Bodies of Water by T. Greenwood is a great book club selection, but if you are looking for a light beach read, my suggestion is to pass on this one. It was just too melancholy for this reader. It is a riveting story though, providing a glimpse into the 1960(s) and the role and treatment of women. The book is written beautifully, using language that paints vivid pictures. I loved the way the story was told; through flashbacks, the eighty year old main character is reflecting back on the happiest, but most disturbing, time in her life. It is a thought-provoking story as well. The modern women of 2014 need to be so thankful and appreciative of the independence that we take for granted. I can't imagine having to live under such restrictions, so shocking in comparison to today that it didn't seem as though it could possibly be true.My problem with the book is that it was a very depressing story, and though sad books are not my favorite, I don't mind reading them if there is an eventual feeling of hopefulness. In this particular case, the feeling of helplessness, and selfishness, was just too overwhelming. I liked the old woman much better than I liked the younger version of herself, but much of the story is the flashback to her younger days.One of my favorite books by T. Greenwood is Two Rivers. Don't read the synopsis though, it will discourage you from reading the book. As for Bodies of Water, the story stays with you, but I would only recommend it for a book club discussion. Bodies of Water is simply a brilliant novel. I finished several days ago but the story still haunts me. What an incredible movie this would be with a director who truly understands the book. The author even includes a playlist of songs from the gtime period that would make a wonderful soundtrack! I bought this book in December from Books A Million as it was featured in one of their Book Club picks. I had no idea what an emotional roller coaster I would be riding and how deeply I would be impacted by it. Ms Greenwood explained the story's beginning during Hurricane Irene which did so much damage in Vermont. The group she was with waiting out the storm began to tell stories and even though Bodies of Water is 100% fiction the seeds of the story were planted on that storm=filled night. Reminds me of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and how it also came to be on a stormy night sitting by the fire with friends. Make no mistake. There is horror in this family saga and monsters and demons are present, jest not in the traditional; sense This book is not easy to talk about in just a few paragraphs and I don't want to give away any of its secrets. The story is set in the early 1960s in Hollyville Massachusetts and involves the relationship between a swimmer and an artist who are housewives with a supposedly ideal life. I love Greenwood's writing although I got a little frustrated at her sometimes because she took so long to describe something and the action just stopped and I kept saying "Oh come on, get on with it". :) It is a complicated story about loneliness, love, dreams, obsession, memory, guilt and regret. It is a story of friends, lovers, children and mothers, husbands and wives and apples. It is about gaining and losing and the strange ways life can fall for us. The story began with a coffee cake and ended at the lake. It is a memoir of Billie Valentine reflecting back on her life and all the events that made it beautiful, painful and how secrets changed everything. I think everyone can relate to this story one way or another, even though your choices might not have yours there are things that we all share in common in some ways. I could go on and on but I think it is better to let you read the book and not my review so just "Get on with it!" :)
