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Life Without Water: A Novel
A young girl tries to help her mother recover from the devastating loss of her brother in the Vietnam War
- GenresFictionLiterary Fiction
182 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 2, 2020
Elegiac, celebratory, and liberating all at once, this first-person account appears to be a summing up of what was past in order to move on, as if to say, “That was how I came to be what I am, and those are the stories that shaped and bound me. Now I am free.”
The narrator is a young woman, apparently in her late teens or early 20s, recounting her life’s story. She speaks directly of the things she knows from her past, both the things she remembers and the things that she has been told by her mother. The bond between mother and daughter has been omphalic, but in the novel’s final pages, while on her own, looking into the debris of the 10-year-old fire that destroyed their home, Cedar seals up the past, using her dead uncle’s words to suggest it is like zipping up a body bag.
Peacock does an admirable job with the narrator’s voice, and the story moves in a steady stream of declarative sentences, the bare facts intimating more than is said. Cedar is born into a hippie existence, growing up in a house without running water, tethered to the laid back rhythms of parents and communal friends who are more interested in living simply and in the moment rather than in bourgeois fashion, where concern for ongoing comfort means thinking about the future.
Wrapped up in Cedar’s history is her mother’s stories about her brother killed in Vietnam and Cedar’s father, whom she finally had to leave when Cedar was only four. On a year-long road trip, Cedar’s mother finds a new lover, David, and brings him back to the abandoned home in the woods in NC. Another couple and their two children join them. The idyll lasts only a couple of years, the birth of Cedar’s half-sister marking the time when things begin to fall apart, when David takes up with a younger woman, Topaz, who’s come to live at the commune. David dies in the fire that destroys the house shortly after Topaz leaves, well into her pregnancy.
A few years with her grandparents in Georgia, then a few years at the School of Arts in NC, and then some attempt to live on her own after her mother marries and moves to Virginia. The novel’s open-ended conclusion—with its intimations of liberation from the past—occurs when Cedar, leaving her grandmother’s funeral, heads back on her own, stopping off in NC to revisit the old home site.
The narrator is a young woman, apparently in her late teens or early 20s, recounting her life’s story. She speaks directly of the things she knows from her past, both the things she remembers and the things that she has been told by her mother. The bond between mother and daughter has been omphalic, but in the novel’s final pages, while on her own, looking into the debris of the 10-year-old fire that destroyed their home, Cedar seals up the past, using her dead uncle’s words to suggest it is like zipping up a body bag.
Peacock does an admirable job with the narrator’s voice, and the story moves in a steady stream of declarative sentences, the bare facts intimating more than is said. Cedar is born into a hippie existence, growing up in a house without running water, tethered to the laid back rhythms of parents and communal friends who are more interested in living simply and in the moment rather than in bourgeois fashion, where concern for ongoing comfort means thinking about the future.
Wrapped up in Cedar’s history is her mother’s stories about her brother killed in Vietnam and Cedar’s father, whom she finally had to leave when Cedar was only four. On a year-long road trip, Cedar’s mother finds a new lover, David, and brings him back to the abandoned home in the woods in NC. Another couple and their two children join them. The idyll lasts only a couple of years, the birth of Cedar’s half-sister marking the time when things begin to fall apart, when David takes up with a younger woman, Topaz, who’s come to live at the commune. David dies in the fire that destroys the house shortly after Topaz leaves, well into her pregnancy.
A few years with her grandparents in Georgia, then a few years at the School of Arts in NC, and then some attempt to live on her own after her mother marries and moves to Virginia. The novel’s open-ended conclusion—with its intimations of liberation from the past—occurs when Cedar, leaving her grandmother’s funeral, heads back on her own, stopping off in NC to revisit the old home site.
June 30, 2008
I just reread this lovely short book while I couldn't sleep this week.
Nancy Peacock, local to my area, writes lovely spare little books with a strong sense of place. Action follows character and each character is written so consistently and beautifully that her books seem to unfold like flowers instead of being a series of events.
Nancy Peacock, local to my area, writes lovely spare little books with a strong sense of place. Action follows character and each character is written so consistently and beautifully that her books seem to unfold like flowers instead of being a series of events.
May 17, 2018
I had a day to spend at a friend's river house, so I brought this book with me as it was short enough to start and finish during this time. It was a good read by still waters - retrospective in tone, almost to the point where it read like a memoir instead of fiction.
November 20, 2011
What a sad strange book. I started out not really liking it but then it started to grow on me. It had a good character and an interesting storyline.
Cedar was born in an old farmhouse to her mother and a man named Sol who had chosen her mother to have his baby. Her mother, still bereaved from the loss of her brother in the Vietnam war went along with the idea. But as the years passed and Cedar grew, she discovered that it was too hard to live with this pot smoking man who did nothing and left with Cedar, eventually ending up in New Mexico where she meets Daniel. Daniel is in a relationship but quickly grows to the idea of returning to the farmhouse with Cedar and her mother and living there with another couple and their children as part of a commune. But another visitor who calls herself Topaz presents trouble too and while Cedar recalls her life at the farmhouse fondly, there are some things that trouble her as well when she looks back.
