Another 5 star hit from John Boyne - this is a novelist who never disappoints. I was surprised at the length of this novel, much shorter than previous works but he packs a lot in and it never feels rushed. The story is revealed carefully and at just the right pace to allow the reader to consider what the back story might be. A page turner but one that will leave you thinking about it afterwards. And the best thing about it is that it is the first of four such novels each focusing on a different element. Looking forward to the other three already

Wonderful!

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Water
by John Boyne

Just when you think there isn't a writer alive who could pack so much into a tiny story as Claire Keegan, along comes John Boyne, who is better known for his lengthy emmersive work, and in 160 pages, tells a story with immediate fascination about a woman who arrives on one of the Aran Islands, changes her name, crops her hair and is not falling over herself to engage the interest of the locals.

We understand she is seeking respite, she's retreating from a hostile family situation, trying to get to grips with loss and misunderstanding and shame, so much shame. Is it her shame, or is she assuming the shame of others?

Each chapter reveals a piece of her marriage and how her family came apart. With it's isolated, windswept island setting and neighbours who are not behind when it comes to coming forward there's a Father Ted-ness to the weave of the story. Boyne's trademark humour casts relief on the poignancy of what's unfolding.

The wonder is how Boyne manages to capture so much in so few pages. This is a highly emotional read and it's a rollercoaster ride. Trigger warnings that apply spell out spoilers. There's plenty of foreshadowing, but HSPs take heed.

Small but mighty, 'Water' is the first in a series of four books that Boyne is working on. I don't know the order but we have
• Fire
• Earth
• Air
to look forward to, and if they are anywhere near as powerful as this one, I can't wait.

Publication Date: 2nd November 2023
Thanks to #NetGalley and #randomhouseuk for the ARC

#bookreview #irishbookstagram #water #johnboyne
@johnboyneauthor
#novella #bookseries #irishliterature #irishfiction #5starread #senseofplace

Water is the first in a series of four individual stories with different narrators, which will comprise a literary quartet of Water, Fire, Earth and Air which form the four-novella sequence The Elements.


Water is the story of Vanessa, who has now changed her name to Willow, and her story is one of intense trauma coupled with the need to dig deep and understand her feelings of guilt and complicity.

It is remarkable how, in this short book, John Boyne is able to produce a soul searching novel that reaches into the depths of Vanessa’s soul and examines her search for understanding as she seeks a way to be at peace with herself.

Vanessa has left Dublin where she was at the centre of a storm of unwelcome attention and publicity. She has come to a remote island off the coast of Galway and she begins by changing both her name and her appearance, though she knows she is never far away from being recognised and found out.

We understand fairly quickly the life that Vanessa has led and what happened to drive her from Dublin; the questions she is asking of herself are simple: why did I not know – did I know?

On the island she lives a basic life. She interacts enough with the small community of locals to stop them being curious about her, but she asks few questions and gives little away about her own life.

She is adopted by a neighbour’s cat, aptly named Bananas, but largely her time is spent wandering and thinking about her life and the events that caused her to come to the island. She will visit the island’s church but take no part in the services. There is something about the attitudes of the church and the patriarchy that she feels are somehow complicit in the trauma that she is experiencing, though she likes and will talk to Ifechin, the local priest.

Surrounded by water; water having played a significant part in her own trauma, her feelings come to the surface when a young local man goes missing at sea.

‘The elements – water, fire, earth, air – are our greatest friends, our animators. They feed us, warm us, give us life, and yet conspire to kill us at every juncture.’

Vanessa learns of her neighbour’s circumstances and of the expectations the island places on their sons, from her neighbour’s son, the quiet but content farmer, Luke to the island’s sporting protégée. All of these encounters help us to consider whether we are who we want to be, or whether we can truly remake our lives the way we want them to be. For Vanessa, they also help her to determine whether she can go on; if her life is worth clinging onto to.

Verdict: John Boyne’s writing is lyrical and is infused with the metaphor of water. His compassion shines through and the character of Vanessa is so wholly beautifully drawn as to be exceptional. The portrait of a woman struggling with her own past is powerful and heart-rending and the whole is a moving story of change, acceptance and renewal.

On the strength of this, you really would not want to miss the other books in this quartet.

I am a big fan of John Boynes' writing, his books about people growing up in Ireland are emotional and really make you take stock of your own life. this shorter story is no different. Its about Vanessa who moves to an island to recover from a family trauma and in doing so, has a year of introspection, awakening and enlightenment. A really honest novel.about middle aged inner thoughts. Vanessa really resonated with me and I read it in one night, I just couldn't put it down.

