Synopses & Reviews
In this new novel from the author of
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces. In
At the Water’s Edge, she
tells the gripping and poignant story of a privileged young woman’s moral and sexual awakening as she experiences the devastations of World War II in a Scottish Highland village.
Madeline Hyde, a young socialite from Philadelphia, reluctantly follows her husband and their best friend to the tiny village of Drumnadrochit in search of the Loch Ness monster — at the same time that a very real monster, Hitler, wages war against the Allied Forces. Despite German warplanes flying overhead and scarce food rations (and even scarcer stockings), what Maddie discovers — about the larger world and about herself — through the unlikely friendships she develops with the villagers, opens her eyes not only to the dark forces that exist around her but to the beauty and surprising possibilities as well.
Review
"A daring story of adventure, friendship, and love in the shadow of WWII." Harper's Bazaar
Review
"A page-turner of a novel that rollicks along with crisp historical detail, waves of deep emotions and a dash of Scottish mystical mythology." Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Review
"At the Water's Edge captivates with its drama, intrigue and glimpses of both the dark and light of humanity. As Jane Austen once wrote, 'with due exceptions, woman feels for woman very promptly and compassionately.' For all her faults, Maddie's tragic history and her courage in the face of her present predicament will win readers to her side." BookPage (Top Pick)
Review
"If I needed a reminder why I am such a fan of Sara Gruen's books, her latest novel provides plenty. Unique in its setting and scope, this impeccably researched historical fiction is full of the gorgeous prose I've come to expect from this author. And even after the final page, its message still resonates with me: The monsters we seek may be right in front of us." Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Time
Review
"Gruen is a wizard at capturing the essence of her historical setting, and does so here in spades, but it's Maddie's unexpected transformation that grounds and drives the novel." Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife
Review
"Once again Sara Gruen has proven herself to be one of America's most compelling storytellers. You might be tempted to rush to get to the answers at the end — but don't, or you'll miss the delectable journey that is Gruen's prose." Kathryn Stockett, New York Times bestselling author of The Help
Synopsis
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - In this thrilling new novel from the author of Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces. At the Water's Edge is a gripping and poignant love story about a privileged young woman's awakening as she experiences the devastation of World War II in a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands.
After disgracing themselves at a high society New Year's Eve party in Philadelphia in 1944, Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a former army colonel who is already ashamed of his son's inability to serve in the war. When Ellis and his best friend, Hank, decide that the only way to regain the Colonel's favor is to succeed where the Colonel very publicly failed--by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster--Maddie reluctantly follows them across the Atlantic, leaving her sheltered world behind.
The trio find themselves in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands, where the locals have nothing but contempt for the privileged interlopers. Maddie is left on her own at the isolated inn, where food is rationed, fuel is scarce, and a knock from the postman can bring tragic news. Yet she finds herself falling in love with the stark beauty and subtle magic of the Scottish countryside. Gradually she comes to know the villagers, and the friendships she forms with two young women open her up to a larger world than she knew existed. Maddie begins to see that nothing is as it first appears: the values she holds dear prove unsustainable, and monsters lurk where they are least expected.
As she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be, Maddie becomes aware not only of the dark forces around her, but of life's beauty and surprising possibilities.
Praise for At the Water's Edge
"Breathtaking . . . a daring story of adventure, friendship, and love in the shadow of WWII."--Harper's Bazaar
"A gripping, compelling story . . . Gruen's characters are vividly drawn and her scenes are perfectly paced."--The Boston Globe
"A page-turner of a novel that rollicks along with crisp historical detail."--Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"Powerfully evocative."--USA Today
"Gruen is a master at the period piece--and this] novel is just another stunning example of that craft."--Glamour
"A captivating tale."--Us Weekly
"Compulsively readable . . . a rich, beautiful novel . . . at once a gripping love story, a profound examination of the effects of war on ordinary women, and a compelling portrait of female friendship."--Kristin Hannah
"Utterly winning."--The Miami Herald
"A compelling, enthralling read, a novel which captivates and rewards, paying off in a series of emotional and narrative twists . . . comfort reading of the highest order."--The Globe and Mail
"A super steamy love story."--Good Housekeeping
"Unique in its setting and scope, this impeccably researched historical fiction is full of the gorgeous prose I've come to expect from this author."--Jodi Picoult
" Gruen] conveys the lure of the Scottish Highlands. . . . At the Water's Edge captivates with its drama, intrigue and glimpses of both the dark and light of humanity."--BookPage
About the Author
Sara Gruen is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Water for Elephants, Ape House, Riding Lessons, and Flying Changes. Her works have been translated into forty-three languages and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. She lives in western North Carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the world’s fussiest goat.