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The Water Garden
Sarah has given up her career and moved to the countryside to bring up her two young children, while her husband works long hours in London. Alone, she explores the fields and the woods near her home and discovers a lake, a memorial bench for a boy who drowned in mysterious circumstances, and Finn, a beautiful troubled teenager who plays truant from school. As Sarah pieces the mystery together, an uncomfortable attraction between Sarah and Finn builds. She knows that this blossoming relationship is wrong but the chemistry between them is difficult to resist. Their relationship reaches a climax over one hot summer, threatening to destroy everything that she holds dear.
Woven into Sarah’s story are the voices of two other women connected to her family - Maggie, the RAF nurse, and Flavia, the Italian girl. As their stories unfold, a secret is revealed, binding Sarah and Finn in a way that they would never guess.
The Water Garden is about family secrets, guilt, and redemption. It tells the story of a 30-year old full-time mother who becomes attracted to a troubled teenage boy. The novel looks at the challenges of balancing a woman’s loyalty towards, and love for, her family, with her loyalty to herself. It considers motherhood in a unique way, exploring it in extreme circumstances: there are few stories about relationships between wives/mothers and teenage boys. The story is sometimes uncomfortable to read - and is meant to be, challenging social norms and expectations.
Woven into Sarah’s story are the voices of two other women connected to her family - Maggie, the RAF nurse, and Flavia, the Italian girl. As their stories unfold, a secret is revealed, binding Sarah and Finn in a way that they would never guess.
The Water Garden is about family secrets, guilt, and redemption. It tells the story of a 30-year old full-time mother who becomes attracted to a troubled teenage boy. The novel looks at the challenges of balancing a woman’s loyalty towards, and love for, her family, with her loyalty to herself. It considers motherhood in a unique way, exploring it in extreme circumstances: there are few stories about relationships between wives/mothers and teenage boys. The story is sometimes uncomfortable to read - and is meant to be, challenging social norms and expectations.
- GenresFiction
300 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
September 4, 2021
I was very attracted to the cover design of the book and the blurb sounded interesting as well so I expected a story with a bit of magical realism in it. However, the story proved to be very straightforward...infact the plot just revolved around a few generations of women of two separate families and how an affair connects them. The writing was beautiful especially the description of the woods, the lake and nature in general and the book was well paced. I found the character of Finn interesting and only his backstory held some sense of intrigue and interest. Overall a quick read.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Muswell Press and the author Louise Soraya Black for the e-Arc of the book.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 💫
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Muswell Press and the author Louise Soraya Black for the e-Arc of the book.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 💫
May 31, 2021
This isn’t the typical type of book I would go for but there was something about the book description that really appealed to me and it didn’t disappoint.
The story flicks between present day and chapters from the past leading back up to present day. Whilst in present day it focuses on Sarah, a wife and mother to two small boys, the past features a variety of characters whose lives are all entwined in someway. It made me wonder what the story was leading up to and how it was connected to Sarah.
Having left the hustle and bustle of London for a better quality of life in the country, Sarah is finding it harder to adjust. I felt empathy for this woman with two young children who was pretty much running the house and looking after the boys whilst her husband commutes to London for work. There is something about the area and in particular a lake which has a memorial bench that has a pull on Sarah as well as a teenager who sends her head into turmoil.
There is a real sense of setting within the story and the author paints a vivid and beautiful picture in my head of the house Sarah lives in as well as the surrounding area. As well as Sarah, I found Finn such an intriguing character and was eager to find out more about him. He’s a bit of a tortured soul and it sent my mothering instinct into overdrive!
The Water Garden is a wonderfully and enticing story which had me wholly absorbed. It’s set at a gentle pace and yet I struggled to put it down as I was so engrossed in these characters lives and wanted to learn more. It’s a story filled with an air of suspense, spread out over a span of years with secrets and untold truths. A beautiful and engaging read by a new talent to me of which I can’t wait to read more from.
My thanks to Muswell Press for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
The story flicks between present day and chapters from the past leading back up to present day. Whilst in present day it focuses on Sarah, a wife and mother to two small boys, the past features a variety of characters whose lives are all entwined in someway. It made me wonder what the story was leading up to and how it was connected to Sarah.
Having left the hustle and bustle of London for a better quality of life in the country, Sarah is finding it harder to adjust. I felt empathy for this woman with two young children who was pretty much running the house and looking after the boys whilst her husband commutes to London for work. There is something about the area and in particular a lake which has a memorial bench that has a pull on Sarah as well as a teenager who sends her head into turmoil.
There is a real sense of setting within the story and the author paints a vivid and beautiful picture in my head of the house Sarah lives in as well as the surrounding area. As well as Sarah, I found Finn such an intriguing character and was eager to find out more about him. He’s a bit of a tortured soul and it sent my mothering instinct into overdrive!
