The Waterman

by Tim Junkin

Set along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, this first novel tells the story of Clay Wakeman, who spent his boyhood on the water and finds he can't leave it. When his father is lost in a storm off the Eastern Shore, Clay drops out of college to take possession of his father's boat and his work as a waterman, that is, as an independent commercial fisherman. Since the old boat constitutes his sole inheritance, Clay starts out small. He recruits his oldest friend, Byron, a traumatized Vietnam vet, to join him in a crabbing business. Just as they're breaking even, Hurricane Agnes roars in to ruin the salinity of the eastern Bay waters. Agnes forces them across the Bay to set their crab traps along the Virginia shoreline and to move in with Matt and Kate, Clay's uppercrust friends from college.

It's in these unfamiliar waters that their real troubles begin. Clay falls irrevocably in love with the spoken-for Kate; Byron's demons pursue him with even greater vengeance; and out in the Bay the partners stumble onto a drug running operation. Lines are drawn by the dealers. And, at the very end, in a riveting boat chase, Clay comes very close to losing the battle . . . forever.

Genres: Fiction

310 pages, Paperback

First published January 9, 1999

Reviews

[Sarah Kane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read about the Chesapeake area....east and west banks. Informational, as well as good fiction.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The waterman a novel of the Chesapeake Bay by Tim Junkin
Enjoyed this book about the fishing and boat racing along the bay.
Interesting how they lay the traps and in the race, how to slow the boat down so they don't have to go around the starting point.
Hurricane hits and they go into action...
Lots of parties and get togethers with the teens and older kids in the area.
They figure out who set their traps free and start of a retaliation, jail time, putting up the boat for bond.....
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhh…

This story had potential with characters who looked to heal and find themselves while working the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. However, the author chose to intertwine a drug scheme into the plot which failed to add anything but the death of our protagonist to the plot. Finally, Junkin’s writing style was choppy, using too many simple sentences in developing his descriptions.

[Christopher Rigaux · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having recently moved to the Eastern Shore, I greatly enjoyed the depictions of crabbing, racing, and the yacht club life. Living in Easton, I enjoyed the author's use of local landmarks and places hereabouts. It was the characters and the plot that felt contrived and obvious to me. The book is meant to be a thriller but it did not thrill me.

[thomas r park · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve done a lot of sailing in the bay which mad the book very interesting in discussion about many places I had been. Fairly good story with some very sad parts. I wasn’t enthusiastic about his writing style

[Cecina Babich Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot was basically a vessel for some beautiful descriptions of Chesapeake Bay, and I was not mad about it.

[Kory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read this one several years ago and enjoyed it so much I figured I'd give it another try over the holiday break. One can relate and almost interact with the characters by sensing their emotions and feelings throughout the entire read. This book is wholesome in that it helps the reader gain an excellent understanding of a fisherman's life while adding a bit of suspense and intrigue at the same time.

Final update: I realize I had gotten this book confused with another one depicting a similar background. While I enjoyed this book the second time around, I had forgotten how it ended and quickly realized that, as with another book I recently finished, in my opinion, this one ended rather abruptly. Still, towards the end of the book, after the drama was built, it was just as quickly spent, leaving me to question "well, what happened to xxx?" Still, a good read!

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, another novel I bought on sale because I kind of liked the title. If reading is to learn about a completely different world, this book fills that need. Never been to Chesapeake and the descriptions sent me to maps more than once; quite good descriptions and beautiful in places. Really enjoyed meeting these characters and following their journeys.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Junkin's strong sense of life on the water enhances this belated coming of age story that ends with a long suspenseful boat chase along the Virginia/Maryland coast.

[432029mcpsmd.Net]

it was good

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're from MD (Chesapeake Bay area) you'll really appreciate the imagery. Homesick for MD? Read this!