Cedar is a great character. She looks at her life through a child's eyes but is very attuned to the emotions surrounding her and the little nuances that make relationships so complicated. I also like her mother, who was a troubled young woman but seemed to do the best she could by her daughters. The other characters while important, weren't really focused on as much and I didn't have the same connection to them that I did to Cedar and her mother. I wasn't very fond of Sol or Daniel, but maybe that's to be expected from their roles in the book.
I wouldn't say that this book had a plot per say. I wouldn't even call it a coming of age book. It was simply Cedar telling about her childhood and her experiences. And since she lived in the time of the Vietnam war she had some interesting and sad experiences. I did feel some sadness at the plight of her mother who seemed to be striving for something that she just couldn't attain. Sometimes I feel that way in my own life. But at least she kept trying which is always important. The pace was pretty smooth for the most part although it did have some slow parts. It was a fast and easy read but still had a good story.
I liked this book and will probably look for more by the author. She seems to have a nice tone about her and a nice way with developing characters.
Life Without Water
Copyright 1996
182 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011
More of my reviews can be found at ifithaswords.blogspot.com
Cedar was born in an old farmhouse to her mother and a man named Sol who had chosen her mother to have his baby. Her mother, still bereaved from the loss of her brother in the Vietnam war went along with the idea. But as the years passed and Cedar grew, she discovered that it was too hard to live with this pot smoking man who did nothing and left with Cedar, eventually ending up in New Mexico where she meets Daniel. Daniel is in a relationship but quickly grows to the idea of returning to the farmhouse with Cedar and her mother and living there with another couple and their children as part of a commune. But another visitor who calls herself Topaz presents trouble too and while Cedar recalls her life at the farmhouse fondly, there are some things that trouble her as well when she looks back.
Cedar is a great character. She looks at her life through a child's eyes but is very attuned to the emotions surrounding her and the little nuances that make relationships so complicated. I also like her mother, who was a troubled young woman but seemed to do the best she could by her daughters. The other characters while important, weren't really focused on as much and I didn't have the same connection to them that I did to Cedar and her mother. I wasn't very fond of Sol or Daniel, but maybe that's to be expected from their roles in the book.
I wouldn't say that this book had a plot per say. I wouldn't even call it a coming of age book. It was simply Cedar telling about her childhood and her experiences. And since she lived in the time of the Vietnam war she had some interesting and sad experiences. I did feel some sadness at the plight of her mother who seemed to be striving for something that she just couldn't attain. Sometimes I feel that way in my own life. But at least she kept trying which is always important. The pace was pretty smooth for the most part although it did have some slow parts. It was a fast and easy read but still had a good story.
I liked this book and will probably look for more by the author. She seems to have a nice tone about her and a nice way with developing characters.
Life Without Water
Copyright 1996
182 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011
More of my reviews can be found at ifithaswords.blogspot.com
January 28, 2008
This book was especially fun because it takes place in the Chapel Hill area. Easy to read but not fluff. Coming-of-age story in the 1960s, I think is what the description says. It draws you in enough to finish in one sitting. I like it because of the bittersweet ending.
I may try to read some of Nancy Peacock's other stuff.
I may try to read some of Nancy Peacock's other stuff.
July 9, 2022
This is the kind of book that you read, love and then give to a friend saying, "You have to read this...
Nancy Peacock gives us a young narrator who is both knowing and innocent, trusting and fearful: a girl named Cedar, who reflects on her childhood in the wake of the Vietnam war. As she and her young mother Sara both come of age, Cedar explores the intense bond--and discovers the boundaries--of their mother-daughter relationship. Living as hippies in an abandoned farmhouse in North Carolina, Sara and Cedar survive a number of romantic and domestic misadventures, first with Cedar's father Sol, and later with a group of friends living together in a commune-style home. Lyrical, bittersweet and utterly unforgettable, Life Without Water uniquely captures this time--and its joys, hazards, complexities and disappointments.
Nancy Peacock gives us a young narrator who is both knowing and innocent, trusting and fearful: a girl named Cedar, who reflects on her childhood in the wake of the Vietnam war. As she and her young mother Sara both come of age, Cedar explores the intense bond--and discovers the boundaries--of their mother-daughter relationship. Living as hippies in an abandoned farmhouse in North Carolina, Sara and Cedar survive a number of romantic and domestic misadventures, first with Cedar's father Sol, and later with a group of friends living together in a commune-style home. Lyrical, bittersweet and utterly unforgettable, Life Without Water uniquely captures this time--and its joys, hazards, complexities and disappointments.
July 23, 2022
Someone from my book club recommended this, and I have to say I was very disappointed.
First, children who are 3, 4, or 5 years old do not typically have the memory that Cedar had, so that turned me off right away. The number of drugs the adults consumed was out of bounds and the fact that the mom shared so many intimate details of her life with her young daughter was disgusting.
I AM a person who was a young adult in the 60s and 70s but NEVER encountered the life that was portrayed in this book.
