At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen
(Format used for this book: Audiobook)
I was randomly searching for my next listen on my library app when this book popped up as available.
I really liked the book “Water for Elephants” by this author so I decided to check it out.
Here is a summary:
“In this thrilling new novel from the author of Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces. At the Water’s Edge is a gripping and poignant love story about a privileged young woman’s awakening as she experiences the devastation of World War II in a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands.
After disgracing themselves at a high society New Year’s Eve party in Philadelphia in 1944, Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a former army colonel who is already ashamed of his son’s inability to serve in the war. When Ellis and his best friend, Hank, decide that the only way to regain the Colonel’s favor is to succeed where the Colonel very publicly failed—by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster—Maddie reluctantly follows them across the Atlantic, leaving her sheltered world behind.
The trio find themselves in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands, where the locals have nothing but contempt for the privileged interlopers. Maddie is left on her own at the isolated inn, where food is rationed, fuel is scarce, and a knock from the postman can bring tragic news. Yet she finds herself falling in love with the stark beauty and subtle magic of the Scottish countryside. Gradually she comes to know the villagers, and the friendships she forms with two young women open her up to a larger world than she knew existed. Maddie begins to see that nothing is as it first appears: the values she holds dear prove unsustainable, and monsters lurk where they are least expected.
As she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be, Maddie becomes aware not only of the dark forces around her, but of life’s beauty and surprising possibilities.”
Historical fiction is one of my top fave genres so I’m always down for a read that takes me back.
I enjoyed this book and thought it was just as good as Water for Elephants.
I developed an emotional attachment for Maddie…almost a protective, big sister type…because of all the utter CRAP she had to deal with and was damaged by due to those surrounding her.
(If you find it weird to be emotionally invested in book characters…well…I do it like in EVERY book I read…If a book is well written I get lost in the world the pages creates and fully immerse myself each time I read…So I will wear that label proudly 🤣)
The idea of what love truly and really is—whether it be from family, friends or a spouse—is so lost on her for so long. You just want to hug her and care for her.
Her naivety eventually wears down and she begins to learn the harsh realities of the world and also the true personalities behind the people closest to her….and you feel the pain she experiences…yet also you can feel her gaining strength.
(*Trigger warning: there are more than a few instances of domestic physical violence in the book so if this is something that is hard for you to read, you may want to opt out *)
The war is a critical piece to many of the storylines here which is a reminder of the horrible atrocities and destruction that it brought to so so many.
The Loch Ness monster also plays a small part which I found interesting—-we listened to a podcast about the history of the supposed monster on “Stuff You Should Know” a few months ago and this made me want to go brush up on my facts!
I liked this book…and think you would too if you have liked this authors previous work.
(Also the narrator does a GREAT Scottish accent so if you chose to listen you will approve the authenticity!)