Always love a John Boyne book and this was no exception. A wonderful writing style which kept me captivated from start to finish. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

My Rating ~ 4.5*

Water by John Boyne will publish November 2nd with Doubleday/Transworld and is described as ‘a masterfully reflective story about one woman coming to terms with the demons of her past and finding a new path forward.‘ It is the first book, from a series of four, by John Boyne that will make up The Elements. (Water, Fire, Earth and Air).

‘Water will be published on 2nd November 2023, Earth in May 2024, Fire in November 2024 and finally Air is due in May 2025. The blurb reads: “These are four individual stories with four very different narrators, all of whom have either been involved in, complicit with, or found themselves the victims of trauma, and whose experiences have been affected by the elements that give each book its title. And while each can be read as a standalone book, their characters intersect and overlap, their experiences informing the lives of each other. Taken together, this four-book sequence is Boyne’s most ambitious and powerful work to date.‘
– Taken from The Bookseller via John Boyne

Water introduces us to Vanessa Carvin, a woman trying to escape a life that has left her angry, saddened and grieving. Stripping herself of all the luxuries she once had, she cuts off her hair and chooses an almost monastic life on a small island off the west coast of Ireland. Some of the locals are curious, some are more insular but, for the most part, Vanessa is left alone. An island community has its own troubles to survive on a daily basis and Vanessa is quite happy to just melt into the background.

She spends most days in solitude but any interaction she does have is minimal and light in words. Vanessa has suffered and now just needs respite. Surrounded by water, with just the crashing of the waves and the howling of the wind, Vanessa craves the wildness and power of the elements – ‘water, fire, earth, air – (are) our greatest friends, our animators. They feed us, warm us, give us life, yet conspire to kill us at every juncture.’

John Boyne is not one to shy away from difficult themes and in Water he tackles issues from a very different perspective. Vanessa is traumatised and has been through a shattering experience. Riddled with guilt about what she thought she knew versus what society is convinced she knew has thrown Vanessa completely. Her confidence is gone. Her self-worth is gone. Vanessa is now doing all she can to keep herself from disappearing.

‘I don’t need their permission to take me away. If I could simply clap my hands and fall into a deep sleep out here, never to wake again, I would clap them’

At 176 pages, Water packs a serious punch. Sensitively handled, there are many weighty topics that are unfortunately all too relevant and prevalent in our world today. The media is full of scandal and horror. We are bombarded with images and shocking headlines. John Boyne delves a little deeper and takes the reader into the mind of a person we may not often think too much of when we hear similar stories across media platforms. The profound insights into Vanessa’s thoughts and actions are beautifully rendered and, as I would expect from John Boyne, extremely thought-provoking.

Water is a substantial yet compact read that will leave every reader with a sense of having been challenged in some way. Writing four books incorporating four of the elements of nature is intriguing but, in the hands of a writer like John Boyne, it is also a wondrous and provocative concept.

This is a powerful piece of writing, dealing as John Boyne often does, with guilt. Guilt of omission. A drop into a life at it's nadir.
Boyne as ever writes beautifully and makes us consider things we might choose to turn away from.

A sad and moving meditation on a woman set adrift by circumstance. Vanessa moves to an isolated island, shaves her hair and changes her name, living apart but seeking connection with the islanders. Her story is gradually revealed, and she moves towards resolution as we look at her life and the lives of others affected by the issues she faces.

It's a very absorbing and touching book, beautifully written but touching on some very difficult issues.

An intriguing and compelling book about a middle-aged woman who is escaping her urban middle class life to move to a remote island. She changes her name and cuts her hair in an attempt to hide her identity, the reasons for which are revealed as the narrative progresses. Although it is quite a short book, it packs quite a punch and is an interesting exploration of the impact of a despicable crime on the bystanders - in this case, the wife - as well as the victims.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

Another 5 star read from John Boyne. Quite a short read compared to others but it packed a lot in. I found it hard to decide whether to feel sorry for or scathing of the main character. A hopeful ending that tied up the loose ends nicely but left you wondering what would be next. A really good read.

For such a short book, there is so much packed in! I didn’t realise this was the first of 4 novellas, so I am very much looking forward to the next three. An interesting story of a woman who has suffered heartbreak and loss. I really enjoyed reading about Willow/Vanessa and her relationships with the other characters in the book. Her story unfolds piece by piece and I really felt for her by the end. I’ve read and loved the author’s previous books and this was no exception. I can’t wait for the next one. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers.

Pub date 6/11/23

Between November 2023 and May 2025, John Boyne will publish four novellas: 🌊Water (Nov ’23), 🌳Earth (May ’24), 🔥Fire (Nov ’24), and 🌬️ Air (May ’25), which will then form the four-novella sequence The Elements.

