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The House of Deep Water
In this perceptive and moving literary debut novel perfect for fans of The Mothers and Olive Kitteridge, three women return home only to find their good intentions becoming tangled with their histories.
River Bend, Michigan, is the kind of small town most can't imagine leaving, but three women couldn't wait to escape. When each must return—Linda Williams, never sure what she wants; her mother, Paula, always too sure; and Beth DeWitt, one of River Bend's only black daughters, now a mother of two who'd planned to raise her own children anywhere else—their paths collide under Beth's father's roof. As one town struggles to contain all of their love affairs and secrets, a local scandal forces Beth to confront her own devastating past.
Filled with the voices of mothers and daughters, husbands, lovers, and fathers, The House of Deep Water explores motherhood, trauma, love, loss, and new beginnings found in a most unlikely place: home.
River Bend, Michigan, is the kind of small town most can't imagine leaving, but three women couldn't wait to escape. When each must return—Linda Williams, never sure what she wants; her mother, Paula, always too sure; and Beth DeWitt, one of River Bend's only black daughters, now a mother of two who'd planned to raise her own children anywhere else—their paths collide under Beth's father's roof. As one town struggles to contain all of their love affairs and secrets, a local scandal forces Beth to confront her own devastating past.
Filled with the voices of mothers and daughters, husbands, lovers, and fathers, The House of Deep Water explores motherhood, trauma, love, loss, and new beginnings found in a most unlikely place: home.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
April 20, 2020
Multi-layered, deep, thought-provoking,
The House of Deep Water is so good that it leaves you with a bookish hangover. Jeni McFarland's writing is heart-breakingly beautiful. It is full of rich memorable imagery and human emotion that makes you relate and care about these deeply flawed characters.
At the beginning I took notes to help me make sense of the family trees and interconnections. Each character grows and develops, but as I kept reading I realised all of them are important. is essential. It is a bit like going to a family reunion or a wedding at the beginning of your relationship. So many people want to talk to you, you struggle to read social clues, desperately trying to remember what you heard about them. With time it becomes easier and you long for that blissful ignorance that allowed you make your opinion without the burden of other people's set ideas. Every character in this book grows and develops and is essential.
Two families, Williamses and DeWitts, and three women who left their hometown of River's Bend, Michigan, and came back because they need a closure and a new start in life -that's all. Newly divorced Linda Williams, who wants to be loved and taken care of, but doesn't really have clear ideas how, her estranged, foul-mouthed, strong-willed mother Paula Williams, who needs a divorce from Linda's stepfather, and Beth (Eliza) DeWitt who is trying to provide a stable life for her kids after she lost her job. Linda gets pregnant and moves in with the father of her future baby, sixty-year-old Ernest DeWitt, Beth's father. Beth is struggling with depression and has unresolved issues with her father, so understandably she isn't happy about the situation. Throughout the book we read extracts from her 'diary' or rather 'memory flashbacks of Eliza DeWitt' starting from the age of 4. The more you read, the better you understand the significance of these two names for the character's identity. Everything in this book is important, there is no superfluous detail, be it Beth's engagement ring or Paula's truck that allows her escape when life closes on her and becomes unbearably real.
Family ties and the way they break and make us, what it means to fit in and belong somewhere, fear of life and love, motherhood, racism, overcoming childhood trauma are just a few themes that this brilliant book explores. One of the best books I have read this year, The House of Deep Water is incredibly well-written and although there is a lot of sadness in this book, there is also hope. Hope that we can turn our lives round, we can draw ourselves into history, we can be better parents to protect and give our children confidence to make their own free choices in life.
Thank you to Edelweiss and G.P.Putnam's Sons for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
The House of Deep Water is so good that it leaves you with a bookish hangover. Jeni McFarland's writing is heart-breakingly beautiful. It is full of rich memorable imagery and human emotion that makes you relate and care about these deeply flawed characters.
At the beginning I took notes to help me make sense of the family trees and interconnections. Each character grows and develops, but as I kept reading I realised all of them are important. is essential. It is a bit like going to a family reunion or a wedding at the beginning of your relationship. So many people want to talk to you, you struggle to read social clues, desperately trying to remember what you heard about them. With time it becomes easier and you long for that blissful ignorance that allowed you make your opinion without the burden of other people's set ideas. Every character in this book grows and develops and is essential.