The Water Garden is a wonderfully and enticing story which had me wholly absorbed. It’s set at a gentle pace and yet I struggled to put it down as I was so engrossed in these characters lives and wanted to learn more. It’s a story filled with an air of suspense, spread out over a span of years with secrets and untold truths. A beautiful and engaging read by a new talent to me of which I can’t wait to read more from.
My thanks to Muswell Press for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
July 31, 2022
I’m not too sure where to start here, but I think I should go with the fact that the relationship? Attraction? Between Sarah and Finn was extremely uncomfortable. The book seems to gloss over the fact that not only are they related (albeit distantly) but this is an inappropriate relationship between a 30-something year old woman and a 16 year old boy. Throughout the book there seems to be no real mention that this is extremely wrong and uncomfortable, and it really made reading this book difficult for me.
Other than that, I thought the writing was good and descriptive, however nothing ever really seemed to happen. I also think some of the characters lacked a lot of depth, this was not a long book and having the chapters come from so many different characters points of view seemed to prevent real character development and personality.
I also don’t think there was a single healthy relationship shown in this book, which was slightly off putting to me. Overall I really wanted to like this book, but just couldn’t move past how uncomfortable it made me.
Other than that, I thought the writing was good and descriptive, however nothing ever really seemed to happen. I also think some of the characters lacked a lot of depth, this was not a long book and having the chapters come from so many different characters points of view seemed to prevent real character development and personality.
I also don’t think there was a single healthy relationship shown in this book, which was slightly off putting to me. Overall I really wanted to like this book, but just couldn’t move past how uncomfortable it made me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2021
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars because of the beautiful descriptions of nature. This novel revolves around a few generations of two intertwined English families living in the Surrey suburbs (countryside?). The location is close enough for a train commute to London but feels rather rural. The author clearly has a love for the English landscape. She also has some lovely biting descriptions of the new mini-mansions and their owners vs the old home loved and lived in by Sarah and her family. But for me, there was way too much jumping around of timelines, forcing me to stop and figure out who was what age and so forth. And the plot just never really went anywhere solid. There is a family secret that is revealed to the reader and to the older two generations but Sarah in the present day (2011 mostly) never finds out why she has this mysterious connection with Finn, a local teenager. His interactions with Sarah were “off” and didn’t ring true to me, but Finn’s story, and the tragedy in his younger life, were interesting enough to have given him more of the book. I wished for a more revealing, more satisfying ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and Muswell Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Muswell Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
January 9, 2022
This compelling and absorbing novel crosses generations and multiple POV's but is primarily about Sarah, a woman living in a small UK town and raising two sons. There are family secrets buried in Littlefold that she is unaware of, as she cares for her children whilst struggling to feel connected to the other mothers at her child's school and to her husband, who is often absent. She develops a friendship with a boy called Finn, her loneliness translating as an attraction to him. The narrative is rich with beautiful descriptions of the natural world, but is also deeply nuanced in terms of the tensions and relationships in Sarah's family. I loved the way the history of her relatives and their secrets trickled down to her. She suffers the same frustrations as her grandmother, and as a reader, I enjoyed knowing what her connection was to Finn without her finding out. This is an intricate and delicate story, which reveals and hides at just the right moments.
With thanks to Netgalley and Muswell Press for the review copy.
With thanks to Netgalley and Muswell Press for the review copy.
July 11, 2021
This is a lyrical, atmospheric book which reminded me of a calendar, the months passing, the seasons changing and a year ending to come right the way back to the beginning again.
It isn't fast paced or full of action, which doesn't bother me as a reader, rather it is a langurous stretch from a landscape artist as the brush is temporarily put down to consider a new perspective. It is a painting sketched, inked and then filled with colour one sunny afternoon, drowsy, hazy and concerned with the detail. It is about how we see ourselves in relation to one another and how lives blend in the way the watercolour seeps into the paper, spreading, staining and bringing life to what may lay dormant.
Finn is a teenage boy mourning the loss of his friend Samuel. His mother Maria, father Nico and grandmother Flavia are his world but he is struggling with guilt about the friendship he had. Nico has only known his mother Flavia, an Italian woman who had an affair with Jim. Sarah is the daughter of one of Jim's daughters and so we see through the generations, stories weaved, mistakes made and love forbidden blossoming, withering and in some ways choked by weeds.
Through a chance meeting with Finn on a memorial bench by a lake in a rural area, where Sarah, her husband and two young boys have moved to, the author moves us gently between the past and present to explore our need for a sense of belonging, for an acceptance and understanding of who we are.
But are some relationships best left untended?
Thank you to the author and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this beautiful, poetic book which is framed by mystery, necessary to hold the whole scene together.
