The Water Children

Berry’s second novel (after The Hungry Ghosts) addresses troubling subject matter with lush prose, making for an unsettling and engaging read about the lives of four children with powerful ties to water. When Owen was a child in Ireland, his little sister drowned while under his supervision, and his mother never forgave him; Sean escapes his difficult upbringing by swimming in the River Shannon, though his superstitious father—fearful of water spirits—beats him for his outings; Catherine witnessed her beloved cousin Rosalyn fall into a frozen lake, and though Rosalyn recovered, Catherine retreated into emotional isolation; and orphan Naomi seeks peace from abusive caretakers in the embrace of the ocean. The four come together in a sweltering London summer in 1976, but the years have not healed their wounds. Sean has married Catherine, though he and Naomi are involved in a dramatic love affair, and Owen, while working for Sean at his tourist market stall between acting gigs, warily observes Sean and Naomi’s tenuous relationship. As the tides of their troubled pasts begin to rise, each character desperately tries to stay afloat. Agent: Judith Murdoch, Judith Murdoch Literary Agency. (May)