Two families, Williamses and DeWitts, and three women who left their hometown of River's Bend, Michigan, and came back because they need a closure and a new start in life -that's all. Newly divorced Linda Williams, who wants to be loved and taken care of, but doesn't really have clear ideas how, her estranged, foul-mouthed, strong-willed mother Paula Williams, who needs a divorce from Linda's stepfather, and Beth (Eliza) DeWitt who is trying to provide a stable life for her kids after she lost her job. Linda gets pregnant and moves in with the father of her future baby, sixty-year-old Ernest DeWitt, Beth's father. Beth is struggling with depression and has unresolved issues with her father, so understandably she isn't happy about the situation. Throughout the book we read extracts from her 'diary' or rather 'memory flashbacks of Eliza DeWitt' starting from the age of 4. The more you read, the better you understand the significance of these two names for the character's identity. Everything in this book is important, there is no superfluous detail, be it Beth's engagement ring or Paula's truck that allows her escape when life closes on her and becomes unbearably real.
Family ties and the way they break and make us, what it means to fit in and belong somewhere, fear of life and love, motherhood, racism, overcoming childhood trauma are just a few themes that this brilliant book explores. One of the best books I have read this year, The House of Deep Water is incredibly well-written and although there is a lot of sadness in this book, there is also hope. Hope that we can turn our lives round, we can draw ourselves into history, we can be better parents to protect and give our children confidence to make their own free choices in life.
Thank you to Edelweiss and G.P.Putnam's Sons for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
December 19, 2019
Boring, no dialogue and too many characters. Had a hard time keeping them all straight. Didn’t care about any of them.
June 3, 2020
Thoughts to follow
September 27, 2020
The House of Deep Water by Jeni McFarland is a thought-provoking novel that has many layers but is predominately about family. There are quite a few characters and viewpoints so at times I found myself a little confused, but if you have the physical copy there is a family tree in the front of the book that I found extremely helpful. I choose to listen to the audio and follow along in a physical copy, and I loved the audio. This is a slow burn, so it really helped with that, and there are multiple narrators which is something I always appreciate when there is more than one viewpoint. In case anyone is interested, the narrators are Allyson Johnson, Adenrele Ojo, Jonathan McClain, and Andrew Eiden and I thought they all did an amazing job.
There are a lot of issues that McFarland decided to tackle in this book, and I loved the way she decided to integrate them with how it effects a family and different relationships. Elizabeth (Beth) may have had the most heartbreaking story of all, and I really liked the way the book was broken up by short chapters of her at different ages, as well as her viewpoint in the present. McFarland slowly unravels her story for the reader, and just why she acts the way she does now.
I loved McFarland's writing style, and it was very atmospheric, smooth, and immersive. I ended up enjoying The House of Deep Water a lot more than I thought I would (based on reviews I saw) and I'm so glad I read it. I don't think anything I say will actually do this book justice, so I will just say that if you like slow burns that deal with lots of social issues and family then I would recommend checking this one out. Audio may in fact be the best way to go, but I was engrossed by all of the stories, and finished it in just one day. Overall, it was very character-driven so if you like that sort of book you should enjoy The House of Deep Water.
Thank you to the publisher for my advance review copy via Edelweiss. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
There are a lot of issues that McFarland decided to tackle in this book, and I loved the way she decided to integrate them with how it effects a family and different relationships. Elizabeth (Beth) may have had the most heartbreaking story of all, and I really liked the way the book was broken up by short chapters of her at different ages, as well as her viewpoint in the present. McFarland slowly unravels her story for the reader, and just why she acts the way she does now.
I loved McFarland's writing style, and it was very atmospheric, smooth, and immersive. I ended up enjoying The House of Deep Water a lot more than I thought I would (based on reviews I saw) and I'm so glad I read it. I don't think anything I say will actually do this book justice, so I will just say that if you like slow burns that deal with lots of social issues and family then I would recommend checking this one out. Audio may in fact be the best way to go, but I was engrossed by all of the stories, and finished it in just one day. Overall, it was very character-driven so if you like that sort of book you should enjoy The House of Deep Water.
Thank you to the publisher for my advance review copy via Edelweiss. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
April 24, 2020
GIRL...
JENI...
*pats nonexistent weave*
I'm so conFUSED!!!
JENI...
*pats nonexistent weave*
I'm so conFUSED!!!
July 9, 2020
The House of Deep Water is a slow churning, atmospheric story of three women and the family that surrounds them as they come crashing together under one roof in the small midwestern town of River Bend.
