In three words I deem this book: authentic, harrowing, slow.
I've read a Nancy E. Turner novel before called These Is My Words and loved it. However, this one, The Water and the Blood, disappointed a bit. While it captures the same writing style and essence that Nancy E. Turner is so notorious for--character power, fictional authenticity, historical--it was extremely slow for me. In fact, so slow that I didn't finish it. Yep, I said it. With only about 80 more pages to go, I laid this one down to rest. I just lost my desire as it became a "I must finish this book" and a "I've gotta get through this" kind of book. Finally I stopped humoring myself and just stopped, even though I nearly finished. It will eat at me for a while because I hate not finishing things I started, but oh well.
Having said that this book had great potential, it just lost me. It's about a girl growing up in white, rural America where prejudices and racism is rampant - all the while she falls in love with returned World War II victim who is far from white. The book is about her accepting herself while living in a world where her and her Indian boyfriend--turned husband--long for acceptance from others.
"Turner mesmerizes once again. . . . This beautifully written portrait of Southern religious repression and racism is a winner" says Publisher Weekly. Dunno . . . I love her writing, just thought it boring. Read her other novel These Is My Words. Loved that one.
1 out of 5 stars