Wander around Louis Soraya Black's literary garden and immerse yourself in the vista that is The Water Garden.
It isn't fast paced or full of action, which doesn't bother me as a reader, rather it is a langurous stretch from a landscape artist as the brush is temporarily put down to consider a new perspective. It is a painting sketched, inked and then filled with colour one sunny afternoon, drowsy, hazy and concerned with the detail. It is about how we see ourselves in relation to one another and how lives blend in the way the watercolour seeps into the paper, spreading, staining and bringing life to what may lay dormant.
Finn is a teenage boy mourning the loss of his friend Samuel. His mother Maria, father Nico and grandmother Flavia are his world but he is struggling with guilt about the friendship he had. Nico has only known his mother Flavia, an Italian woman who had an affair with Jim. Sarah is the daughter of one of Jim's daughters and so we see through the generations, stories weaved, mistakes made and love forbidden blossoming, withering and in some ways choked by weeds.
Through a chance meeting with Finn on a memorial bench by a lake in a rural area, where Sarah, her husband and two young boys have moved to, the author moves us gently between the past and present to explore our need for a sense of belonging, for an acceptance and understanding of who we are.
But are some relationships best left untended?
Thank you to the author and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this beautiful, poetic book which is framed by mystery, necessary to hold the whole scene together.
Wander around Louis Soraya Black's literary garden and immerse yourself in the vista that is The Water Garden.
June 30, 2021
This morning, I finished reading The Water Garden by Louise Soraya Black over ten days with The Pigeonhole. I enjoyed the dreamlike quality of the writing, the gorgeous descriptions of the setting, and the different points of view. However, the only healthy relationship seemed to be between Finn and Nico, and nothing much seemed to happen. I spent the whole book hoping for some excitement and, when it happened, it was a bit of an anti-climax. Nevertheless, I’m glad I read it.
June 30, 2021
I read this with Pigeonhole over 10 days. I found it an easy read and the descriptive passages were well written. It told a story through the eyes of several characters over different time frames but I felt that not a lot happened. It reflected various relationships, all of them not as they should be. I was perhaps expecting more ….
July 13, 2021
This is a story spanning three generations. It is written in a poetic way that describes nature, the weather and the lake where the characters mostly live. The gist of the story is about two tragedies-the death of a young man(Samuel) and his friend (Finn) who carries what happened in his heart and Finn's family- specifically his father Nico, born of an adulterous affair between his mother Flavia and Jim an unhappily married man. The line that stood out for me in the prose was interestingly nothing to do with the ramblings on nature, but rather a bench of remembrance in memory of Samuel, A flower in His garden. While I feel the story ended on a note of hope, the characters failed to draw me in and the overall feeling I got was one of sadness where lies and secrets pass down from generation to generation. 4 stars.
June 2, 2021
First things first, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Muswell Press for sending me an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Louise Soraya Black’s second novel, The Water Garden, was not at all what I was hoping for, but I enjoyed it despite my wildly inaccurate expectations. Following a mother of two called Sarah as she moves back to the village where she grew up, the reader watches as she begins developing illicit feelings towards a teenager called Finn. Meanwhile, Louise Soraya Black reveals more about Sarah’s family history and why she might be feeling inexplicably drawn to this mysterious stranger.
I was primarily interested in The Water Garden because of the relationship between Sarah and Finn, so I found myself pleasantly surprised to discover that this novel is about far more than the relationship between an older woman and a younger man. This is a multi-generational story, following Sarah’s grandmother Maggie as she meets the man who becomes her husband, with chapters following the perspectives of Sarah’s mother and aunt, as well as exploring Finn’s family history, too.
There were a lot of things I enjoyed about The Water Garden. Top of that list has to be the evocative descriptions of the English countryside, which perfectly painted the scenery as it shifted with the seasons. I also found Sarah’s ruminations on the meaning of motherhood – the loss of her career, the inescapable drudgery of the household chores – to be relatable, and I appreciated the fact that the negative aspects of motherhood were discussed as well as the positives. Louise Soraya Black also does a great job of focusing on the importance of family, and how your family’s past can come back to haunt you in unexpected ways. The idea of a family secret is not a new one, but the way that Black weaved the tales together gave the concept life, and it made for a fresh and interesting story looking at lies and betrayal from the viewpoints of everyone impacted.
That being said, I found myself thoroughly disappointed by the end of the story. It feels incomplete. I would have happily read another 100-200 pages to be able to get a more satisfactory conclusion. The story still has so much potential when the novel ends. I am desperate to know what happens next, not only in both Sarah and Finn’s lives but in the lives of her aunt, her husband and their children. That’s the sign of a brilliant storyteller – Black brings these characters to life so vibrantly that it’s impossible to leave them behind – but also makes me feel hesitant about picking up more of Black’s work in the future, as I’m a reader who prefers to have less loose ends left trailing at the end of a story.