Jeni McFarland covers topics that many today are coping with: abuse - spousal and familial, racial tensions, small town poverty, and isolationism. She tells the story of these women deftly, with a stoicism that sets apart the midwestern people, gives them the appearance of being hard when, in fact, they are hurting like everyone else. The story flows slowly along much like the river does through the town but it never falters. The House of Deep Water is not a cozy, feel good women's tale but one of reality about the hardships many women - and men - face in today's society. If you are looking for a really good read that will keep your attention and make you more aware at the end than you were at the beginning, then this is the book for you this summer!
Jeni McFarland covers topics that many today are coping with: abuse - spousal and familial, racial tensions, small town poverty, and isolationism. She tells the story of these women deftly, with a stoicism that sets apart the midwestern people, gives them the appearance of being hard when, in fact, they are hurting like everyone else. The story flows slowly along much like the river does through the town but it never falters. The House of Deep Water is not a cozy, feel good women's tale but one of reality about the hardships many women - and men - face in today's society. If you are looking for a really good read that will keep your attention and make you more aware at the end than you were at the beginning, then this is the book for you this summer!
January 16, 2020
Beth fought tooth and nail to escape her hometown of River Bend, Michigan, where she grew up in the town's only black family. But when she returns with her two children to live with her father, her painful childhood and messy past relationships come back to haunt her. THE HOUSE OF DEEP WATER is a haunting tale of the painful clash between the person you were, the person you are, and the person you want to be.
River Bend is portrayed in part as the villain of the story, a poisonous place that keeps calling its children back against their will. Beth is a deeply flawed protagonist, and her grim return to her hometown is often hard to watch. Each character in River Bend assumes the worst of others while hoping others see the best in them, an eye-opening contrast that builds with each new voice added to the story. It took me a while to get into this one, but the slow building tension led to a powerful finish, so I'm glad I stuck around.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
River Bend is portrayed in part as the villain of the story, a poisonous place that keeps calling its children back against their will. Beth is a deeply flawed protagonist, and her grim return to her hometown is often hard to watch. Each character in River Bend assumes the worst of others while hoping others see the best in them, an eye-opening contrast that builds with each new voice added to the story. It took me a while to get into this one, but the slow building tension led to a powerful finish, so I'm glad I stuck around.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 21, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam for the e arc. Also thanks to Goodreads for a physical copy of this book.
I liked the premise of the book- different women and family members in a small Michigan town. However I had a hard time following the story in some parts and overall it seemed like there were too many characters. This is compounded by the fact that there is an extensive chart at the front of the book to help you remember who is who. The book should’ve talked about maybe 3-4 characters and that’s it. It was hard to care about some of the characters when you didn’t get a chance to really learn about them. I was frequently confused while reading this.
I did like how the author wrote and wished the book had been just a little simpler.
I liked the premise of the book- different women and family members in a small Michigan town. However I had a hard time following the story in some parts and overall it seemed like there were too many characters. This is compounded by the fact that there is an extensive chart at the front of the book to help you remember who is who. The book should’ve talked about maybe 3-4 characters and that’s it. It was hard to care about some of the characters when you didn’t get a chance to really learn about them. I was frequently confused while reading this.
I did like how the author wrote and wished the book had been just a little simpler.
August 17, 2020
There are a lot of good writers out there. But rarely do I find one who writes with such personality. This being a debut, the level of confidence in her voice is stunning.
The actual plot and story, while interesting, is secondary to everything else. The pacing of the scenes, how every chapter is neither too long or too short but instead the perfect length is masterly. The drama is never petty and forces you to empathize with the characters. The town is a real place that you want to be a part of rather than only being able to read about it.
It’s unfortunate this book didn’t get more buzz when it was released, but I can’t wait to see what Jeni McFarland has up her sleeve for the future. There’s undoubtedly a masterpiece in there somewhere.
The actual plot and story, while interesting, is secondary to everything else. The pacing of the scenes, how every chapter is neither too long or too short but instead the perfect length is masterly. The drama is never petty and forces you to empathize with the characters. The town is a real place that you want to be a part of rather than only being able to read about it.
It’s unfortunate this book didn’t get more buzz when it was released, but I can’t wait to see what Jeni McFarland has up her sleeve for the future. There’s undoubtedly a masterpiece in there somewhere.
May 13, 2020
I am a little unsure what to think of this book. It started nowhere and ended nowhere and not a lot happened in between.
