The Memory of Water

On the night their mother drowns trying to ride out a storm in a sailboat, sisters Marnie and Diana Maitland discover there is more than one kind of death. There is the death of innocence, of love, and of hope. Each sister harbors a secret about what really happened that night—secrets that will erode their lives as they grow into adulthood.

After ten years of silence between the sisters, Marnie is called back to the South Carolina Lowcountry by Diana’s ex-husband, Quinn. His son has returned from a sailing trip with his emotionally unstable mother, and he is deeply disturbed and refusing to speak. In order to help the traumatized boy, Marnie must reopen old wounds and bring the darkest memories of their past to the surface. And she must confront Diana, before they all go under…

Reviews

"The enduring ties between two estranged sisters drive the darkly engaging latest from White...Careful plotting, richly flawed characters and a surprising conclusion mark this absorbing melodrama."
—Publishers Weekly

"In this moving novel, White explores the bond between sisters, the link between artistic genius and mental illness, and the keen hold a place can have on a person. She vividly describes the lush Lowcountry and the pull of the sea. A chilling revelation, a love story, and a bittersweet ending add to this gripping tale."
—Booklist

"...this story is as rich as its South Carolina Lowcountry setting and filled with sympathetic, endearing characters that reasonate. It's an engaging, deeply moving story."
—TOP PICK, 4 1/2 stars, RT BookReviews Magazine

"Karen White delivers a powerfully emotional blend of family secrets, Lowcountry lore, and love in MEMORY OF WATER--who could ask for more?"
—Barbara Bretton, USA TODAY bestselling author

"Beautifully written and as lyrical as the tides. THE MEMORY OF WATER speaks directly to the heart and will linger in yours long after you've read the final page. I loved this book!"
—Susan Crandall, Award-winning author

"A heart-felt and emotional tale, THE MEMORY OF WATER is a Perfect 10, a book readers will savor and bring to mind long after they have turned the last page."
—Marilyn Heyman, Romance Reviews Today

“A carefully plotted melodrama of estranged sisters…[White] skillfully mines the mother lode of mentally unbalanced parents.”
—Teresa Weaver, Atlanta magazine