As the book finishes with more of a whimper than a bang, I find myself feeling increasingly disappointed in it the longer I reflect upon it. While I was hooked at the beginning and absolutely devouring the pages as soon as I reached the halfway point, the lackluster conclusion has tainted my appreciation of the rest of the story. I’m still giving this novel three stars, but there were times when I thought I’d found a new favourite author so that is a much lower rating than I’d expected to give!
I talked about The Water Garden a bit more during my May mid-month wrap up, so if you’d like to hear more of my thoughts on this novel, feel free to view that video here.
Once again, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Muswell Press for sending me a copy of this novel. If you like family drama, secrets and a story with a beautiful setting, this is a novel which you should definitely pick up.
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Blogger.
Louise Soraya Black’s second novel, The Water Garden, was not at all what I was hoping for, but I enjoyed it despite my wildly inaccurate expectations. Following a mother of two called Sarah as she moves back to the village where she grew up, the reader watches as she begins developing illicit feelings towards a teenager called Finn. Meanwhile, Louise Soraya Black reveals more about Sarah’s family history and why she might be feeling inexplicably drawn to this mysterious stranger.
I was primarily interested in The Water Garden because of the relationship between Sarah and Finn, so I found myself pleasantly surprised to discover that this novel is about far more than the relationship between an older woman and a younger man. This is a multi-generational story, following Sarah’s grandmother Maggie as she meets the man who becomes her husband, with chapters following the perspectives of Sarah’s mother and aunt, as well as exploring Finn’s family history, too.
There were a lot of things I enjoyed about The Water Garden. Top of that list has to be the evocative descriptions of the English countryside, which perfectly painted the scenery as it shifted with the seasons. I also found Sarah’s ruminations on the meaning of motherhood – the loss of her career, the inescapable drudgery of the household chores – to be relatable, and I appreciated the fact that the negative aspects of motherhood were discussed as well as the positives. Louise Soraya Black also does a great job of focusing on the importance of family, and how your family’s past can come back to haunt you in unexpected ways. The idea of a family secret is not a new one, but the way that Black weaved the tales together gave the concept life, and it made for a fresh and interesting story looking at lies and betrayal from the viewpoints of everyone impacted.
That being said, I found myself thoroughly disappointed by the end of the story. It feels incomplete. I would have happily read another 100-200 pages to be able to get a more satisfactory conclusion. The story still has so much potential when the novel ends. I am desperate to know what happens next, not only in both Sarah and Finn’s lives but in the lives of her aunt, her husband and their children. That’s the sign of a brilliant storyteller – Black brings these characters to life so vibrantly that it’s impossible to leave them behind – but also makes me feel hesitant about picking up more of Black’s work in the future, as I’m a reader who prefers to have less loose ends left trailing at the end of a story.
As the book finishes with more of a whimper than a bang, I find myself feeling increasingly disappointed in it the longer I reflect upon it. While I was hooked at the beginning and absolutely devouring the pages as soon as I reached the halfway point, the lackluster conclusion has tainted my appreciation of the rest of the story. I’m still giving this novel three stars, but there were times when I thought I’d found a new favourite author so that is a much lower rating than I’d expected to give!
I talked about The Water Garden a bit more during my May mid-month wrap up, so if you’d like to hear more of my thoughts on this novel, feel free to view that video here.
Once again, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Muswell Press for sending me a copy of this novel. If you like family drama, secrets and a story with a beautiful setting, this is a novel which you should definitely pick up.
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Blogger.
June 5, 2021
Astonishing and lyrical... poetry in story form! Never have I so much wanted to taste a scone in an English grandmother’s country garden.
Surprising from the outset, unexpected turns interwoven with family secrets and the generational struggle of women and mothers kept me deeply intrigued.
With prose so splendid, I was carried along a river of secrets and suspense, unable to put the book away... ‘just one more chapter’ until the unexpected end.
A quick and lovely read, it almost has me booking an Air BNB in Surrey for the summer.
On a side note, I wanted to hug Sarah, mother of two small children, struggling to find her place. This fiction unwraps old questions of the conflicts of motherhood and the loss of self that role sometimes includes. A beautifully flawed character, Sarah explores the joy and pain of motherhood and her own duties and devotion towards her children.
Brilliant, beautiful writing.
Surprising from the outset, unexpected turns interwoven with family secrets and the generational struggle of women and mothers kept me deeply intrigued.
With prose so splendid, I was carried along a river of secrets and suspense, unable to put the book away... ‘just one more chapter’ until the unexpected end.
A quick and lovely read, it almost has me booking an Air BNB in Surrey for the summer.