The writing was fine, the premise was fine yet still I have a sense of having missed something. The book was peopled by sad characters and none of them any redeeming qualities at all. There were too many points of view, too many people whose lives had or were falling apart and no happy to balance it.
As I turned the last page I actually found myself wondering if perhaps a chapter was missing
The writing was fine, the premise was fine yet still I have a sense of having missed something. The book was peopled by sad characters and none of them any redeeming qualities at all. There were too many points of view, too many people whose lives had or were falling apart and no happy to balance it.
As I turned the last page I actually found myself wondering if perhaps a chapter was missing
June 10, 2020
THE HOUSE OF DEEP WATER deserves at least 4.5 stars. The novel concerns three women who come back to Rivers Bend, MI after escaping this same horrible place. I felt a real horror when I realized why Beth DeWitt is so broken she seems almost ruined. There are several people that cause me to feel almost the same way. I believe most people will understand the feelings of lose and heartbreak I felt when reading this book which caused me so much deep thinking.
July 23, 2020
The last time I despised a character this much it was when I attempted to read Queenie. Beth. Eliza. Elizabeth. Whatever her name is, was deplorable af. I did not like her even through all her suffering and BS, I despised her. There were too many characters and I hated some of the lines the author used to discuss race relations. I was stunned to see it was written by a Black woman. I finished it only because our book club meeting is a few days away and I’ve been on a reading streak. I kept reading hoping for some sort of character development or for the main character to make sense to me but it never happened. I am sorry. I wanted to like it but I did not. Again. I’m sorry. But. No. I just did not.
June 10, 2020
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected, given the subject matter. The writing was really good, even when she changed between first and third person. The characters weren’t likeable, but I found myself rooting for them anyway. Worth reading! 4 stars
March 25, 2022
Too many damn characters, character names, same characters that use different names.
Too many names sound similar and too many jumping back and forth in time.
I get it, this is the literal "voices" of the blah blah blah but damn, can I get some direction?
It took 9 hours to complete and I think I started it on January 4th maybe. I honestly have zero takeaways from this -- apart from what I say below -- and I don't think I'll be thinking about this much in the future.
Interesting that it ends when Beth is 33 and I'm currently 33.
Too many names sound similar and too many jumping back and forth in time.
I get it, this is the literal "voices" of the blah blah blah but damn, can I get some direction?
It took 9 hours to complete and I think I started it on January 4th maybe. I honestly have zero takeaways from this -- apart from what I say below -- and I don't think I'll be thinking about this much in the future.
Interesting that it ends when Beth is 33 and I'm currently 33.
March 21, 2021
Can I admit that when I open a book and find a family tree I get dismayed? I know to just bookmark that bad boy right then and there because the book is going to cycle through names and relationships and expect me to keep up. So, yeah this book has a family tree. It’s not even that deep (three families, two generations) and I still couldn’t keep them in my head until halfway or more through.
The story is primarily told from the viewpoint of three women, but some of the others get their moment as well. All of these characters are profoundly broken but yet I don’t feel sorry for them, I’m just perplexed by their behavior. It did make me think about how many people who need real help have no access to it even if they were to admit they need it.
The story is primarily told from the viewpoint of three women, but some of the others get their moment as well. All of these characters are profoundly broken but yet I don’t feel sorry for them, I’m just perplexed by their behavior. It did make me think about how many people who need real help have no access to it even if they were to admit they need it.
August 16, 2020
I am not sure why this novel doesn't get higher ratings. I really enjoyed this multi-generational saga that shows the complexities of being in a family, going back to your hometown and trying to grow up despite challenges. This is a novel about strong, complex women and the hardships they endure. It has themes around family, racism, abuse, teen pregnancy, poverty, and isolationism. It's a slow, well-written book that grows on you. I loved the time I spent with it.
with gratitude to edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
with gratitude to edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 21, 2020
I had a lot of hope for this book but unfortunately it just didn't work for me. There were so many characters that I had a hard time following the story and keeping everybody straight. It was hard to become invested in any one character and made the book feel really long and it didn't really seem like a lot happened throughout the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam for the e arc
Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam for the e arc
July 18, 2021
This is a very well written novel that I cannot believe is a debut, it is so well done. I listened to this one via audio and as such it was a little hard to follow along and keep all of the characters straight, but that was really my only issue with this novel. I love character driven stories and this one has it all - mothers, daughters, friends, and relationships all full of conflict and hurt that has to be dealt with as Linda, Paula, and Beth return to their hometown they desperately wanted to escape. McFarland covers a multitude of difficult topics so well (racism and abuse are just a couple) as well as covers how it is to grow up in a small town and all that comes with it adequately. This is not an easy read but I really enjoyed this one, it is a slow paced novel that works well here and I recommend it be added to your tbr.
