story line。 Be patient， the story is worth reading。 。。。more
Courtney
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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review。Three generations of women come together in this 'rural noir' novel。 Hermine 'Herself' is the matriarch who provides herbal medicine to the townsfolk。 She has 3 daughters， and raises a granddaughter nicknamed Donkey who is the the primary narrator of this story。 Donkey and Herself live on a remote island， and this story is mostly about how Donkey's mother， Rose Thorn， comes back into their lives。One on hand， I was mesmerized a Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review。Three generations of women come together in this 'rural noir' novel。 Hermine 'Herself' is the matriarch who provides herbal medicine to the townsfolk。 She has 3 daughters， and raises a granddaughter nicknamed Donkey who is the the primary narrator of this story。 Donkey and Herself live on a remote island， and this story is mostly about how Donkey's mother， Rose Thorn， comes back into their lives。One on hand， I was mesmerized and didn't want to put the book down。 On the other hand， there were spots where it dragged on and it felt like it took me a long time to read this。 The townsfolk can be grating， especially the men who seem to all feel ownership of Rose Thorn。 There are multiple scenes of animal violence。 I also had absolutely no clue what time period this book was set in， which bothered me。 But the main characters were interesting， and there were subtle twists revealed throughout， which I enjoyed。 。。。more
Mary
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The beautiful cover of this book drew me in， the women of the Great Massasauga Swamp held me captive。 Isolated on an island in rural Michigan swamp land， Hermine （Herself） raised her daughters and granddaughter while helping the people of Whiteheart with her healing tonics。 The story starts slow but picks up midway。 One of the things I liked about this book is the southern fiction vibe it has。 Life on the island has an old-time feel in a modern world。 The downside was that the book felt long， an The beautiful cover of this book drew me in， the women of the Great Massasauga Swamp held me captive。 Isolated on an island in rural Michigan swamp land， Hermine （Herself） raised her daughters and granddaughter while helping the people of Whiteheart with her healing tonics。 The story starts slow but picks up midway。 One of the things I liked about this book is the southern fiction vibe it has。 Life on the island has an old-time feel in a modern world。 The downside was that the book felt long， and I sometimes struggled to continue reading。 Thanks to the author Bonnie Jo Campbell。 W。 W。 Norton & Company， and NetGalley。 I received a complimentary copy of this ebook。 The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own。 。。。more
Jessica
，
I had the privilege of getting to read an advanced copy of Bonnie Jo Campbell's THE WATERS， which debuts next month。 This is a beautiful book that reads like something from the classic literary canon。 It follows a family of women in rural Michigan who make the natural environment their home。 The matriarch， Hermine "Herself" Zook， is a healer of sorts with three adult daughters， Primrose， Molly， and Rose Thorn。 When Rose Thorn is assaulted by the father of one of her boyfriends， she gets pregnant I had the privilege of getting to read an advanced copy of Bonnie Jo Campbell's THE WATERS， which debuts next month。 This is a beautiful book that reads like something from the classic literary canon。 It follows a family of women in rural Michigan who make the natural environment their home。 The matriarch， Hermine "Herself" Zook， is a healer of sorts with three adult daughters， Primrose， Molly， and Rose Thorn。 When Rose Thorn is assaulted by the father of one of her boyfriends， she gets pregnant and gives birth to Dorothy "Donkey" Zook。 Most of the novel follows 10-year-old Donkey as she lives with her grandmother in "the Waters" and struggles against the mythology and power of nature and the sanitized， violent， masculine society that tries to wedge itself into their lives。 It's a feminist book that tries to answer how the feminine and the masculine can coexist and support one another。 It's one that definitely stuck with me past the final page。 。。。more
upinpages
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3。8 stars。 Recieved this ARC as a part of a Goodreads giveaway。 Loved the setting from the get go， however， the pacing was hard to get through and made it difficult for me to connect with the characters。 A slow burn。
Judy
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When I first started reading this book， I didn't like it。 But I stuck with it and eventually it grew on me。 By the end of the book， I liked it。 The story is about powerful women， starting with Hermine， who is called "Herself"。 She is an herbalist that the townsfolk have come to depend on to cure their ailments。 The biggest controversy are the herbs she gives pregnant women to help them abort their baby。 She is raising her granddaughter， Dorothy， who is called， "Donkey"， who doesn't go to schoo When I first started reading this book， I didn't like it。 But I stuck with it and eventually it grew on me。 By the end of the book， I liked it。 The story is about powerful women， starting with Hermine， who is called "Herself"。 She is an herbalist that the townsfolk have come to depend on to cure their ailments。 The biggest controversy are the herbs she gives pregnant women to help them abort their baby。 She is raising her granddaughter， Dorothy， who is called， "Donkey"， who doesn't go to school。 Hermine has three "daughters"， only one of whom is her biological child。 The relationships are complicated。 。。。more
