Looking Through Water (Revised Edition): A Novel

by Bob Rich

More than one man’s journey to self-awareness, this is a raw, honest coming-of-age story that reveals the true meaning of family.

In Looking Through Water , William McKay finds himself reliving his past to help his troubled grandson, Kyle, deal with the present.

William’s story starts on an Adirondacks lake and wends its way through Manhattan to the Florida Keys. Colorful characters from the old man’s past come to life to help him tell an unforgettable story full of surprises and suspense. Fueled by nature’s fury, men are yanked out of their comfort zones and thrown together to confront life and death. Just as William appears to be on the brink of permanent unmooring, a stranger unexpectedly arrives to provide the tethering he has always sought.

Looking Through Water twists and turns as old wounds are revealed, wrongs are redressed, lives are threatened, understanding surfaces, and love arrives. With his grandfather’s past laid bare, Kyle must ultimately face how he might shape his future.

This story explores the emotions that make up the intricate tapestry of family structure by pulling at the threads of truth, lies, and misunderstandings.

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256 pages, Hardcover

Published September 24, 2024

About the author

BOB RICH was first exposed to the art of storytelling in summer camps in northern Ontario. Growing up, reading Hemingway inspired him to write. Living on the shores of Lake Erie and the Florida Keys provides him with a wealth of his own tales to tell. He is the author of three books: Fish Fights, The Fishing Club and The Right Angle and co-author of Secrets of the Delphi Cafe. LOOKING THROUGH WATER is his first novel.

Reviews

[Dave Weller]

Three generations of McKay's managed a Wall Street money management firm successfully. Angus was the founder, and he purchased a second home on Loch Loon in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. This is where grandfathers take their grandsons onto the lake to fish and teach about the ways of the world. Most of the story unfolds, however, around the third generation McKay, William, and much of the action transitions to the Florida Keys. In the current time period, William is a grandfather, and he takes his grandson out on the lake, and the grandson asks William about his history, and William relates the main plot of Looking Through Water. William's story begins, as he is attending a major award ceremony for himself for being named New York City executive of the year. His fiancée is there along with his assistant Randall. Randall makes a speech and presents William with two antique pistols. When William makes his acceptance speech, he goes off the rails and reveals that his fiancee and Randall are having an affair, and he challenges Randall to a duel. He makes a hasty exit, and in a drunken state in the aftermath, he mistakenly fires one of the pistols and creates a scar on his face. I'll stop there. I enjoyed this book, although in many ways it was a description of events and did not dig too deeply into the inner thoughts of the main characters. Although the aberrant speech was an interesting surprise, there is very little background or build up about his relationship with his fiancee. Another significant portion of the plot revolves around his father, Leo McKay. Leo left the family when William was young, and he was out of contact for fourteen years. Suddenly Leo reenters William's life, but the reader never learns a clear explanation of why he left. This bothered me. At any rate, I enjoyed the story, and as a fly fisherman, I particularly liked the saltwater fly fishing scenes and action. I would have liked to see more of Jenny, but she appears in William's life and then leaves and returns, but the reader never learns about what happened in between. It's a quick read with some good scenes, and apparently there is a film out based on this book.

[Tracey]

A really enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a lovely story with interesting characters, good points to make you think about life, unexpected twist and funny moments.

[Kathy P]

A delightful and touching story. Quick read. Now I want to learn to fly fish and take my grandkids.