Thank you to the GP Putnam's Sons and Edelweiss for the digital copy to review.
Thank you to the GP Putnam's Sons and Edelweiss for the digital copy to review.
August 2, 2020
REVIEW
River Bend, Michigan, a small town full of secrets, lies, lost souls and deeply rooted pain. It’s the place many call home while longing to escape yet return to because it’s all they know, who they are and all they will ever be.
Gilmer Thurber’s arrest made national news. It was a scandal big enough for the nation to cover, but too painful for the people of River Bend to face head on.
Elizabeth Dewitt, almost intentionally, lost her job in Charlotte, NC forcing her return to her fathers house after years of being away. The return home was dark, gloomy and depressing. For months she hid from herself in that house. Kept herself locked away in her room barely tending to her children’s needs as the little girl in her wrestled with the pain of being victimized by Gilmer Thurber. Being molested as a child made her feel worthless so much so she believed she was trash unworthy of love.
The House of Deep Water has many supporting characters with stories of despairing love. But the heart of the story focuses on the life of Elizabeth Dewitt aka Beth bka Liza .
The novel is primarily written in third person omniscient point of view with flashbacks of Elizabeth Dewitt in first person. At first the story is hard to follow because there’s so many characters with interlocking relationships. The opening chapter attempts to introduce all the main players, but as the story goes on the writing style becomes smoother and the story gets easier to follow. The book has a character map, which is helpful.
There’s nothing disappointing about the book, but there’s also nothing fascinating. It’s a story about a bunch of hurt people who don’t know how to love. Overall I’d say The House of Deep Water is a solid debut. I’d score the book a three, and would probably read more work from the author in the future.
River Bend, Michigan, a small town full of secrets, lies, lost souls and deeply rooted pain. It’s the place many call home while longing to escape yet return to because it’s all they know, who they are and all they will ever be.
Gilmer Thurber’s arrest made national news. It was a scandal big enough for the nation to cover, but too painful for the people of River Bend to face head on.
Elizabeth Dewitt, almost intentionally, lost her job in Charlotte, NC forcing her return to her fathers house after years of being away. The return home was dark, gloomy and depressing. For months she hid from herself in that house. Kept herself locked away in her room barely tending to her children’s needs as the little girl in her wrestled with the pain of being victimized by Gilmer Thurber. Being molested as a child made her feel worthless so much so she believed she was trash unworthy of love.
The House of Deep Water has many supporting characters with stories of despairing love. But the heart of the story focuses on the life of Elizabeth Dewitt aka Beth bka Liza .
The novel is primarily written in third person omniscient point of view with flashbacks of Elizabeth Dewitt in first person. At first the story is hard to follow because there’s so many characters with interlocking relationships. The opening chapter attempts to introduce all the main players, but as the story goes on the writing style becomes smoother and the story gets easier to follow. The book has a character map, which is helpful.
There’s nothing disappointing about the book, but there’s also nothing fascinating. It’s a story about a bunch of hurt people who don’t know how to love. Overall I’d say The House of Deep Water is a solid debut. I’d score the book a three, and would probably read more work from the author in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2022
River Bend, Michigan, is the sort of town people imagine leaving. It's the sort of town I grew up in, left, and returned to, so I was really able to identify with Linda, Paula, and Beth. Each of these women have reasons not to want to return home and face their pasts, and each of them are so well-developed and interesting that it took me a while to realize that Beth is at the center of everything.
The House of Deep Water was engrossing. I couldn't pull myself out of it. Honestly, I found myself snapping at my husband for things a character's husband had done. The characters are so real, and the dialogue so cutting, that it's difficult not to feel for them. They spend forever trying to connect to each other and bouncing off. It's only through the narration that they seem to connect, as the point of view shifts continuously from one character to another. I wondered how the author was going to pull them all together in the end, but she managed it.
The book covered so many issues that are deeply familiar to me, and so many that are blessedly foreign. Mental health issues, casual racism semi-hidden by Midwestern Nice, sexual abuse, child abuse, infidelity, what it means to be mixed in a town full of white neighbors and to never know where you belong . If you can relate to any of those things, you will want to read this book. If you can't, you NEED to read this book.