Margot
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2。5 This is a lush， sensual novel set in the rural swamps of northern Michigan。 I really tried to get into the story but found it a slog most of the way。 I think if you are interested in herbal medicine and nature， especially snakes， it would be enjoyable as Campbell is a good writer。 It definitely picks up speed in the second half but not enough for me to not be very glad when it was over。 Think this one will have limited appeal to the general reading audience。
Stephanie
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Wow！ I loved this book！！ If I didn't have dogs that needed walking， I might have finished the second half in one sitting。 As in so many good books， the Island and the Waters （the swampland around the island） were important characters in the story。 The author's descriptions of the setting were so beautiful and so complete that I felt them come alive。The women in the story reminded me of the women in Toni Morrison's 'Song of Solomon'， strong， independent， and non-conforming。 I was rooting for all Wow！ I loved this book！！ If I didn't have dogs that needed walking， I might have finished the second half in one sitting。 As in so many good books， the Island and the Waters （the swampland around the island） were important characters in the story。 The author's descriptions of the setting were so beautiful and so complete that I felt them come alive。The women in the story reminded me of the women in Toni Morrison's 'Song of Solomon'， strong， independent， and non-conforming。 I was rooting for all of them， even when they were clearly in conflict with each other。Get ready for a beautiful world inhabited by tough， beautiful and complicated women！ 。。。more
Sara Hernandez
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Thank you for the ARC copy。 I wish I could say I enjoyed the book， but I did not。 I must be in the minority since it seems like most people did enjoy it。 I didn't think the chapters were well connected。 Thank you for the ARC copy。 I wish I could say I enjoyed the book， but I did not。 I must be in the minority since it seems like most people did enjoy it。 I didn't think the chapters were well connected。 。。。more
Sarah Keizer
，
Phew， I have a lot of thoughts about this book。 Buckle up if you want to listen。In "The Waters，" fairy tales and reality are melded together but not in ways that you might think。 Not all magic is fantastical， and not every reality is barbaric， though both traits exist within each other。Dorothy "Donkey" Zook has grown up on an island in the middle of a swamp known as "The Waters" with her grandmother Hermine "Herself" Zook， shielded away from the mainland and a normal life。 Donkey's mother Rose T Phew， I have a lot of thoughts about this book。 Buckle up if you want to listen。In "The Waters，" fairy tales and reality are melded together but not in ways that you might think。 Not all magic is fantastical， and not every reality is barbaric， though both traits exist within each other。Dorothy "Donkey" Zook has grown up on an island in the middle of a swamp known as "The Waters" with her grandmother Hermine "Herself" Zook， shielded away from the mainland and a normal life。 Donkey's mother Rose Thorne disappears and reappears like Persephone， leaving Donkey to feel unwanted and abandoned as she craves a secure family unit。 When an act of violence handicaps Hermine， Donkey takes on the burdens of the Waters as its new caretaker。 But even as a smart， compassionate eleven year old， she soon learns that not every good intention has good consequences。This story has as much to do with the characters as it does with a place。 One could easily say that people are a product of the environment they grew up in， but as far as "The Waters" goes， the people *are* the environment。 Donkey describes the women of the Waters "no longer five separate bodies in a kitchen but five flowers growing from the same root; whether she hated or loved them wasn't relevant to their work together。" Donkey grows up separated from "the Brutes of Nowhere" （as her grandmother Hermine describes them"） but once she is introduced to the men in Whiteheart outside of the island， she seems to be the only Zook girl who recognizes their proverbial flowers growing in the root as well， but not without noting their toxicity。 Hermine and her daughters are right to distance themselves from the men， and Donkey is also wary of their violence and assertiveness。 However， as much as she is afraid of them， she is fascinated and excited by them just as intensely。 In a similar way， the men and "the Brutes of Nowhere" fear and revere the witchy Hermine Zook for her cures and potions。To me， "The Waters" is a commentary on the condition of the soul， how two opposite things can be true at once， and how that fact doesn't diminish the validity of either。 。。。more
Nancy