On a side note, I wanted to hug Sarah, mother of two small children, struggling to find her place. This fiction unwraps old questions of the conflicts of motherhood and the loss of self that role sometimes includes. A beautifully flawed character, Sarah explores the joy and pain of motherhood and her own duties and devotion towards her children.
Brilliant, beautiful writing.
June 3, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley, Louise Soraya Black and the publishers for giving me a copy of this book to review. All thoughts and opinions given are my own.
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This book was just wonderful. Something about Blacks writing entranced me from beginning to end, it was emotional and fast-paced. I read this in a couple of days and wow.
The way that this book jumped across through the generations of the family meant that it was a puzzle to figure out what was going on, but it slowly became clearer, the more I read and the more I read, the more I was hooked.
It intrigued me as well that there was a 16 year old, blonde character called Finn, which is exactly the age and name of my own brother.
I really loved this. And will definitely be recommending it others now that it is out!
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This book was just wonderful. Something about Blacks writing entranced me from beginning to end, it was emotional and fast-paced. I read this in a couple of days and wow.
The way that this book jumped across through the generations of the family meant that it was a puzzle to figure out what was going on, but it slowly became clearer, the more I read and the more I read, the more I was hooked.
It intrigued me as well that there was a 16 year old, blonde character called Finn, which is exactly the age and name of my own brother.
I really loved this. And will definitely be recommending it others now that it is out!
July 3, 2021
I really enjoyed this tale of a family and the secrets people keep.
Sarah has moved back to the village where her family has always been. She is drawn to a bench by the local lake and meets a teenager to whom she is strangely drawn. There are connections between her family and his which she doesn’t know about but the reader does.
I liked the writing in this book. Sarah’s experience of parenting 2 small boys, with a husband who is often absent through work, is described well, and the writing has a kind of dreamlike quality which swirls around the main themes. I read this with the Pigeonhole.
Sarah has moved back to the village where her family has always been. She is drawn to a bench by the local lake and meets a teenager to whom she is strangely drawn. There are connections between her family and his which she doesn’t know about but the reader does.
I liked the writing in this book. Sarah’s experience of parenting 2 small boys, with a husband who is often absent through work, is described well, and the writing has a kind of dreamlike quality which swirls around the main themes. I read this with the Pigeonhole.
June 20, 2021
After reading ‘Pomegranate Sky’ a couple of years ago, I was excited to learn that Louise Soraya Black was releasing her second novel, ‘The Water Garden.’ It does not disappoint. Set in a charming village in Surrey, the novel is beautifully written with many intricate connections among the multi-generational flawed characters. I loved both books and cannot wait for her third novel. Louise is such a gifted story-teller.
June 30, 2021
Some beautiful writing and descriptions, but no real story.
This is the story of Sarah, a mother of two with a husband who is always at work. Against the background of a complicated family tree, she appears to have something of a mid-life crisis, culminating in a frankly ridiculous scenario which I really hope was a dream. Unfortunately it wasn't and that was the end.
Slow and sad, but a little disappointing
Thanks to Pigeonhole and Louise Soraya Black.
This is the story of Sarah, a mother of two with a husband who is always at work. Against the background of a complicated family tree, she appears to have something of a mid-life crisis, culminating in a frankly ridiculous scenario which I really hope was a dream. Unfortunately it wasn't and that was the end.
Slow and sad, but a little disappointing
Thanks to Pigeonhole and Louise Soraya Black.
July 1, 2021
A beautifully written multi generational family drama set in the countryside in South East England. This isn’t a fast paced story, it’s more of a character driven tale which I like. The descriptions of the area are so vivid and easy to visualise, the writing being very lyrical. The author has a great way with words to depict such a wondrous and dreamlike, otherworldly landscape. It’s a lovely, gentle read in which to immerse yourself. I really enjoyed it.
July 2, 2021
The Water Garden is a gentle story that weaves through different generations of a family. While the main story thread is set recently, the flashbacks to previous years are well timed and explained. I found the characters likeable and I enjoyed the way it was written. A lovely 4 star story.
July 1, 2021
3.5⭐️ Beautifully written but for me nothing really happened.
December 27, 2021
Novel set in SURREY
Black’s second novel The Water Garden is a multi-layered tale, shifting forward and back in time and following several generations of the same family. We begin in 2010 and meet Sarah who has given up her London career to give her children a better childhood in leafy Surrey. Her husband works long hours and Sarah is left largely to cope alone with two boisterous young boys and a crumbling house. Her sole pleasure comes from roaming through the woods around her home and there she discovers a lake and a memorial bench for a boy who drowned in mysterious circumstances. It is also there that Sarah meets Finn, a troubled teenage boy, and finds herself drawn into an uncomfortable but powerful relationship with him.
The narration then shifts back in time to the wartime romance of Sarah’s grandparents, Maggie and Jim, a romance that quickly fades after their hasty marriage, when Maggie realises that she doesn’t meet Jim’s family’s expectations. Maggie, like her granddaughter years later, is left struggling with the childcare and a largely absent husband. There is no hope for any escape as it is abundantly clear that Jim believes “a woman’s place is in the home.” Soon Jim begins an affair with an Italian barmaid, Flavia, a relationship that has lasting repercussions and necessitates the keeping of family secrets.
The Water Garden isn’t always a comfortable read – there is something distinctly disturbing about many of the relationships. Black’s female characters are well crafted and her exploration of the themes of motherhood and women’s roles generally give the reader pause for thought as she seems to suggest that, in many ways, a mother’s role has changed little over the past seventy odd years. The male characters, however, are somewhat sketchily drawn and, on the whole, so self-centred, selfish and weak that it’s hard not to become irritated with the way the women accommodate and accept them.
This is not an action-packed tale but this is compensated for by the setting. Black’s prose style is wonderful and her descriptions of the Surrey countryside and the natural world generally are masterful. I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of the lake, beautiful and tranquil on the surface but hiding in its depths the rusting machinery and derelict remains of the quarry that was flooded to create it. The reader is never allowed to simply enjoy the beauties of nature conveyed in Black’s wonderful descriptions; we are constantly reminded of the dangers lurking beneath. Much like the multi-generational family in The Water Garden – superficially respectable, decent and good, but corrupted within by secrets and deceit.
Black’s second novel The Water Garden is a multi-layered tale, shifting forward and back in time and following several generations of the same family. We begin in 2010 and meet Sarah who has given up her London career to give her children a better childhood in leafy Surrey. Her husband works long hours and Sarah is left largely to cope alone with two boisterous young boys and a crumbling house. Her sole pleasure comes from roaming through the woods around her home and there she discovers a lake and a memorial bench for a boy who drowned in mysterious circumstances. It is also there that Sarah meets Finn, a troubled teenage boy, and finds herself drawn into an uncomfortable but powerful relationship with him.
The narration then shifts back in time to the wartime romance of Sarah’s grandparents, Maggie and Jim, a romance that quickly fades after their hasty marriage, when Maggie realises that she doesn’t meet Jim’s family’s expectations. Maggie, like her granddaughter years later, is left struggling with the childcare and a largely absent husband. There is no hope for any escape as it is abundantly clear that Jim believes “a woman’s place is in the home.” Soon Jim begins an affair with an Italian barmaid, Flavia, a relationship that has lasting repercussions and necessitates the keeping of family secrets.
The Water Garden isn’t always a comfortable read – there is something distinctly disturbing about many of the relationships. Black’s female characters are well crafted and her exploration of the themes of motherhood and women’s roles generally give the reader pause for thought as she seems to suggest that, in many ways, a mother’s role has changed little over the past seventy odd years. The male characters, however, are somewhat sketchily drawn and, on the whole, so self-centred, selfish and weak that it’s hard not to become irritated with the way the women accommodate and accept them.
This is not an action-packed tale but this is compensated for by the setting. Black’s prose style is wonderful and her descriptions of the Surrey countryside and the natural world generally are masterful. I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of the lake, beautiful and tranquil on the surface but hiding in its depths the rusting machinery and derelict remains of the quarry that was flooded to create it. The reader is never allowed to simply enjoy the beauties of nature conveyed in Black’s wonderful descriptions; we are constantly reminded of the dangers lurking beneath. Much like the multi-generational family in The Water Garden – superficially respectable, decent and good, but corrupted within by secrets and deceit.
April 29, 2021
Sarah has given up her career and moved to the countryside to bring up her two young children, while her husband works long hours in London. Alone, she explores the fields and the woods near her home and discovers a lake, a memorial bench for a boy who drowned in mysterious circumstances, and Finn, a beautiful troubled teenager who plays truant from school. As Sarah pieces the mystery together, an uncomfortable attraction between Sarah and Finn builds. She knows that this blossoming relationship is wrong but the chemistry between them is difficult to resist. Their relationship reaches a climax over one hot summer, threatening to destroy everything that she holds dear.
Intertwined within Sarah’s story are the voices of two other women connected to her family - Maggie, the RAF nurse, and Flavia, the Italian girl. As their stories unfold, a secret is revealed, binding Sarah and Finn in a way that they would never guess.
The Water Garden is about family secrets, guilt, and redemption. It tells the story of a 30-year-old full-time mother who becomes attracted to a troubled teenage boy. The novel looks at the challenges of balancing a woman’s loyalty towards, and love for, her family, with her loyalty to herself. It considers motherhood in an interestingly unique way, exploring it in extreme circumstances. The story is sometimes uncomfortable to read - and is meant to be, challenging social norms and expectations.
