Breathing Water

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Summary: Greenwood gently breaths life into a difficult subject
Review: As a therapist, I am always reluctant to read about abuse and family secrets, but Greenwood's book cover beckoned me, and her story & style did not disappoint. She tackles many aspects of the difficult subject of domestic abuse with language that is both realistic and poetic. She develops her central character, Effie, with human complexity and love. Finally, Greenwood acheives resolution for her character and narrative without resorting to a neat storybook ending. What a coup for a debut novel!

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Summary: Where Love Sometimes Takes Us...
Review: Breathing Water is a first novel of remarkable depth and sophistication. It is a compelling and ingenious story of a young woman who is in grave trouble. She has, for reasons that are incomprehensible to herself, fallen from a state of childhood grace into an adult world of pain, self-loathing and confusion. A world where good intentions are rewarded with hatred and a caring, loving gesture is reciprocated with violence. A world that presents NO opportunity for escape once it has been entered. Or so it seems to the protagonist, Effie, when we first meet her.

This slide from innocence is precipitated by Effie's becoming involved while away at school with a man who is badly damaged psychologically. A man who initially seems attentive, loving and sensitive but quickly reveals an abusive inability to love and a penchant for blaming his partner for this disability. Although the book is situated for the most part in the time after Effie leaves this man, their relationship is developed in a series of retrospective chapters. It is a devastating description of an aberrant attachment that is freighted with tremendous guilt and sorrow. And violence of murderous proportion. An attachment that can only lead in the end to tragedy, remorse and suffering.

But as the title suggests, it is possible in a certain sense to be actively, chronically drowning and yet not die. To get to the point where what seems like it would surely kill comes to be the very thing that is paradoxically sustaining. But at what cost? With what consequence? These are the questions that are intensively examined by T. Greenwood in this emotionally rich, bittersweet work of the heart.

Breathing Water is a study of loss and redemption. A study of the effect of death on those who survive. And finally, an examination of that terrible state of mind where death has a hold but has not yet conquered the body. It is the path toward freedom from death's premature grip that informs the narrative structure of this splendid, well-constructed tale of love and devotion.

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Summary: A rare gem of a book
Review: BREATHING WATER is the story of Effie Greer, a young woman who returns to her childhood home to come to terms with her past---a past full of self-loathing, and an abusive relationship with her boyfriend, Max.
As Effie relives the nightmare of her relationship, she slowly comes to terms with her part in an accident involving Max and resulting in the death of a child, she also finds her chance at vindication.
With its skillfull storytelling, well defined characters and its metaphors of violence hidden in lyrical prose, you sometimes find it hard to imagine that this is T.Greenwood's first novel. She is an exceptional talent who delivers an impressive and unforgettable debut novel that should not be overlooked.

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Summary: Great Book
Review: I certainly hope that any potential reader that stumbles across this book doesn't make the mistake of pigeonholing it as a 'women's novel' -- the author is a woman, yes, and she's dealing with a subject that affects (too many) women, domestic abuse. This novel is one that should appeal to a broad variety of readers -- anyone who appreciates a well-written, intelligently conceived story that deals so convincingly with such an important topic. The quoted kudos on the back cover (hardback edition) from such luminaries as Larry McMurtry and Howard Frank Mosher should give a clue as to the talent at work here.

Greenwood's characterizations are honest and complete -- warts and all, as they say. No character is without flaws, which adds to the overall feeling of believability. The reader might be tempted to chastise Effie Greer for not seperating herself sooner from the man who beats and abuses her -- but here, as in real life, there are many emotions and feelings at play. The abused is torn -- between what she knows in an intellectual sense is the right thing for her to do, and what her emotions are trying to convince her to do, to hang on and hope against hope that 'things will get better'. There are hard decisions to be made in such a situation in 'real life', and they are no easier for Effie to make in this novel.

The subject -- and part of the book as well -- is dark, but this work also contains optimism and hope, and is ultimately an uplifting reading experience. Greenwood's other novel, NEARER THAN THE SKY, is equally rewarding. The quality of these two novels gives me cause to look forward to more from this talented writer.