The book was hard to acquire and such a quick read that I was very disappointed.
First, children who are 3, 4, or 5 years old do not typically have the memory that Cedar had, so that turned me off right away. The number of drugs the adults consumed was out of bounds and the fact that the mom shared so many intimate details of her life with her young daughter was disgusting.
I AM a person who was a young adult in the 60s and 70s but NEVER encountered the life that was portrayed in this book.
The book was hard to acquire and such a quick read that I was very disappointed.
April 26, 2021
*Not for School*
Wow. This was an interesting book. Well-written entertainment. I couldn't put it down. I can't say I loved it because it is a hard book to read. Sad. There is some healing and love that comes through especially at the end. A quick read. A great book for discussion.
Wow. This was an interesting book. Well-written entertainment. I couldn't put it down. I can't say I loved it because it is a hard book to read. Sad. There is some healing and love that comes through especially at the end. A quick read. A great book for discussion.
June 15, 2024
A subtle bildungsroman that reminded me of Lily King and of home. It reminds you to be tender towards the parents who haven’t been touched in a while and are finding themselves too. (I love NC representation)
June 8, 2017
A wonderful, beautiful book that made me cry.
July 11, 2018
Sorry, couldn’t finish it
September 20, 2018
Appealing partly because of the local setting. I actually liked Peacock's essays better (both four stars)
February 3, 2019
Just read this and loved it so much!!
December 19, 2022
I guess I did not have enough appreciation for communal living to enjoy this book. Perhaps for someone of the era it might be more interesting.
January 31, 2024
Short and sweet. This is the second book I’ve ready by this author and she has a way of writing that makes you feel it’s a memoir and not fiction. I love that.
January 9, 2021
I picked this up because the author and setting are local, and I found myself flying through it. It was an interesting look into Vietnam War era life and a fascinating story of an unconventional childhood that kept me turning the pages. I’m looking forward to reading more of Nancy Peacocks books!
May 17, 2016
I came upon this book in a used book store and was drawn to two things: 1. the author was local and had been thanked as a support and help by another author that I enjoyed...2. the story takes place very close to where I live. That being said I read this very short book in one sitting and found the descriptions and the characters well created and real. The story is told by Cedar as she recalls life with her mother who is "exploring" what the world may have to offer. As they settle for the second time at Two Moons both mother and daughter must grow-up and make changes in their lives but the author first gives us a good look at communal living. This is primitive yet everyone is well cared for and loved. The area where this story takes place may well indeed still offer communal living for people who want to live off of the earth or just go off the grid for awhile.
February 19, 2015
A very quick read with a few instances of brilliance, I was less than impressed with this book about relationships during the seventies. There are two examples of very real, raw human emotion, always between mother and daughter, but the rest of the relationships seem to be flat, and one dimensional, despite the fact. The book lacked a compelling plot line and while the premise was promising (growing up as a hippy in a commune in an isolated house with no running water), Peacock failed to deliver.
February 22, 2012
loved this book such an easy read read it in about three days loved the characters loved this time in our history. Loved how the little girl did not know she was poor and was sad that her sister would not know the times of running to the out house and watching the hawk get mice shows us that the simple things are so important in life and we take them for granted.
September 18, 2013
This was a well written young adult novel. It made the unconventional, wonderful. The narrator made you want to live her life. The novel told of growing up during the Vietnam War era and one family's journey through life. The characters are interesting and handle real life situations. This was interesting and made me think a lot.
September 15, 2010
Picked this up because I enjoyed Peacock's memoir, A Broom of One's Own, and because it takes place on a commune. Good story. I would read more of her work, and now I want to read more about communes.
December 8, 2013
I finished this in an evening; I just couldn't put it down. The author's writing style is appealing and she is a strong storyteller. Reading about Cedar and her extended family was a true pleasure. Can't wait to read more of Nancy Peacock's books.
February 10, 2014
Peacock's writing style was engaging but I felt the characters were kind of tired. To be fair, I knew it was a book about hippies when I checked it out, so I should have known what to expect. What I liked least was the tidy ending. What I liked most was Cedar's voice.
August 16, 2014
Interesting jaunt back into the days of communes, simple living, back to the land .... Ideal optimism & the real imperfections that are part of all lifestyles! Quick read, took about three hours in one sitting.
September 7, 2015
I really enjoyed this little book! It was deeply felt and so visual; I could see and feel the characters as they hurtled along time and place. Wonderful story of a mother and daughter during a vivid time I remember well.
July 23, 2007
1960's coming-of-age..good for giving flavor of era.
January 14, 2008
I love this book! There are so many childhood connections in the pages.
March 18, 2008
Sad. In the end, the narrator's mother settles for something reliable but seemingly without passion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2011
I enjoyed this books, especially after reading A Broom Of Ones Own...I could see a lot of her own story woven into the book.
Very well written
Very well written
April 8, 2010
A very quick read about a life as a hippie. I believe I read the book in about 2 hours. It felt like I was reading someone's diary...but more interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews