Memory of Water, The


Christian - Fiction
315 Pages
Reviewed on 03/15/2009
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Sixteen years ago, Marnie’s mother drowned. She could not remember everything that happened that fateful night, but she knew she had lost two things that day that she dearly loved--her passion for sailing and the love of her sister. She escaped to the dessert pledging never to go near the ocean again. A call for help brought her home again. Marnie was determined to help her nephew but had to work through her own problems to do so.

The Memory of Water by Karen White is not a fast read. This is one of those books that you want to savor every word. The plot is gripping. The characters are multifaceted. Diana and Marnie are sisters that at one time dearly loved each other. The Memory of Water explores the relationship of sisters and the dynamics of living with a person that is bi-polar. The sisters are forced to face ghosts from their past. Karen White draws readers into her plot. She successfully moves from one narrator to another, each telling their part with a distinct voice, fitting together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.  There are several twists that will keep the reader turning pages. I found this book to be captivating. If you enjoy high drama this is the book for you.

Deborah Haupt

When I read Karen White's The Memory of Water it was like watching an artist paint, with every word she writes you can actually see the landscape she describes come to life.
It was a haunting tale of mental illness and about those who survive it and those who don't.
A bewitching tale of love and loss and love found at last, about the story of sisters and a love that only sisters can share and understand.
This book is a must read for any of you out there that love great fiction.

Gale Lewis

This is the first book I've read by this author. I was pleased with the story and characters. There were times I felt like there was too much dialogue and detail that didn't really need to be there. I was a bit disappointed at the end and felt like it was wrapped up a little too much and the end felt rushed when compared to the length of the book. I enjoyed the story and wanted to finish it, so 4 stars.

M.L. Malcolm

I don't know which I enjoyed more: the gorgeous descriptions that Karen White uses to place the reader so vividly in Carolina's Low Country, or the surprising plot twists that make you keep turning those pages! She tells an emotional story using the voices of four different characters, deftly moving between them so that each one adds to the narrative in a unique and moving way. The emotional intensity of the story combined with the beauty of the prose reminded me of "The Prince of Tides" (minus Conroy's over-the-top violence). This is a gripping but lyrical, superbly well-written and enjoyable book.

Patricia A. Ribar

Karen White is truly and awe-inspiring author. She has a perfect grasp on the English language and what words are needed to describe her stories. I admire her for not going into graphic descriptions of sex, but leaving it up to our imagination. I respect her for that censorship. Her stories are real, her characters become very real. I have all of her books to date and am looking forward to many more new books in the future. Karen and Nora Roberts are my favorite story tellers.

Shania

Loved this book! My first of this author and I will be looking for her other books. I picked it because I love books written with the lowcountry in mind (I'm an Ohioian, but should have been a lowcountry gal), but this book offered so much more. Yes, it was a bit dark/sad, but that's what made the book so "unable to be put down".

C. Rim

If you are a lover of descriptive literature and the Coastal South, you will enjoy this read. The story is poignantly tragic but threaded with love throughout the story. Karen White did an excellent job of dissecting both the love & the sometimes treacherous tension between siblings in her novel...

J. K. Frost

This is a wonderful book. The characters were believable and likeable. I would definitely read something else by this author.

N. Stephens

I was entranced with this story. A family with a history of bipolarism, secrets and tragedies.
Mystery and supsense will keep you turning the pages. I found it disturbing but insightful. A mothers love with a fine line of insanity.

Wendy A.

In Memory of Water, Karen White weaves a beautiful tale about one deeply troubled family. With a deft use of four separate points of view, we get to know the Maitland sisters, Marnie and Diana, and discover the truth about the family tragedy that defined their relationship.

Rochele R. Lacosse

family secrets can do so much damage to the family, yet we continue to keep them as if our life depended on it, Karen White lets out the secrets in a very real way, the characters are in my heart