The characters are relatable and loveable and the story is beautifully written with descriptions really evoking the British countryside, landscapes and the quintessential English garden with a lovely heart-warming approach to family love woven into the narrative.
A solid 4 star read
Intertwined within Sarah’s story are the voices of two other women connected to her family - Maggie, the RAF nurse, and Flavia, the Italian girl. As their stories unfold, a secret is revealed, binding Sarah and Finn in a way that they would never guess.
The Water Garden is about family secrets, guilt, and redemption. It tells the story of a 30-year-old full-time mother who becomes attracted to a troubled teenage boy. The novel looks at the challenges of balancing a woman’s loyalty towards, and love for, her family, with her loyalty to herself. It considers motherhood in an interestingly unique way, exploring it in extreme circumstances. The story is sometimes uncomfortable to read - and is meant to be, challenging social norms and expectations.
The characters are relatable and loveable and the story is beautifully written with descriptions really evoking the British countryside, landscapes and the quintessential English garden with a lovely heart-warming approach to family love woven into the narrative.
A solid 4 star read
July 27, 2021
Central to this wonderful book is the powerful presence of the lake, often calm and stunningly beautiful, but ultimately seductive and dangerous, reflecting the ambiguities and conflicts in the minds of the protagonists.
Sarah, the main character, is a strong portrayal of motherhood. She has given up her career and city lifestyle to bring up her two young boys in rural Surrey where her family has roots. Her husband works long hours in the city and she is left to cope alone. Her struggles and frustrations are vividly portrayed, but beautifully balanced by the comedy of the boys’ joyful physicality and innate ability to outwit parental control! Throughout, though, one never doubts her intense love for her children and their love and affection for her in return.
Equally compelling is the portrayal of Finn, the teenage boy who must work through his own demons.
The plot is multi-layered. The growing relationship between Sarah and Finn is skillfully interwoven with the stories of earlier generations whose past lives continue to affect the present.
The style is a wonderful mix of sensuous and poetic descriptions of the natural world, and the everyday language of family life. This is not an action-packed book, but there is increasing suspense as it moves towards its dangerous climax.
I warmly recommend The Water Garden.
Sarah, the main character, is a strong portrayal of motherhood. She has given up her career and city lifestyle to bring up her two young boys in rural Surrey where her family has roots. Her husband works long hours in the city and she is left to cope alone. Her struggles and frustrations are vividly portrayed, but beautifully balanced by the comedy of the boys’ joyful physicality and innate ability to outwit parental control! Throughout, though, one never doubts her intense love for her children and their love and affection for her in return.
Equally compelling is the portrayal of Finn, the teenage boy who must work through his own demons.
The plot is multi-layered. The growing relationship between Sarah and Finn is skillfully interwoven with the stories of earlier generations whose past lives continue to affect the present.
The style is a wonderful mix of sensuous and poetic descriptions of the natural world, and the everyday language of family life. This is not an action-packed book, but there is increasing suspense as it moves towards its dangerous climax.
I warmly recommend The Water Garden.
April 28, 2021
I received The Water Garden as part of a NetGalley giveaway.
Sarah has moved to the countryside with her husband and two young sons. Left along with the children for long stretches, she finds herself drawn to an artificial lake and the fate of a boy who drowned there some years before. She also finds herself in the orbit of Finn, another young man who comes to the lake, seemingly to pay tribute. Little does she know, however, that she has closer ties to the situation than she'd ever thought. Told from alternating perspectives past and present, The Water Garden is a saga of two families over more than half a century, and the secrets that can strain and alter relationships forever.
This was a good read--perhaps not as juicy as some of the "uncovering old family secrets" novel out there, but I appreciate it being a bit quieter and less sensational. I had some deep reservations about the end--it sullied Sarah in my eyes--but I guess I can accept it without sanctioning it. The world Black draws is lovely, haunting and realistic, and a nice complement to the brooding feel of the novel, and the character are similarly complex and flawed. All in all a very well-crafted narrative.
Sarah has moved to the countryside with her husband and two young sons. Left along with the children for long stretches, she finds herself drawn to an artificial lake and the fate of a boy who drowned there some years before. She also finds herself in the orbit of Finn, another young man who comes to the lake, seemingly to pay tribute. Little does she know, however, that she has closer ties to the situation than she'd ever thought. Told from alternating perspectives past and present, The Water Garden is a saga of two families over more than half a century, and the secrets that can strain and alter relationships forever.
This was a good read--perhaps not as juicy as some of the "uncovering old family secrets" novel out there, but I appreciate it being a bit quieter and less sensational. I had some deep reservations about the end--it sullied Sarah in my eyes--but I guess I can accept it without sanctioning it. The world Black draws is lovely, haunting and realistic, and a nice complement to the brooding feel of the novel, and the character are similarly complex and flawed. All in all a very well-crafted narrative.