The House of Deep Water was engrossing. I couldn't pull myself out of it. Honestly, I found myself snapping at my husband for things a character's husband had done. The characters are so real, and the dialogue so cutting, that it's difficult not to feel for them. They spend forever trying to connect to each other and bouncing off. It's only through the narration that they seem to connect, as the point of view shifts continuously from one character to another. I wondered how the author was going to pull them all together in the end, but she managed it.
The book covered so many issues that are deeply familiar to me, and so many that are blessedly foreign. Mental health issues, casual racism semi-hidden by Midwestern Nice, sexual abuse, child abuse, infidelity, what it means to be mixed in a town full of white neighbors and to never know where you belong . If you can relate to any of those things, you will want to read this book. If you can't, you NEED to read this book.
April 5, 2020
I feel like the point McFarland is trying to make in The House of Deep Water is how complicated families and relationships can be, even if from the outside they look enviable. I feel like she's also trying to point to how things overlooked in childhood can be damaging in adulthood. But so much of this book left me confused. I swear it took me half the book to figure out how all the characters were interconnected to each other. The book alternates between telling the story from the different points of view of characters in the story and Beth/Eliza/Elizabeth DeWitt both in present time and reliving her childhood. It feels like so many of these characters are deeply screwed up and unwilling to grow beyond the borders of their childhood and their town. Even people who move away feel compelled to come back and sink themselves into the muck. Maybe if I felt like one of the adults could have seen more clearly past their problems that they could play an active role in making their life better I would have enjoyed it more, but I just don't feel like any of the characters really succeed at growing themselves as people - just resigning themselves that it's not worth the effort to try.
February 2, 2022
I loved “The House of Deep Water”. I was drawn into the story in the first few pages. This is a story about people - complicated, stubborn, fragile, multi-faceted, hurt people looking for love and acceptance. People looking to heal their hurts and to be made whole. People doing the best that they could with the lot that life gave them.
My heart ached for Beth as I came to understand why she reacted the way that she did and why she felt the way that she did. I followed along as Linda uprooted her life and returned home looking for something to comfort her, to help her start a new chapter in her life. Paula’s return to River Bend and her interactions while she was there made her and her decisions a bit easier to understand. The characters in this book have so much depth and so many dimensions, I found myself getting pulled along as though I was part of the story waiting to see what would happen next. I highly recommend “The House of Deep Water”.
My heart ached for Beth as I came to understand why she reacted the way that she did and why she felt the way that she did. I followed along as Linda uprooted her life and returned home looking for something to comfort her, to help her start a new chapter in her life. Paula’s return to River Bend and her interactions while she was there made her and her decisions a bit easier to understand. The characters in this book have so much depth and so many dimensions, I found myself getting pulled along as though I was part of the story waiting to see what would happen next. I highly recommend “The House of Deep Water”.
March 30, 2021
There is a lot going on in this small Michigan town where most of the characters seem to be related by birth or marriage or both. There are infidelities, divorces, abandoned children, teen pregnancies and a pedophile running a day care until he is convicted. There are too many characters in often shifting timelines to make this book memorable. A flow chart would have been beneficial in trying to keep the characters straight.
April 27, 2021
This book had way too many characters. I had to continually go the the family tree at the front of the book to figure out who was who. Also, there were so many themes....infidelity, molestation, abandonment, racism....but none of them were told in a way that I could empathize with any of the characters. At the end of the book, all of the characters remained the same and nothing really happened.
July 21, 2020
Lots going on but the books meanders at a slow pace which left me unconcerned and bored. I must admit that it's my mishap not the author's. There are a great many sad characters with very sad lives and I could not connect with any of them. Nothing against the author and I will read future works.
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November 17, 2020I very much enjoyed the writing and the storytelling but damn that was way sadder than I thought it was going to be
April 20, 2021
I am just not the audience for this book. It was very well written but I had a hard time connecting.
March 20, 2020
A perfect American facade
Jeni McFarland holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Houston and was a literary editor at Gulf Coast magazine. Her stories and fiction have already appeared in various places and in various magazines. Her debut novel The House of Deep Water releases in April by G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Beth is a black divorced woman with two children who is forced to return to her white father's house in the village of River Bend due to financial difficulties. Her father turns out to have his much younger girlfriend Linda pregnant and Beth falls back to an old pattern when she meets the man who married her best friend. The return to the village, where racism and the memories of sexual abuse return to Beth's life, brings her anger to the surface.