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Rose Cottage sat in the middle of a marsh， the home of Herself。 She made herbal remedies for the people of Whiteheart， Michigan。 She had raised three girls; her biological daughter， Molly， a doctor; the foundling Primrose， a lawyer in California; and Rose Thorne， the most beautiful and charismatic， but laziest， of all。 Then， there was Rose Thorne’s daughter Dorothy， nicknamed Donkey because she had been raised on donkey milk。Rose Thorne and Titus Jr。 are in love， but she will not marry him， for Rose Cottage sat in the middle of a marsh， the home of Herself。 She made herbal remedies for the people of Whiteheart， Michigan。 She had raised three girls; her biological daughter， Molly， a doctor; the foundling Primrose， a lawyer in California; and Rose Thorne， the most beautiful and charismatic， but laziest， of all。 Then， there was Rose Thorne’s daughter Dorothy， nicknamed Donkey because she had been raised on donkey milk。Rose Thorne and Titus Jr。 are in love， but she will not marry him， for she cannot share the secret of Donkey’s birth with him。 She has been away for almost two years， living with Primrose in California。 Donkey badly misses her mother。Donkey has spent her life in the marsh。 She has never been to school or been around menfolk。 Herself draws up the bridge to the mainland at night。 Donkey’s huge heart and attachment to animals， makes her prone to choices that do not end well。The marsh is home to Mississauga rattlesnakes and mosquitos and wild plants and flowers。 the women keep two donkeys and a goat and chickens， and forage the marsh。 They have everything they need。The townspeople both depend on Herself’s cures and fear her strange witchy ways。 Men sometimes shoot their guns towards the hidden cottage。 When the charismatic Rose Thorne returns home， she attracts the townsfolk around her， and they build bonfires at night and bring out alcohol and instruments， partying all night long。Donkey does not know the hidden history of her family。 Why Herself sent away a beloved husband。 Why Primrose moved so far away。 The identity of her father。 And why her mother keeps leaving and won’t marry Titus Jr。 But she knows she looks like Titus Jr。 and longs for them to marry， to have a father at last。There are threats all around。 The marsh and farm land has been polluted by chemicals， new cancers have arisen that Herself cannot cure。 The marsh is haunted by a ghost。 And some menfolk fear and hate Herself， and loathe her ministrations to solve women’s burdens and problems。The novel reads like a dark fairy tale and spools out like a suspense thriller， but with deep explorations into the characters inner thoughts and motivations。 Ominous threats are ever present; you expect an inevitable tragedy to take place。 And tragedies do happen， and have happened， losses and changes and revelations that alter Donkey’s life。Thanks to the publisher for a free book。 。。。more
Nina
，
The characters in this book are very well-developed。 They continue to make the same mistakes over and over again， making them lovable and human。 This book will stay with you long after you finish it。
lori pennington
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Many thanks to NetGalley and W。 W。 Norton & Company for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review。There are five women in this story， three daughters， a mother and a granddaughter。 They have lived on a small island off Michigan in the swamp。 The mother， Herself Zook， is the local "natural doctor" for the people that live in the area， providing healing tonics from the land。 Herself is now older， all three of her daughters have abandoned her to the island， and one has even dumped her own dau Many thanks to NetGalley and W。 W。 Norton & Company for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review。There are five women in this story， three daughters， a mother and a granddaughter。 They have lived on a small island off Michigan in the swamp。 The mother， Herself Zook， is the local "natural doctor" for the people that live in the area， providing healing tonics from the land。 Herself is now older， all three of her daughters have abandoned her to the island， and one has even dumped her own daughter to live with the mother。 The granddaughter is learning the practice， her place in the family and the family history from her grandmother。Labeled as "rural noir"， a category that I did not realize existed but definitely is an accurate descriptions of the natural and wild world of the island and its inhabitants。 This family of women live in their own kingdom which the world outside does not understand。The story dragged a bit and was hard to engage in initially。 I struggled to keep reading so I give this one 3 stars。 。。。more
Deena B
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Magical
Sue
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I love books set in Michigan but this book wasn't for me。 It's a look at the brutality vs the sweetness of rural life。 I love books set in Michigan but this book wasn't for me。 It's a look at the brutality vs the sweetness of rural life。 。。。more
Susan Wright
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3。7 stars。 This is about a family of women -- three daughters （& a daughter from one of them） all raised by a woman on an island in a wetlands， swamp area of Michigan。 The woman is a herbalist and has sold medical potions to the people of the nearby town for decades。 Now she's a senior， her daughters have moved away， and her granddaughter， who's been left with her， is learning her ways & wondering about where she came from & their family。 The author captures quite a setting amid the wilds of thi 3。7 stars。 This is about a family of women -- three daughters （& a daughter from one of them） all raised by a woman on an island in a wetlands， swamp area of Michigan。 The woman is a herbalist and has sold medical potions to the people of the nearby town for decades。 