My first venture into this authors work, picked up on impulse from a local book shop. The story follows Meg and her husband Rex, in the aftermath of the untimely death of their only son, six year old Evan. Stuck in a small town, the couple decide to buy a boat and sail the world, island hopping, and generally attempting to distance themselves from everything that reminds them of their sons tragic death. Ultimately, Meg decides to return to their hometown for her brothers wedding, who just happens to be getting married to the sister of the woman who took her sons life. The book began on a positive note; I enjoyed understanding Meg's character and the relationship with her husband. The author describes the typical emotions that most people go through when they are faced with a bereavement, with heart-rendering honesty, which I'm sure many people could identify with. Meg's grief, is at times, overwhelming to read about. Overall, I found the storyline becoming weaker and less believable as the book progressed, which is very disappointing considering how strongly the writing began. Some of the characters became less interesting and/or important since the start of the book. Furthermore, different characters became more prominent, which is confusing to say the least. I wouldn't rush out to buy another book by this author, although having said that, if another synopsis caught my attention sufficiently, I would agree to trying their writing again.
I was disappointed by this book. The storyline seemed like it would be a good one, capable of real, deep emotions. A mother loses her only son to a drunk driver, and the drunk driver happens to be a friend. It all happens in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. Can the mother forgive the friend, especially given that the friend has her own childhood demons? But to be honest, I felt like the book followed a basic outline that so many books of a similar topic follow.... Tragedy happens, victim runs away to escape the pain, victim eventually realizes she must face the pain to get any kind of peace, and then victims chooses whether to forgive or not. And while the book purports to take on the topic of forgiveness, I don't think it does the topic any justice. There is one scene where a group of women debates whether they could forgive a certain injustice done to their child, and then Meg comes to a realization and returns back to her hometown. I think whether a woman can forgive an injustice to her child is a MUCH more complex decision. And a much longer process than the book shows.I just didn't enjoy the main characters (Meg and Rex), and I didn't believe their process of grieving (beyond the fact that the both dealt with their grief differently). I rather liked the end of the book, but I didn't find the timeline very realistic.
What do You think about Blue Water (2006)?
My sister sent me this book and I am so happy she did. This is my first book by A. Manette Ansay, and I am already on Amazon seeking Kindle editions by her. This is a book that, once started, you don't want to put down. A story of marital and parental love, it is ultimately a story of self-preservation and the gift of forgiveness for self and others. My only complaint is that the Harper paperback edition is printed in a VERY small font. This makes it hard to read, especially for my old tired eyes (why I love Kindle books-I can adjust the font). The small print is rather surprising considering the author has a vision disability herself. But, the read was worth any eye strain I endured.
—Karen
This was a highly emotional, heavy on the drama kind of story. The main character deals with the death of her son. The admirable attempt to show the depths of sorrow, and the resiliance of human spirit was not enough to make me a fan of this book. I found myself dreading picking it up, the loss of a child- not something I want to envision. I think I get too much into a book so I can't bring myself to contemplate losing a child. Usually I like to think about the characters of my favorite stories, wonder about their lives after the story ends, but with this I just give thanks for what I have and hope to forget the story soon.
—Lisa
This book was recommended to me by a group of librarians after I told them a few of the books I really liked and they were right about this selection. The story is actually about how different people handle grief and forgiveness. It immediately starts out with the 6 year old child being killed by a drunk driver, a former friend of the mother of the child. The author weaves the story beautifully as the grieving couple leave their Wisconsin home and decide to live on a sailboat. I found the book thought provoking and very interesting and I am going to suggest it to a book group I belong to. I also looked up the author and have just downloaded another book she wrote, "Good Things I Wish You," and look forward to reading it.
—Joanne
