THE WEIGHT OF WATER by Anita Shreve

Finished Sa 5/6/17   Borrowed from Janny

Two stories; Two couples and a child are on a sailing boat. A double murder that happened on March 5. 1873 on Smuttynose, an island ten miles off the New Hampshire coast.

Jean- the female photographer who is on the boat as part of an assignment for the murders.
Thomas- Jean's husband; poet/professor.
Billie- Their ten year old daughter

Rich- Thomas's brother; captain of the sailing boat
Adaline- Beautiful model.

'Dominant Theme'- Jean suspects that Thomas and Adaline are having an affair. This is never resolved and it's heavily influenced by her paranoid point of view.
Feeling of ominous foreboding and/or dread.

This storyline ends with a severe storm. Adaline is washed overboard, but rescued. Billie is washed over, and her body is never found- only her life jacket.

'2nd Storyline'

Maren Honvedt is the witness to the murders and sole survivor. The manuscript that Jean has reveals that was written by Maren, and it's actually a confession. It is written in 1899 as she is dying.

John Honvedt- Her husband

Evan- Maren's brother. Maren has had an incestous affair with him, yet this is only hinted (rather strongly). It happened as their mother was dying and the incident left her unable to have children- something physical or psychological.

Anethe- Evan's beautiful wife. Kinda spacey.

Karen- Maren's older sister. Never really liked Maren and she witnesses Maren and Anethe together and accuses Maren of a lesbian relationship. "First you had an incestial relationship with are brother and now this"!

Similarities with the two storylines-

Both Maren and Jean are isolated; Jean on boat, Maren on the island.
Both surprised and shock be an unexpected death;

I like this novel a lot, but I still prefer ALL HE EVER WANTED.

I have put the movie from 2001 in my que. I had seen it and rated it five stars.