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The Meeting of Air and Water
Three love stories are entwined in this poignant and dramatic debut novel, The Meeting of Air and Water. In 1923, Dolores, a sensitive young girl in a small coastal Louisiana town receives the gift of a camera which offers her a window into an otherwise frightening world. The haunting, mythical culture of the Acadians feeds her imagination as her talent for the art of photography develops. A romance begins in childhood with Earl, her loyal champion, and they move to the volatile city of New Orleans where she continues to pursue her artistic path despite the societal and cultural conventions that discourage it.
Over fifty years later, Dolores' granddaughter, Elaine, reeling from a divorce and struggling to find her own artistic calling, returns to New Orleans to care for her grandfather Earl, now a feisty octogenarian, who lives in Little Woods, a community of fishing camps on Lake Pontchartrain. Elaine is pursued by two former lovers, one an abusive, alcoholic city prosecutor, the other a handsome Cajun fisherman—opposites who appeal to different sides of Elaine's personality.
When Elaine discovers that her grandmother’s photographs have been kept secret, she goes on a mission to learn all she can about Dolores and her mysterious life. Family wounds that have been deepening for decades come to the surface and must be confronted in light of Elaine’s discoveries. Meanwhile, Earl, despite his infirmities, decides to pursue romance one last time and falls in love with a wise soul, Audrey, from Appalachia, who encourages Earl to bring to light the truth of Dolores’ inspired life and work. The characters find healing through these revelations and their newfound loves.
Steeped in the exotic atmosphere of southern Louisiana, The Meeting of Air and Water celebrates the healing power of love at any age while exploring the nature and fragility of the human need to create, and the complications and struggles that arrive when this need is denied. With insight and humor the novel reveals the dangers of kept family secrets and the healing that can occur when truth comes to light.
The novel was a finalist in the William Wisdom-William Faulkner novel-in-progress competition. It was inspired by the photographs of Fonville Winans, who traveled the coast of Louisiana in the 1920s documenting Cajun life.
Over fifty years later, Dolores' granddaughter, Elaine, reeling from a divorce and struggling to find her own artistic calling, returns to New Orleans to care for her grandfather Earl, now a feisty octogenarian, who lives in Little Woods, a community of fishing camps on Lake Pontchartrain. Elaine is pursued by two former lovers, one an abusive, alcoholic city prosecutor, the other a handsome Cajun fisherman—opposites who appeal to different sides of Elaine's personality.
When Elaine discovers that her grandmother’s photographs have been kept secret, she goes on a mission to learn all she can about Dolores and her mysterious life. Family wounds that have been deepening for decades come to the surface and must be confronted in light of Elaine’s discoveries. Meanwhile, Earl, despite his infirmities, decides to pursue romance one last time and falls in love with a wise soul, Audrey, from Appalachia, who encourages Earl to bring to light the truth of Dolores’ inspired life and work. The characters find healing through these revelations and their newfound loves.
Steeped in the exotic atmosphere of southern Louisiana, The Meeting of Air and Water celebrates the healing power of love at any age while exploring the nature and fragility of the human need to create, and the complications and struggles that arrive when this need is denied. With insight and humor the novel reveals the dangers of kept family secrets and the healing that can occur when truth comes to light.
The novel was a finalist in the William Wisdom-William Faulkner novel-in-progress competition. It was inspired by the photographs of Fonville Winans, who traveled the coast of Louisiana in the 1920s documenting Cajun life.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 30, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 8 reviews
December 22, 2024
The Meeting of Air and Water has an amazing sense of texture and place, and is a great story. It spans several generations and locations throughout Louisiana, from the bayous to the French Quarter. I loved how the characters talked, and what they ate, and I could feel the moisture in the air, and could relate to their predicaments in life. Now I must admit these details resonated with me because I grew up in Louisiana and it was all so familiar. However I think any reader would find this very engaging story enjoyable. I especially appreciated the notes at the end where the author explains how she was inspired to write the book and some of her information sources about this fascinating corner of Louisiana.
August 16, 2025
A deeply moving piece of literary fiction that addresses the nuances of mental illness in a generational and respectful way. And the description of Louisiana dropped me right in to the culture and the beauty of a place I have yet to visit. Highly recommend.
September 25, 2024
Deeply Engaging Story of Life in the deep South
The characters and the settings are described in such vivid detail that you feel yourself drawn into the story itself. The weaving of everyday life in the deep south with the struggles the family faced with mental illness is not only telling of the time but pertinent today as well. I couldn't put it down!
The characters and the settings are described in such vivid detail that you feel yourself drawn into the story itself. The weaving of everyday life in the deep south with the struggles the family faced with mental illness is not only telling of the time but pertinent today as well. I couldn't put it down!
October 29, 2025
I enjoyed this book very, very much! Towards the end of the book I could not put it down. I found myself reading every free second. The characters were so well developed. All that research about cameras and photography provided details that made the story so vibrant. This is a debut novel. I hope it won't be her last because she has talent that needs to be shared.
May 11, 2025
Review to follow after submission to Windy City Reviews.
March 23, 2026
I was not enjoying this book until page 149. Too many trivial New Orleans mystiques thrown around. It improved later.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 8 reviews