The House of Deep Water has many different characters that the author briefly introduces the reader to in the first chapter. The reader makes a cinematic ride through the village and passes by all residents who will play a crucial role later in the story. Due to the many characters, it takes a while before you understand exactly who is who, and the relationships between them become more complex throughout the story. Soon, however, most of the puzzle pieces fall into place.
Pretty soon a man in the village is arrested for the abuse of minors, from the diary fragments that the reader of Beth reads, we also know that she was one of his victims. However, the arrest and trial remain in the background of the story, and the book centers around all the characters within the village surrounding it. By describing events in the village and the more or less coincidental return of key figures in Beth's life to the village, the author slowly works towards a denouement.
It is soon clear to the reader that something big has to happen, with this the interest to continue reading is aroused, but for a long time it remains unclear what exactly this denouement or climax must consist of and it takes a long time. Ultimately, the ending is a lot less spectacular than you might expect, yet The House of Deep Water is an intriguing book.
Each character is well worked out by the author and McFarland gives the reader interesting insights into their different problems and psyches. The poignant thing about this story is that each character remains within his own world, communication is not really there, so that everyone lives in their own bubble and, above all, there is more and more misunderstanding in the daily life of the residents of River Bend.
Child abuse, discrimination, marital problems, and adultery, McFarland's debut has it all, but what dominates is the appearance of the perfect American life as the big issues keep hiding away into the background. This debut is worth reading and fans of Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng will certainly appreciate it.
- Many thanks to the publisher for making an ARC available for this review through Edelweiss+
Jeni McFarland holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Houston and was a literary editor at Gulf Coast magazine. Her stories and fiction have already appeared in various places and in various magazines. Her debut novel The House of Deep Water releases in April by G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Beth is a black divorced woman with two children who is forced to return to her white father's house in the village of River Bend due to financial difficulties. Her father turns out to have his much younger girlfriend Linda pregnant and Beth falls back to an old pattern when she meets the man who married her best friend. The return to the village, where racism and the memories of sexual abuse return to Beth's life, brings her anger to the surface.
The House of Deep Water has many different characters that the author briefly introduces the reader to in the first chapter. The reader makes a cinematic ride through the village and passes by all residents who will play a crucial role later in the story. Due to the many characters, it takes a while before you understand exactly who is who, and the relationships between them become more complex throughout the story. Soon, however, most of the puzzle pieces fall into place.
“Deborah is well aware of the threats in a town like this. River Bend is full of men who want to take and take. Just last June, that horrible man Gilmer was caught hurting children in his basement. Deborah can’t even imagine the terrible things he did to them – young children, too, some four or five.”
Pretty soon a man in the village is arrested for the abuse of minors, from the diary fragments that the reader of Beth reads, we also know that she was one of his victims. However, the arrest and trial remain in the background of the story, and the book centers around all the characters within the village surrounding it. By describing events in the village and the more or less coincidental return of key figures in Beth's life to the village, the author slowly works towards a denouement.
It is soon clear to the reader that something big has to happen, with this the interest to continue reading is aroused, but for a long time it remains unclear what exactly this denouement or climax must consist of and it takes a long time. Ultimately, the ending is a lot less spectacular than you might expect, yet The House of Deep Water is an intriguing book.
“She should be able to find a happy memory of it – this is the house where she spent her early childhood, the house where they lived when her family was still whole – and yet, even as she strains her mind, all she can come up with are memories of Gilmer Thurber here, in this house, his presence in every corner, filling the house like dark water.”
Each character is well worked out by the author and McFarland gives the reader interesting insights into their different problems and psyches. The poignant thing about this story is that each character remains within his own world, communication is not really there, so that everyone lives in their own bubble and, above all, there is more and more misunderstanding in the daily life of the residents of River Bend.
Child abuse, discrimination, marital problems, and adultery, McFarland's debut has it all, but what dominates is the appearance of the perfect American life as the big issues keep hiding away into the background. This debut is worth reading and fans of Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng will certainly appreciate it.
- Many thanks to the publisher for making an ARC available for this review through Edelweiss+
June 9, 2020
review tomorrow
August 25, 2022
A little bit scatterbrained without really getting too deep into any characters save for one - but even that felt a little unfinished. I enjoyed the story though.
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