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Summary: WONDERFUL!
Review: I often expect books to be good, even great, but until somewhere between the beginning and the end, I look up and realize how much time has passed without my noticing I realize what a gem this book really is. I expected it to be good, but I didn't expect it to become one of my favorites. At first I thought it was a little dark, but upon further reading I just realized it was honest, completely bare and unyielding. T. Greenwood describes Effie Greer and her life so beautifully and painfully, eloquently and just raw. It's not just a book about overcoming domestic abuse and finding out who you are, I found it to be magical and honest. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: 3 1/2 *
Review: T. Greenwood tells a simple story about Effie Greer's struggle in dealing with the years of abuse endured at the hands of her ex-boyfriend Max. On one very eventful night...the accidental death of a child, fortunatly she decides to leave the relationship. The memories of that night still haunt her, she is left dealing with guilt that does not belong to her and scars that do belong to her.

The narration is somewhat slow paced yet skillfully pleasant. The author uses the same poetic style of writing to describe beautiful images of Lake Gormlaith as to describe scenes of violence... ''In the other room he turns into the tiger behind the door I am trying to close...It is midnight and I am some strange Cinderella, the glass slipper shattering into a thousand gestures...Open palm across my face, nails dug into my shoulders, fingers like a noose around my neck. Fists meeting bone, bone, bone.''
Without giving the ending away I can say that it makes you realize that sometimes life itself has a way of fixing things in a strange way and when you least expect it.
A simple, enjoyable, worth recommending, well written story ... I will read her new book Nearer than the sky.

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Summary: Take a Deep Breath
Review: T. Greenwood's BREATHING WATER is an incredible book. I just discovered this new and incredibly talented writer and am already looking forward to her next book. BREATHING WATER takes us into the fractured world of Effie Greer who has come home to the family's camp by the lake to heal. There's a magical quality to the story which Ms. Greenwood maintains throughout the book. When I wasn't reading this book, when I was at work or driving to the store, I would think about the characters, wishing I could get home and read more. I didn't want the story to end and yet I wanted Effie to discover peace and to leave behind the sadness that enveloped her. Ms. Greenwood's second novel, NEARER THAN THE SKY, is equally compelling. These are stories that will stay with you for a long time.

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Summary: lovely writing- marred by coincidence
Review: T. Greewnwood's first novel is a nice, lyrical endeavor, but the strength of the writing cannot overcome the overwhelming coincidences structuring the narrator's breakthrough from pain to forgiving.

The only new friends she makes while in semi-seclusion at her late grandfather's cabin, are the brother of the little girl whose death she is trying to overcome & another abuse victim like herself (the other trauma she is attempting to work through).

While the descriptions of her surroundings are almost real enough to touch, and the flasback/forward structure of the novel intriguing enough to pull the reader through, I felt there was a hefty amount of narration missing- whenever Effie went back to the places that haunted her, the prose became almost too poetic- where where the raw, gutteral emotions she must have been living with?

There were holes in the narration... too many to warrant a 4 star rating. Although, my interest in her newer novels remains- I hope that as she grows as a writer her stories will gather a more solid strength.

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Summary: A monstrously beautiful endeavor
Review: This surprisingly beautiful novel moves back and forth in time as a broken, battered young woman returns to her grandparent's cabin in Vermont. Now in disrepair, this rambling old place holds treasured memories of Effie's childhood. Her more recent memories there, three years ago, were tainted by abuse, violence and death. She has returned to heal.

In lyrical rhythm, with images so perfect, so vivid, Greenwood's talent shines through: "The clouds moved across the sky, thin white dresses on an invisible line." When Effie first meets Max, her not yet abusive boyfriend, we are as intrigued as this young woman by his angst, his pain. Later, Max's need to pass along this pain is inescapable, preordained, had Effie only known the signs. But make no mistake: this is a story of redemption, not destruction. Effie has a strong heart and loving spirit; when given the opportunity to move beyond the scars of the past, she reaches out with both hands. From the first page Effie warns, "Do not ask me for haunted... because I will give you haunted and you will never be the same."

There have been many books written about domestic violence and the challenge of recovery, Anna Quindlen's BLACK AND BLUE and Alice Hoffman's HEAVEN ON EARTH. But this is a book that swims unerringly toward survival, then embraces the slow healing that follows. This novel is a writer's treasure, illuminated by phrases glowing with truth. I will keep this wonderous book for myself, sharing it sparely, always anxiously awaiting its return.