🤜This 176 page novella is a compelling piece of writing which packs a punch...

🏝️A woman arrives on an island, changes her name and cuts all her hair off in an attempt to gain the anonymity she craves after the scathing judgement she has undeservedly received from society due to her husband's heinous crimes!

♀️You're not given all the details straight away, the story trickles out bit by bit. Considering it's a short story it still had a big emotional impact on me and left me dwelling on it after I finished.

A man is committed of hideous crimes and this story give us a peek into the detrimental effect the fall-out of his crimes has on his innocent family.... It's cruel and unfair how many innocent women suffered at the hands of one man...but this book highlights the victims aren't just the ones who the crimes were committed against.
🙏 It also gives a wonderful example of the resilience of women even when they've been pushed to their very limits.

I very much look forward to reading the rest of the novellas in this series

This compelling book is the first in a quartet of novels by John Boyne about the elements — water, fire, earth and air — and the impact they have, the vital role they play in our lives. Water is there to quench our thirst and enliven our bodies, but it can also overwhelm and drown us.

“The elements – water, fire, earth, air – are our greatest friends, our animators. They feed us, warm us, give us life, and yet conspire to kill us at every juncture.”

Vanessa Carvin is a woman whose elder daughter drowned at sea, and is drowning in her own feelings. She retreats to a remote island, cuts her hair, and alters her identity. Here she will live simply, hermit-like, adrift from the trappings of her former life, and be known as Willow Hale instead.

She lives away from her husband and family, yet doesn’t reveal the real reason why they are estranged. Her new, free-spirited persona fails to conceal the fear of being recognised and rejected because her husband is a sexual predator whose publicly revealed activities destroyed their family and left a community devastated.

There are lighter moments when Willow is forced to interact with her new neighbours, especially during a quarrel over a cat who appears to have adopted her but belongs elsewhere. A faltering kind of trust and a different kind of love develop to replace the guilt and shame and accusations of complicity.

Stranded at first, she seeks to maintain contact with her youngest daughter. Theirs is a fragile relationship which begins to show signs of slowly mending. As does Vanessa/Willow while she grows in self-sufficiency and an awareness of who she really wants to be. Though there are tough times when she’s tempted to end it all.

A novella-length novel, this is a beautifully written, well-crafted, unforgettable story that lingers long after the final page is finished. It’s the second book I’ve read by John Boyne and I’m in awe of his ability to bring hurting, complex characters to life. Grateful thanks to Random House, UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for the eARC.

The first thing Vanessa Carvin does when she arrives on the island is change her name. To the locals, she is Willow Hale, a solitary outsider escaping Dublin to live a hermetic existence in a small cottage, not a notorious woman on the run from her past.
But scandals follow like hunting dogs. And she has some questions of her own to answer. If her ex-husband is really the monster everyone says he is, then how complicit was she in his crimes?
Escaping her old life might seem like a good idea but the choices she has made throughout her marriage have consequences. Here, on the island, Vanessa must reflect on what she did - and did not do. Only then can she discover whether she is worthy of finding peace at all.

I’ve read a few John Boyne books, all of them excellent and this one is no different. Although a short book it’s beautifully written. It deals with lots of real issues which real people face every day. The characters are perfectly described and the story paced just right.

Vanessa Carvins - she arrived in a remote island, she changed her name to Willow Hale, and she cut all her hair. She's renting a run down cottage
She's running away from "something" and I'd prefer not to say more, except to warn that the story brings up a difficult issue to deal with. She's trying to justify whether she's guilty, whether she should be able to do more, whether she's blind that she couldn't see any signs.
It's the shortest that I have read from this author, it's just about 180 pages, and I read it in one sit pretty much. John Boyne is such a master of story teller you can feel the emotional struggle in the protagonist (as always).

I also just found out that this one is part of the planned quartet of stories about the elements - Water, Earth, Fire, Air. So I'm so looking forward for its next instalment.

I've loved John Boyne's previous books and this is no exception! I love how his writing helps you become fully immersed in not only the characters struggles but also the wider surroundings. Although 'Water' covers some dark and harrowing themes it also manages to be uplifting at times. I'm really pleased to hear this is part of a quartet and cant wait to read the next three parts.

I ADORED this book! 176 pages and it packs a massive punch. Boyne's writing style is so good and his language and pacing instantly had me hooked from the beginning.