June 11, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and Muswell Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I found The Water Gaden purely by chance while I browsing the "Read Now" section. The cover grabbed me immediately. It's so bright and beautiful. Once I read the synopsis, I knew it was a book I needed to read.
I was immediately drawn into the story. Louise's writing is absolutely beautiful, almost lyrical. The descriptions of Surrey and the lake were so vivid I felt like I had been transported there and was watching the story unfold in front of me. All of the characters and the storylines were weaved together wonderfully.
I was left with a major question at the end, and couldn't quite figure out from the ending if Sarah had figured everything out about her family. For that only reason, it wasn't a 5-star read for me.
Highly recommend.
I found The Water Gaden purely by chance while I browsing the "Read Now" section. The cover grabbed me immediately. It's so bright and beautiful. Once I read the synopsis, I knew it was a book I needed to read.
I was immediately drawn into the story. Louise's writing is absolutely beautiful, almost lyrical. The descriptions of Surrey and the lake were so vivid I felt like I had been transported there and was watching the story unfold in front of me. All of the characters and the storylines were weaved together wonderfully.
I was left with a major question at the end, and couldn't quite figure out from the ending if Sarah had figured everything out about her family. For that only reason, it wasn't a 5-star read for me.
Highly recommend.
July 2, 2021
Reading this book was a little like reading poetry. There were beautiful descriptions of the scenery and the characters came to life beautifully. Unfortunately though there was little story to back these up.
I enjoy reading the words of a great writer and I believe Louise to be an excellent writer. She vividly painted scenes in my mind as I read the book and it was a tranquil read because of this. However I would have appreciated more of a story to follow as I read.
The sad tale of how a young boy drowned in the water garden was detailed so well, and I loved the bench being a flower in his garden. The sadness of secrets held for generations was also dealt with well. Unfortunately for me, the book did not end well and I ended up feeling rather miserable.
I enjoy reading the words of a great writer and I believe Louise to be an excellent writer. She vividly painted scenes in my mind as I read the book and it was a tranquil read because of this. However I would have appreciated more of a story to follow as I read.
The sad tale of how a young boy drowned in the water garden was detailed so well, and I loved the bench being a flower in his garden. The sadness of secrets held for generations was also dealt with well. Unfortunately for me, the book did not end well and I ended up feeling rather miserable.
July 6, 2021
Some beautiful, descriptive writing here of a woman's discontentment with the constraints of life, marriage and motherhood. Sarah is fascinated and finds solace in the woods and the lake behind her house. She is also fascinated by a young man she finds there. The story is told through the years and the eyes of three generations of women: a grandmother, a mother and a daughter all with burdensome secrets to keep. One star knocked off for the main subplot being so unlikely to be acted on and another for a story line relating the woods and menace left dangling and unresolved.
February 2, 2022
I enjoyed the deliciously rich descriptions of nature in this book. The author creates a textural landscape of connection to place, home and being in this story. I also enjoyed the humanity and honesty of relationships that are sometimes flawed and organic over the years. Driving through generations of relationship, intertwining with the psychological emotional experiences of the main character was engaging. Desires cutting shapes into peoples lives and the outcomes sometimes hard to bare. A good read. This is one of those books I miss engaging with once finished.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2021
I’d feel mean giving this 3 stars but the ending spoiled what had been a pleasant read up until then. I
I didn’t fully understand who was related to who in the different timeframes but it was enjoyable enough until the implausible section towards the end which could have worked as a dream sequence but in reality? Not so much.
I didn’t fully understand who was related to who in the different timeframes but it was enjoyable enough until the implausible section towards the end which could have worked as a dream sequence but in reality? Not so much.
July 10, 2021
This is a beautiful book to read, well written and extremely atmospheric.
There are two interwoven stories, which gradually come together through the main protagonist, Sarah, who has given up work and moved to the country to raise her family as a stay at home mum.
The pace overall is gentle, which I liked but some may say is too slow.
I enjoyed it.
There are two interwoven stories, which gradually come together through the main protagonist, Sarah, who has given up work and moved to the country to raise her family as a stay at home mum.
The pace overall is gentle, which I liked but some may say is too slow.
I enjoyed it.
March 25, 2023
A bit of a nothing book. Nothing really happens and it’s a little anti-climatic. The relationship between Finn and Sarah was weird and just a little unrealistic. I got fed up of constantly reading about all the poetic descriptions of the wood and water garden and generally found Sarah’s chapters dull. Maybe I don’t get it but overall a very average book.
July 1, 2021
The Water Garden by Louise Soraya Black is an easy read, telling the story of a family united and interlinked by past indiscretions.
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