Waterwoman

Rating:
Summary: Waterwoman Novel Review
Review: Waterwoman
Lenore Hart
Berkley Books
ISBN: 0-425-18471-4
Hardcover $21.95
June 2003


Lenore Hart lived as a child in "old" Florida. When Hart began college the Disney World theme park was being constructed across from her parents' home. The change from rural Florida to a theme park capital was Hart's inspiration to write Waterwoman, so that she was able to capture and preserve an ageless quality of a place that changes little over time.
Waterwoman is the story of two sisters, growing up on an island off the coast of Virginia. Annie Revels, a tall, insecure woman and her sister, Rebecca, who is beautiful and desired. Initially these women live in a simple country style house and carry out their duties at home such as collecting vegetables for dinner and washing clothes, but terrible mistakes lead to jealousy and antagonism, which tears the girls' friendship and almost strips them of all that they have together.
This story is about change and he sacrifices made for family. Despite her wishes, Annie, takes over the challenge of household chores when her grandmother passes away due to a chain of severe heart attacks. Annie has always dreamed of being a waterwoman and working on the sea. As her father is a waterman, she is privileged on occasions to accompany her father at sea and learn the basics of the profession. Annie then thinks when her father dies as a result of an unfortunate fishing tragedy, that she must provide the money for the family. While her sister remains at home caring for their mother and doing the household chores, Annie, takes over her father's profession and becomes a waterwoman.
Waterwoman is written in a manner that only provides the audience a view of what Annie is experiencing, the use of first person narrative enables the audience to have contact with Annie's emotions and also provides an insight to what she is experiencing. Other characters, such as Rebecca and Mrs Revels, are not expressed in the same manner; they are portrayed through what Annie's experiences and through her thoughts. As a consequence of this, the novel becomes biased, as the audience becomes manipulated and unable to understand the emotions of the other characters.
Waterwoman is unrealistic; in the way that one misfortune is followed by another, like a chain of unlikely events, hitting Annie in every direction she faces. This novel is almost like a fairytale, as Annie falls for men too quickly, but they all end up breaking her heart. The issues in Waterwoman follow a pattern like a roller coaster ride; times of contentment are followed by times of grief and after a while the novel becomes a bit predictable. As the audience continues the novel, they begin to ride this roller coaster along with Annie, in order to see what rough moments will hit her next.
Hart has targeted a mature female audience, from the age of 16 to 25. Waterwoman is targeted towards a female audience as the main characters in this novel are female and this novel covers issues that are very common for a female audience of this age, therefore because of this, the audience is able to relate well to the characters and become entangled in the novel until reading is complete.
Despite flashbacks that alter the linear narrative and the fact that this novel is described as belonging to a poetic genre, Hart's style is very basic, as it uses simple, accessible language. Hart works on developing Annie's character throughout the novel, each personal obstacle that Annie experiences and overcomes, makes her more internally stronger and determined to make everything work out in the end.


Rating:
Summary: Waterwoman
Review: WATERWOMAN
Lenore Hart
Berkley Books
ISBN: 0-425-18471-4
$21.95 Hardcover 241 pp
June 2003

Eastern Shore of Virginia in the 1920s

WATERWOMAN is the poignant and bittersweet story of two sisters growing up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia between the two world wars. Annie Revels's father is a waterman pronging for oysters and putting out pots for crabs making a living for his family. Annie being older than her sister Rebecca loves going out on the boat with her father and sometimes wishes she could be working with him everyday. Her mother was ill and had to be looked after, and of course, she has to look after little Rebecca too. I loved the way Ms. Hart presents the different viewpoints of the family members, sometimes revealing the private and shocking thoughts that they have about one another.

When Annie's father suddenly dies she takes over going out on the water and providing for the family as her father did. Wearing his old clothes, working in the broiling sun doing backbreaking work day after day she realizes what her father had to do to keep them all alive. Annie has always felt Rebecca was the beautiful one, while she can only aspire to the life of a waterwoman. All changes in her life the day she meets Nathan Combs, a handsome guide working for the Cobb's brothers who takes out rich folks for fishing and hunting. Nathan is a veteran of the First World War and had a lot of ghosts of his own to bury. Annie and Nathan become friends and something more, but the lack of committing how they feel about one another brings about its own chaos.

Ms. Hart weaves a tale of love and relationships that is powerful, compelling and a must read. This is a rare gem of a book that you will be thinking about long after you read the last page. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling it isn't over yet! I can't wait to read the next book from this talented author.

Suzanne Coleburn, Reader To Reader Reviews