Water follows the life of Vanessa Carvin, who chooses to live a hermitic life on an island off the coast of Galloway, after her husband's conviction of a horrid crime and her mental disarray in the proceeding 12 months. I liked how this story focuses on the after-effects of this woman's life, rather than it being a chronological narrative of the crime and trial etc.

Whilst she's always living in a perpetual state of guilt for a crime she didn't commit, but didn't recognise either, she relives some flashbacks of her husband but I liked how very little page time he actually got.

"It is imperative to find a woman to blame for a man's crime"

I feel like this is the crux of the story. How much blame is to be placed on someone close to a convicted child sexual abuser? How much does Vanessa blame herself for not seeing what was happening?

I felt like on every other page I was nodding my head in agreement with Boyne's representation of marriage, politics, media, and everyday life in the eyes of a woman who has finally realised her worth is not something second to her husband, but found it sad that such an act needed to be committed for her to see this.

We meet some characters she builds relationships with throughout her time on the isolated island, but these are here to further enhance the narrative of gossipy islanders who are quick to crucify those who do not fit into their norms and small way of life.

I loved the metaphor of the water. We are all made up of water. But water can take and can be a vicious element in nature. How all the characters are connected in some way by water (swimming, drowning, an island surrounded by it) is a beautiful extended metaphor that I particularly enjoyed.

I enjoyed this so much that I'll be buying a paperback copy for my shelf.

We meet Vanessa Carvin soon after her life has collapsed. Well into middle-age, Vanessa has been forced to leave her home on the Irish mainland. Having seen her entire reality turned upside down, she must now construct a new identity for herself on a nearby sparsely populated island. But what exactly has happened to her? How much is she to blame for the misfortune that has befallen her? How much do her new neighbours on the island really know about her past? Cab she ever truly escape?
A natural storyteller, John Boyne gradually reveals Vanessa's backstory gradually and with skill in this short, occasionally harrowing but very readable novel.

✨ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ✨

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Water
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): John Boyne
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.25/5

“𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺. 𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘣. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵. 𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴.”

🤍 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮
🌸 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱-𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
🤍 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
🌸 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮, 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝘁𝘆
🤍 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱

Water is the first in a contemporary quarter penned by John Boyne and titled after the elements: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. Each novel focuses on a victim of trauma, providing a unique narrative that—if the others are anything like this one—could emotionally eviscerate a reader. Although each novella interconnects and overlaps with each other, they can each be read as standalones.

This book follows Willow Hale, who has moved to an isolated island and changed her name to escape her ex-husband’s crimes of abusing female children. Although the focus of this book is more on the fact that Willow’s ex-husband targeted their young daughter, Emma, who had walked into the water and drowned herself. Willow escapes to figure out whether she was blind to what was going on in her own home, or whether she’s inhumane for burying her head in the sand and allowing it to happen. Either way, she’s complicit.

The backdrop of the novella is Ireland, which is politically relevant due to the thematic explorations of religion and perceived female duty of a mother and wife during the 90s. It’s a short but extremely hard hitting novella which is extremely reflective and almost scornful in its tone towards the characters in the novel. Due to the nature of the subjects, this novella could be perceived as triggering, although it does focus on the emotional aftermath of Willow rather than the actual abuse that took place.

—Kayleigh🤍

Fifty-two year old Vanessa Carvin arrives on a small island off the Galway coast having fled from Dublin after her husband, Brendan, of twenty-eight years has been jailed. Brendan's hideous crimes have made national news and some think that Vanessa was complicit in that she knew but did nothing to stop her husband. Now on the island, she rents a rural cottage, shaves off her hair and renames herself Willow Hale in an attempt to distance herself from the world and the press. Willow is her middle name and Hale was her maiden name for twenty four years,

Willow's relationship with her younger daughter, Rebecca, is strained. They are in contact via text but Rebecca sometimes blocks her for a period of time. We soon learn that her eldest daughter, Emma, is dead and that Willow feels guilty about that.

This is a short but gripping novel as we share Willow's days on the island and her interaction with the locals. She tries to keep a low profile but inevitably gets into conversation with a few islanders while believing that her self-imposed anonymity is successful. She has a casual fling with a young islander and a comfortable friendship with the local Nigerian priest, Ifechi.

John Boyne has a great talent in writing a good story while immersing the reader into the setting with a good balance of plot and description alongside insightful writing that really conveys the character or situation, often with good humour. I was slightly irritated by his long rant about the twelve apostles and why they excluded women and their supposed thoughts about the women in their lives. It smacked of applying 21st century woke thinking to 1st century civilisation.

The book deals with some some difficult subjects such as sexual abuse and suicide but it is not dwelt on nor written about in detail so, while a trigger for some, I found it very readable and would commend the book to others.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.