Evening Book Club January 2016
At the Water’s Edge by Sarah Gruen
The evening’s discussion was dominated by recurring
questions; “What is this book really about? What is the significance of water
throughout the story?” Several themes
were evident; World War II and its effects on the residents of rural Scotland, the
contrast of class differences between entitled socialites and working people in
both England and Scotland, belief in traditional folklore and practice of folk medicine, and the
consequences of societal norms of male dominance and violence against women.
There was the question of unusual male friendship interfering with recently
married Maddie who was beginning to realize that her marriage and relationship
with her husband Ellis and childhood friend, Hank was somewhat unorthodox.
Husband Ellis drank liberally and helped himself to
Maddie’s medicine, so much so that she finally threw out her remaining supply. Undeterred
Ellis continued on his drug addled spree with no concern for Maddie who was
left to fend for herself in an inn full of strangers in the middle of the wild
Scottish Highlands. Readers felt the search for the Loch Ness monster was
backdrop for the transformation of Maddie from her former life into an authentic
woman with true concern and understanding for those in the village and they for
her.
After much discussion it was decided that the Loch
Ness monster was not defined or found, but perhaps was behind some of the supernatural
events. Readers agreed that the author wrote extensively about the emotional
and guarded lives of people. Although the story was a dark one, the group broke
into nervous laughter at the absurd situations and antics of characters. Maddie
speaking about husband Ellis after a terrifying incident of abuse in the night,
“Dr.McLean banished everyone while he examined Meg, so the rest of us went
downstairs to wait. As far as I could tell, Ellis had slept through the entire
thing. That, or he was dead, but I saw no reason to check. If he was dead, he’d
still be dead in the morning."
Have you read At the Water’s Edge? What did you
think? Please share your thoughts in comments.
