On the night their mother drowns, sisters Marnie and Diana Maitland discover there is more than one kind of death. There is the death of innocence, of love, and of hope. Each sister harbors a secret about that night—secrets that will erode their lives as they grow into adulthood. After ten years of silence between the sisters, Marnie is called back to the South Carolina Lowcountry by Diana’s ex-husband, Quinn. His young son has returned from a sailing trip with his emotionally unstable mother, and he is refusing to speak. In order to help the traumatized boy, Marnie must reopen old wounds and bring the darkest memories of their past to the surface. And she must confront Diana, before they all go under.
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"I learned that all families, unless they are open and honest with each other, can lead to years of damaging lives, if not resolved, or exposed. No secret is worth alienation. I found myself annoyed at times, with the characters holding in their real feelings. But then we wouldn't have a subject to write about. The author spoke too intimately for a young boy, I thought. Also, speaking for the male character. I can see the women speaking this way. The fact that the story is told by the different characters, was different, but not hard to follow, because it was like a narrative by 4 people." — Mililani (4 out of 5 stars)
"I learned that all families, unless they are open and honest with each other, can lead to years of damaging lives, if not resolved, or exposed. No secret is worth alienation. I found myself annoyed at times, with the characters holding in their real feelings. But then we wouldn't have a subject to write about. The author spoke too intimately for a young boy, I thought. Also, speaking for the male character. I can see the women speaking this way. The fact that the story is told by the different characters, was different, but not hard to follow, because it was like a narrative by 4 people."
“With a poignant plot that delves into the complexities and emotions of family relationships, this story is as rich as its South Carolina Lowcountry setting and filled with sympathetic, endearing characters that resonate. It’s an engaging, deeply moving story.”
“Darkly engaging…Careful plotting, richly flawed characters and a surprising conclusion mark this absorbing melodrama.”
“In this moving novel, White explores the bond between sisters, the link between artistic genius and mental illness, and the keen hold a place can have on a person. She vividly describes the lush Lowcountry and the pull of the sea. A chilling revelation, a love story, and a bittersweet ending add to this gripping tale.”
“Beautifully written and as lyrical as the tides, The Memory of Water speaks directly to the heart.”
" Mental ill mother drowns in a storm. Sister helps nephew deal with past experience "
" White's writing style is on the dramatic side and takes a little bit of time to adjust to much like dipping your toe in the water before diving in. Her characters are well thought out and captivating. Good story line however the mystery element wavered in and out of focus with irregularity lessoning its value as part of the whole. The family relationships are full of enough depth and heart to make up for it. "
" I did like the book - hard subject ! "
" I liked this book, but that sister relationship was really messed up! It was interesting anyway, especially with the mental illness aspect making the atmosphere so sinister and unpredictable. There is no trust between characters. Nobody tells the truth about anything because they can't face it themselves. "
" Finally finished with this book. While I adore this author's work, I couldn't get into this one. None of the characters were particularly likeable and the mystery twist was very predictable. Bottom line, I'm glad to be done and moving on! "
" Family intrigue, sailing, sisters. Told from four points of view and in my opinion very well written. I would recommend this book and will be lookign for others from the same author. "
" I enjoyed this book. It was a very quick and engrossing read. It was very similar in style to Wally Lamb's. My only issue is that it was a too predictable. I was pretty sure what was going to happen. There were a couple things that left me guessing, but I guessed them correctly. "
" Being from North Carolina, I thought I'd enjoy a story that took place in my sister Carolina state. However, this book was heavy on the sailing and ocean and becomes a little redundant. "
" I really enjoyed this book. It is a very well written portrait of a family haunted by generations of mental illness, and a bit of a mystery too. Well done. "
" This book was chosen by my book club it was ok. I would not recommend it though "
" Karen White is amazing and each book is as good as the one before it! Memory of Water gives every family member a voice and keeps you putting the story together. 'Loved it! "
" I loved this book at the beginning. I was assuming that I'd be giving it a 5 star rating. By the end, I had figured out most of the "mysteries" that were involved and had predicted the end. That always disappoints me, so I'm only giving it 3 stars. It's a great pool/beach read though! "
" Complex characters made this enjoyable. I didn't know where it would lead me but the journey was well worth the trip. "
" An emotionally real look at relationships between sisiters, mental illness and its coexistence with artisitic talent. A must read! "
" This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The language was beautiful, the imagery was vivid and the characters were real people living in the shadow of a tragic disease. I loved it. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books. "
" I liked the style of this book a lot and I liked the characters. The plot wasn't my favorite. It seemed a little extreme and it took a while for me to feel excited about reading it. BUT I did get into it and I was emotional at the end. "
" March book club pick-wasn't too impressed. Pretty sappy "
" This was great!!! It had so many layers, so many secrets, it was like unwrapping a multilayered gift. This story of sisters, mental illness, and tragedy was sad, but a great read. "
" Couldn't finish it. I hate when that happens. "
" Perfect summer book with the continural reference to the Low Country waterways. Interesting family dynamics and a happy ending! I enjoyed sitting outside with this one. "
" Pretty good. Ending was predictable half way through but still relatively good. "
" It was a bit slow. Held my interest til the end, but not very memorable. "
" I loved this book! I love the way Ms. White writes, transporting you straight to the Lowcountry where the story takes place. "
" I hated this book. Way too predictable and really lame writing style. Too many metaphores. Trying too hard. Blah. "
" this book was too long. it is about the south carolina low country and mental illness, it seems several books have been written about people haunted with secrets that come from this area of the country, maybe its something in the water "
" I really enjoyed ths book. It was a pretty quick read and about a few subjects I don't know much about or usually read about. It was a little predictable but all in all a great read. "
" Amazing story. Definitely a worthwhile read. "
" I liked the first 2 books I read by Karen. This one is just as good and is very well written. It is a very very good book. "
" the story was intriging but sad ;ended a bit abruptly but as always I enjoyed Karen Whites writing "
" I wish their were half stars. This book was a 3 1/2. "
" This book is about two estranged sisters and what tore them apart is what brought them back together. Very well written. "
" In the end, I liked this book. It was a good story - but it took at least 200 pages to get interesting and I wish there was more going on throughout the whole book and not just the end. "
" story took a long time to unwind and then it all kind of hit at the end, overall a good story but would have like to see a better flow for the outlay of information and closure. "
" I am enjoying this book a lot. It is set in the low country of South Carolina. There is mystery involved, a partly dysfunctional family and romance. I'm looking forward to finding out just what happened. "
" Why is it that children in novels are always so precocious? The 7 year old boy in this story is an amazing artist :0) Great story though, about loving and losing love and living with mental health issues. "
" This book was a fast, easy read. The story and characters seemed predictable and contained somewhat stereotypical depictions of mental illness and family relationships. It wasn't a bad book but there wasn't a lot of depth to the plot, you could almost see where the next chapter would take you. "
Karen White is a bestselling author who writes what she refers to as “grit lit”—Southern women’s fiction—and has also expanded her horizons into writing a mystery series set in Charleston, South Carolina. She has written more than thirty novels in the genres of mystery, historical fiction, historical romance, and general fiction.
Susanna Burney has appeared in a wide range of plays on stages in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Minneapolis, and Seattle. Her favorite roles include Hamlet, Olga in Three Sisters, Mrs. Wilcox in a stage adaptation of Howard’s End, and as the solo performer in Man to Man, for which she was named best actress of the year in the Seattle weekly, the Stranger. She received her BFA in acting from Boston University.
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