Thursday, April 10, 2008

"Trouble The Water" Book Review and Giveaway!

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Trouble the Water by Nicole Seitz


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Trouble the Water

Thomas Nelson (March 11, 2008)

by

Nicole Seitz


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Nicole Seitz is a South Carolina Lowcountry native and the author of The Spirit of Sweetgrass as well as a freelance writer/illustrator who has published in numerous low country magazines. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor's degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Nicole shows her paintings in the Charleston, South Carolina area, where she owns a web design firm and lives with her husband and two small children. Nicole is also an avid blogger, you can leave her a comment on her blog.

Seitz's writing style recalls that of Southern authors like Kaye Gibbons, Anne Rivers Siddons, and Sue Monk Kidd, and this new novel, which the publisher compares to Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, surely joins the ranks of strong fiction that highlights the complicated relationships between women. Highly recommended, especially for Southern libraries.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

In the South Carolina Sea Islands lush setting, Nicole Seitz's second novel Trouble the Water is a poignant novel about two middle-aged sisters' journey to self-discovery.

One is seeking to recreate her life yet again and learns to truly live from a group of Gullah nannies she meets on the island. The other thinks she's got it all together until her sister's imminent death from cancer causes her to re-examine her own life and seek the healing and rebirth her troubled sister managed to find on St. Anne's Island.

Strong female protagonists are forced to deal with suicide, wife abuse, cancer, and grief in a realistic way that will ring true for anyone who has ever suffered great loss.

"This is another thing I know for a fact: a woman can't be an island, not really. No, it's the touching we do in other people's lives that matters when all is said and done. The silly things we do for ourselves--shiny new cars and jobs and money--they don't mean a hill of beans. Honor taught me that. My soul sisters on this island taught me that. And this is the story of true sisterhood. It's the story of Honor, come and gone, and how one flawed woman worked miracles in this mixed-up world."


"...a special sisterhood of island women whose wisdom and courage linger in the mind long after the book is closed."
-NEW YORK TIMES best-selling author SUSAN WIGGS


The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595544003

My Review:
Okay, I have to be honest with this book - I liked it. I don't think it's for everyone though. I almost always pass on the books I review to my mother-in-law when I am done (she lives with us, so then we discuss them after she reads them). This book I did not pass on even though I ended up liking it. Here's why...

1) There are some characters in the book that speak the Gullah dialect - which is as hard to read as it probably is to listen to. Nicole does a great (and very realistic) job with it, but it doesn't make it any easier to read. I knew my mother-in-law would have a hard time with this - that is reason #1.

2) There are 3 different people's points of view in this book and it randomly switches back and forth (it does give you a heading everytime it changes though so that's good). This is complicated though by the fact that it also randomly switches back and forth from July to December with those 3 different points of view. Here again there are headings to notify you, but it is still a little confusing. This was reason #2 for not passing it on to my mother-in-law, I knew the time changing would drive her batty.

With those two things said - let me now explain why I liked this book...

It is a great story of redemption from the past, sisterhood, friendship, believing in someone that maybe doesn't deserve it and so much more. Trouble the Water has many underlying themes and even brings an awareness to a rare strain of a disease that many women may not be familiar with. I cried through the last few chapters of the book (so if you need to clear out your tear ducts, this is totally the book for you!) but still finished it feeling satisfied. I do recommend this book - as long as you are aware going in that you have to work around those 2 factors I discussed before. If you would like the chance to read this book (grab a box of kleenex!) then post a comment here with your e-mail address and I will enter you in the drawing. Good luck!

12 comments:

Carole said...

I'm a southern gal who loves southern fiction, so I would love to read Trouble the Waters. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy.

cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net

Anonymous said...

I always love a good read and sometimes it's great to have a good cry :)

windycindy said...

Greetings! I have heard many good things about this book. I think the cover is lovely! It sounds like a good story line of women's relationships. Please enter me in your drawing. I will buy extra kleenex if I win. Thanks,Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

Theresa N. said...

I've read several good reviews of this book. Please sign me up for this book.
Theresa N.
weceno@yahoo.com

diane said...

The novel has me captivated. I know that this book is exceptional. Thanks for this lovely giveaway. The design cover is wonderful.
saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

ruth said...

Thanks for this unique giveaway. I have read wonderful reviews about this book and enjoyed the glimpse into this story. Thanks for the chance.
elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

anne said...

Your interview was amazing and provided me with wonderful insight in this book. The relationships that are explored are profound. Thanks for the chance to read this unforgettable novel. bencanada1(at)yahoo(dot)com

pearl said...

I enjoy reading book that explore relationships. Having a sister who is close brings this even more meaning. Thanks for this giveaway. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

alissa said...

Southern fiction has an extra component within the pages of each novel. I become immersed in the world and this novel has that atmosphere. The interview was enlightening. Thanks for this giveaway.
sauble(at)tennis(dot)com

hippmom said...

Thanks,Janna, for introducing us to so many new authors that I might have never heard about it if wasn't for your blog.

This is one I definetly want to try.

Jennifer Taylor said...

If you're still doing the drawing, I'd love to be entered. Thanks! jt4novels@yahoo.com

Janna said...

Thanks to all who participated - please remember to leave an email on your comment or I redraw and the winner is...

Carole! Congratulations!