Now she's a senior， her daughters have moved away， and her granddaughter， who's been left with her， is learning her ways & wondering about where she came from & their family。 The author captures quite a setting amid the wilds of this rattle snake-infested island， the town folk， and the story takes on sort of a mythical quality 。。。 harkening at times to the land of Oz， where the granddaughter Dorothy （or Donkey has she's called） is finding her way。 She's 11 now and beginning to learn secrets about her family: her beloved mother Rose Thorn and aunts Prim and Molly， and grandmother Hermine。 Labeled "rural noir" - the writing of the natural world in this is quite vivid and the story is good though it runs on at length in parts and could've been cut for more steam & plot pacing。 The story starts slow （it's mainly a character-driven novel） and gradually like a snake unwinds。 You must be patient and willing to hear it out。 There are rewards if you do。 。。。more
Likestotravel
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An engaging， compelling， energizing story about women and the men who surround them。 Set in a rural area， the trials and tests the ladies endure are different than those in urban areas。 The Waters mixes in some magical realism and several love stories for a captivating read。 Thanks to NetGalley and W。 W。 Norton & Company for the opportunity to read this ARC。
Leigh Ann
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Deaf reader reviewing books with deaf characters。 This book is listed on my ranked list of books with deaf characters。This book is another surprise deaf rep！ （I wasn't expecting to come across a deaf character。） I was pleased to discover that this deaf character is well-done。 Hermine is losing her hearing as she grows older。 Her granddaughter Dorothy has to speak in a “low throaty voice” so that Hermine can hear her， although other adults who hear it say it’s creepy or strange。 Hermine's daughte Deaf reader reviewing books with deaf characters。 This book is listed on my ranked list of books with deaf characters。This book is another surprise deaf rep！ （I wasn't expecting to come across a deaf character。） I was pleased to discover that this deaf character is well-done。 Hermine is losing her hearing as she grows older。 Her granddaughter Dorothy has to speak in a “low throaty voice” so that Hermine can hear her， although other adults who hear it say it’s creepy or strange。 Hermine's daughter Molly wants Hermine to get tested and fitted for hearing aids， which she refuses to do。“Herself heard most of what Donkey said and almost nothing Molly said。 With Rose Thorn， it was a mixed bag。” This is very accurate。 Each of these characters have different voices--that is， they have different pitches， speech patterns， and mannerisms that affect how easy it is to hear and listen to them。 Hermine probably hears more than she lets on， as many hard of hearing people do to ease the burden of listening and concentration fatigue。 When she starts paying attention and making an effort to understand， Molly demands why she can “suddenly hear every little thing” and accuses her of “playing deaf。” But Hermine isn’t hearing everything—she’s working out what’s being said based on residual hearing and guesswork， when she has the motivation to do that work。 She doesn’t get much screen time， but the rep is great。 。。。more
Lee Ann Johnson
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Gorgeous writing tells a complex tale of women whose lives come and go from an island in Michigan and how they intertwine while staying mostly separate from the town around them。 The island with its people and animals is shown richly， and characters are fully developed in all their idiosyncratic intricacies。
Richard Becker
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I just finished the ARC for this title and I give it a very high grade。 It started slow， but picked up steam as it unfolded across the chapters。 I loved the characters， the setting， the plot and more。It is set in Michigan in a swampy area。 It has more of a southern feel than a midwestern one。 It is peopled by a loosely defined family of women living in the before mentioned swamp。 They live in an old cottage， with a dog， donkeys and chickens。 They are allied partially with a man named Titus and b I just finished the ARC for this title and I give it a very high grade。 It started slow， but picked up steam as it unfolded across the chapters。 I loved the characters， the setting， the plot and more。It is set in Michigan in a swampy area。 It has more of a southern feel than a midwestern one。 It is peopled by a loosely defined family of women living in the before mentioned swamp。 They live in an old cottage， with a dog， donkeys and chickens。 They are allied partially with a man named Titus and both feared and depended on by local citizens of a nearby town。 There is an area shortly before the Waters （swamp） where the locals meet。 The women （led by Hermine/Herself） dispense folk medicine/treatments to the people by leaving the medicine on a bench。 The women， surnamed Zook， have names such as Primrose， Rose Thorn and Dorothy， known as Donkey。 Tragedies and misfortunes occur。 People misinterpret things。 There are grudges， superstitions and drunkenness that complicate things。 It takes a while for things to get explained to the reader， which the reader is eventually glad to realize。 If readers want a tale with humor， some lessons， and adventure， this is the story for them。 Enjoy！ 。。。more
Annette
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