Trouble the Water by Nicole Seitz

About the Book: In the South Carolina Sea Islands lush setting, Nicole Seitz's second novel Trouble the Water is a poignant novel about two middle-aged sisters' journey to self-discovery.

One is seeking to recreate her life yet again and learns to truly live from a group of Gullah nannies she meets on the island. The other thinks she's got it all together until her sister's imminent death from cancer causes her to re-examine her own life and seek the healing and rebirth her troubled sister managed to find on St. Anne's Island.

Strong female protagonists are forced to deal with suicide, wife abuse, cancer, and grief in a realistic way that will ring true for anyone who has ever suffered great loss.

"This is another thing I know for a fact: a woman can't be an island, not really. No, it's the touching we do in other people's lives that matters when all is said and done. The silly things we do for ourselves--shiny new cars and jobs and money--they don't mean a hill of beans. Honor taught me that. My soul sisters on this island taught me that. And this is the story of true sisterhood. It's the story of Honor, come and gone, and how one flawed woman worked miracles in this mixed-up world."



My Review: I wasn't sure what to expect out of this novel, as southern lit doesn't necessarily sound like something I'm going to be captivated by. I adored it. I got into it pretty quickly because the dialect and setting were so interesting. And, of course, there's a bit of mystery in the lives of both the Duchess and Honor and I was interested in understanding these two sad women better. It all unfolds perfectly paced, with just a smidge of humor, beautiful language, and characters that you just really care about.

It's the sort of book that makes you want to treasure life, and also to fully feel and grieve the pain of your past. But hope is beautifully etched into this story, not overbearingly, just lightly enough so that you can feel it. And yes, I sobbed through the last 70 pages or so of the book.

Everything is beautiful about this book from the cover to the title to the final pages and the way it is all woven together. Highly recommended.

I have an interview with Nicole to share with you and I'll post it sometime tomorrow!