By Way of Water

by Charlotte Gullick

Seeking to hold her California logging family together despite unemployment, her father's growing stubbornness and violence, and her mother's blind faith, seven-year-old Justy considers the stark realities of her world and dreams of a safer life. A first novel.

262 pages, Hardcover

First published August 5, 2002

Reviews

[Barry Maxwell]

I would have gone to 5 stars, but I need wiggle room for Charlotte's next one.

[Angel (Bookn.All.Night)]

I had a hard time getting into this one. The flow was pretty slow for me and not much was happening throughout. There are glimpses into the characters' mindset but at times it seemed to lack coherency as thoughts jumped from one character straight to the next. Maybe that type of flow was intentional? If so, it didn't work well for me.

It's also a very despondent story with the main thread that of 7 year old Justy and life as seen through her eyes. Very bleak and without hope.

Overall not a bad read, but not a great one either...at least not for me.

[Robert Natale]

My copy listed a part of a review which called Ms. Gullick "the modern day Steinbeck."

If she's Steinbeck-------I'm Mickey Mantle.

[Austinwriter]

You won’t want to skip a word of this book. Beautifully written. Charlotte captures the lives of these characters so well and paints a vivid picture of their struggles and hope.

[Alice]

While it was well-written, I can't recommend this book unless you are looking for an utterly depressing read. Seven-year-old Justy is born into a severely dysfunctional family in which dad gets drunk and beats up anyone around, mom escapes by becoming deeply religious, and granddaddy enables dad. Oh, and the family just about starves in the winter because dad is too proud to accept any assistance from friends or the government. For me, the only uplifting part was Justy's (forbidden) relationship with the "hippie" neighbors.

[Dreena]

This is the story of a poor family in California in the 60s. The father has anger issues and pride issues. The family faces prejudice because of the father's ethnicity.

The main character, Justy, has special skills. The youngest of three children in this troubled family, she has developed ways of coping with her uneven life.

It is a well-written story and very compelling. That said, I must state that I hated the ending. The book just ended. It didn't seem "over." It wasn't a cliffhanger, just unfinished feeling. Don't let that deter you, however; it's a wonderful read.

[David Borden]

By Way of Water is the story of a family struggling for survival among trees, hippies, poverty, religion, alcoholism, and family dysfunction. It takes you into the California mountains to a logging community to witness the painful sufferings of one family. The prose beautifully describes how this micro economy, tucked away from the world shifts from tradition to the modern. If you are a fan of realism and the grit of life, you will enjoy this read.

[Cindy]

I liked the author's writing and imagery but was sort of disapointed in the story overall. I would definitely give her next book a shot if she publishes anything else.