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After embarrassing themselves at the social event of the year in high society Philadelphia on New Year’s Eve of 1942, Maddie and Ellis Hyde are cut off financially by Ellis’s father, a former army Colonel who is already embarrassed by his son’s inability to serve in WWII due to his being colorblind. To Maddie’s horror, Ellis decides that the only way to regain his father’s favor is to succeed in a venture his father attempted and very publicly failed at: he will hunt the famous Loch Ness monster and when he finds it he will restore his father’s name and return to his father’s good graces (and pocketbook). Joined by their friend Hank, a wealthy socialite, the three make their way to Scotland in the midst of war. Each day the two men go off to hunt the monster, while another monster, Hitler, is devastating Europe. And Maddie, now alone in a foreign country, must begin to figure out who she is and what she wants. The novel tells of Maddie’s social awakening: to the harsh realities of life, to the beauties of nature, to a connection with forces larger than herself, to female friendship, and finally, to love.
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0It's been a good while since I'v read a historical fiction novel this good.
"At the Water's Edge" takes on several interesting topics: "Nessie-mania" in Scotland, the treatment of women and mental illness in the 1940s, and World War II's effect on Scotland. What it's really about, however, is desperate housewife/socialite Maddie. The daughter of a cold man and an unhinged society beauty, Maddie is married to Ellis, an aristocrat whose parents believe she is beneath them. A fiasco causes Ellis's parents to cut him off; and in turn, he, his best friend Hank, and Maddie leave for Scotland to find the Loch Ness monster and clear the name of Ellis's father. (Who was accused of faking its appearance for fame.) They end up at an inn--and that's where the fun really begins.
There's a lot at play here. Maddie was diagnosed with a "nervous condition" years prior, but refuses to take her pills. Ellis and Hank are judged for not going to war--Ellis because he is colorblind, and Hank because he's flat-footed. (The latter of which is most definitely a shitty excuse.) And of course, there's the various tragedies and mysteries surrounding the people who work at the inn, in particular Angus, the secretive man who runs the place.
It's hard to pin down exactly what it is the best part of the novel. The monster angle and the general fantastical nature of Scottish legends are both fascinating. The story is definitely tinged with some sort of magical realism, which I always love. There were a couple of twists and connections I didn't see coming. The people at the inn are infinitely interesting--there are some GREAT supporting characters here. The supporting female characters, Meg and Anna, were both lovable and tough, and their friendships with Maddie were something you don't see enough in fiction. And Angus... Well, Angus is pretty much what everyone fantasizes about and I can't get into much more detail than that.
"At the Water's Edge" is a slow burn because it's ultimately a tale of discovery. Maddie is a sheltered woman--a woman very typical of her time, I imagine. She was emotionally abused by both of her parents and is now treated like a possession by condescending and his friend (and that's the least of it). Furthermore, she's one of those classic "sexually repressed wife" characters--but it's done SO well here. The novel crackles with tension as Maddie uncovers the truth about her marriage, the monster, and her life in general. I couldn't stop reading.
I liked "Water for Elephants". I LOVED "At the Water's Edge".
0I received an ARC of this book from NetGally.
I was really looking forward to reading this book as I am a fan of Sara Gruen but this book left me wanting more. For one thing the main character is incredibly shallow in the beginning and we are expected to believe that she's "matured" by the end of the book but I didn't really feel that she had. Yes, she is a little more likable in the end of the book but the boom doesn't go into great detail how she transforms other than she starts helping out around the inn.
Another thing that left me lacking was the whole book changed halfway through. in the beginning its more like literature and then all of a sudden its historical romance trying to be literature. And the change, like the new relationship, just happens. There is really no build up or hint that these two people have feelings for each other until all of sudden they do.
I will give the book marks for a unique storyline (hunting for Nessie) although I did feel I was reading "Water for Elephants 2" as the character plot is very simialir (damaged women in a terrible marriage falls for someone she shouldn't) but overall this wasn't my favorite by her.
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