The Memory of Water

What a pleasure to read a novel that has it all together - characters that are real and easy to see, a setting that draws you in and wants to keep you there, and a plot that keeps you wondering right up to the last minute. This was not a book I plowed through at breakneck speed. I was savoring it too much - it's one of those ones you really don't want to end. The surprising thing I learned when I completed the book was that Karen White doesn't live anywhere near the water - and she has never sailed! You will swear that she is sitting in an oceanfront cottage writing this story - with her sailboat tied to her dock. Bravo, Karen, for all your research. The rich detail of the characters, home, town and sailing experience, is perfection! Karen has a wonderful facility for leaving a trail of information that eventually adds up to a plausible conclusion. I love those "Aha!" moments and the pleasant re-thinking one goes through as the pieces fall into place. This is my first Karen White book, so I now have the pleasure of looking forward to reading the others!

The Memory of Water This was a very good book. it draws you at the beginning and keeps you interested all the way through. I would recommend this book to anyone and especially to my daughters. We love to read and often enjoy many of the same books. We always trade the books between us and have all become extremely fond of Karen White. We are anxiously awaiting her new book Sea Change. it is set in St.Simons Island, Georgia which has become over the years a wonderful place to vacation. And it doesn't require a lengthy plan to visit as we are Georgia Residents.

The context of this story is so rich and deep and textured. The characters are just brought to life through the artistry of this authors words. I wanted so badly to just take my time and relax into this book but the pages kept turning and turning. The setting, the plot, the characters; everything felt so real and so close. I expected to smell the ocean and the pluff mud, the paint and the cigarettes. I expected to hear the waves, sails flapping, and the herons. It was pure word magic.

This book kept my interest all the way through, It is extremely well written, I heartily recommend it to all who love a good book.

I've really begun to love Karen White's works and have been trying to get my hands on each one. The Memory of Water sounded quite interesting to me but it has moments where it really seemed to drag along. Diana and Marnie both have issues with the night their mother dragged them into a storm. That night their mother drowned and it has turned the two sisters against each other. Marnie returns to the home of her grandfather due to an accident involving her sister and the nephew she's never met. That part sounded pretty good to me. However getting to the truth of what happened that night is implied heavily throughout the book. Getting to that truth is another story entirely. It takes the final pages to really show what happened that night. Even from Marnie's flashbacks I couldn't tell what was going on or what caused Diana to have such an attitude from her sister, other than her being bipolar. Like the other Karen White books I've read, I really loved several of the characters. Quinn and Gil especially. Quinn came off as a gentle soul to me, haunted by the death of his brother but willing to help anyone he can. Gil was smart beyond his years and I wondered what caused this child to go quiet. Marnie and Diana I could not make my opinions of. Sometimes I hated one or the other. Sometimes I loved them both. Seeing Marnie transform back into the Marnie that Diana knew was one of the things I truly loved about the book. The twist at the end was pretty amazing, but not something that has driven me to tears like Karen's other books. I guess I just couldn't get as emotionally attached to this one as I did her others.

I enjoy all of Karen Whites books. There is always a great mystery to solve with a touch of humanity that connects you to every character.

I love a good mystery and this story hit the mark. I could not put it down. What a page turner. It has everything that makes a classic story. I highly recommend this book.

I have become a big fan of Karen White and have never been disappointed in any that I have read. This was a little different from past books read due to the fact it discussed Diana's mental Illness and having an Aunt with the same illness, I realize now how hard her life had been. I would highly recommend this book for all to read so they might understand mental Illness better and realize it is a disease and try to be understanding about it.

The setting is a major character in this emotional drama between two sisters. Once close, past events have left them estranged until an urgent call rejoins them. Raised by an unbalanced mother, Marnie and Diana have deep emotional scars. Marnie has been called back by Diana’s estranged husband as Diana is in an emotional meltdown and their son has stopped speaking. Well written and recommended.

Was sorry to see the end of this one. What a wonderful book

Karen white is a good author. She tells a story that keeps the reader engaged right until the very end. I liked this book.

Not what I thought it was going to be about and did not even finish the book. Very small print

This author is amazing.