At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

For a rich girl, Maddie's had it pretty rough. Her upbringing was less than ideal and now she's married to a man who seems like a good choice, but quickly turns out to be a jerk at the very least. His main interaction with her is telling her what to wear.

Maddie's husband, Ellis Hyde, was sadly rejected from service in WWII because he's colorblind. This has lead to lots of drinking and disapproval from his wealthy parents. What's the solution for this? Well, in Ellis' opinion, it's finding the Loch Ness Monster! This is a task at which his own imperious father failed and which will bring everlasting glory to the Hyde name.

So Ellis, Maddie, and Ellis' handsome BFF, Hank, pack up and head for Scotland. Once there, the boys promptly dump Maddie in an inn filled with enigmatic Scotsmen and sassy women. While the menfolk spend hours on the frigid Loch with a camera, she desperately attempts to fill her empty days and get to know some of these new acquaintances. For instance, Angus, the innkeeper.  But Angus, it turns out, has a secret!  And so does the Loch! So really, no surprises there. A fairly predictable plot ensues with a few unexpected turns.

At the Water's Edge is a pleasant read with well drawn characters. Other reviews refer to them as shallow, but what's happening here is that some of the characters are shallow people, not shallowly depicted. Maddie starts out as one of the shallowest, but we learn alongside her that there is more to the world than it seems. A happy ending for most includes a brush with a mysterious force.

I obtained my copy for free through NetGalley.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

We'll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down

We'll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down: Memoir of a Gravedigger's Daughter

This is the kind of title that gets my attention. The funeral industry is a passion of mine. My grandparents owned and lived in a funeral home until I was about 12 and so visiting them meant hanging out a few dozen yards from a room full of casket samples and a body prep room. When I tell people this, a light of understanding shines in their eye. Ah, so that's why you're like this.

Rachael Hanel's memoir is nothing unusual. We hear about her family tragedy and vivid memories of growing up in a small Minnesota town. We hear about family stories from before she was born. Stories that are sometimes remarkable, but not so different in theme and outcome from stories most of us have. (And yes, her father was a gravedigger. Hanel spent many of her early years in cemeteries as her father went about his work.)

It is the tone of this book that has stayed with me for years. It is truthful and touching without breaking your heart. The story of a family as told by someone who can see the story for what it is: sad and happy and frustrating and hopeful. Hanel understands that our pasts make us who we are and perhaps even more than that; our family's past shapes us in ways we can never fully grasp and never, never escape.

I received a digital copy for review through NetGalley.