The Properties of Water

Hodie Simmons, a photographer living in rural Massachusetts, grapples with unresolved questions about her father's drowning death twenty years ago. Her mother Noelle's recent marriage to a devout Jehovah's Witness prompts Hodie to investigate the circumstances surrounding her father's accident. The story moves between past and present as Hodie pieces together memories of her childhood and conducts her own informal investigation. Her search leads her through New England's small towns and into conversations with locals who might hold information about what really happened. The narrative explores the connection between memory and photography, using water as a central metaphor that runs throughout. Physical and spiritual dimensions of water - its power to preserve, destroy, cleanse, and transform - create layers of meaning in this literary mystery. This novel examines how trauma shapes identity and asks questions about truth, faith, and the stories families tell themselves to survive. The intersection of science and spirituality emerges as a key theme, as characters seek different paths toward understanding and redemption.

Readers note the emotional depth and family dynamics throughout Properties of Water. The novel's exploration of grief and survival resonates, particularly in depicting the complex relationship between sisters. Readers appreciate: - Vivid descriptions of rural New England - Raw portrayal of loss and recovery - Detailed passages about photography - Carefully crafted metaphors connecting water imagery to human emotions Common criticisms: - Slow pacing, especially in middle sections - Challenging narrative structure with frequent timeline shifts - Some find the prose overly dense - Secondary characters lack development Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (132 ratings) Amazon: 3.8/5 (24 reviews) "The water metaphors feel natural rather than forced," notes one Goodreads reviewer, while another states "the time jumps made it difficult to stay engaged." Multiple Amazon reviews praise the authentic sibling dynamics but mention struggling with the book's deliberate pace.

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🌊 Author Marianne Wiggins wrote this novel while living in a remote cabin in Vermont, drawing inspiration from the solitude and natural surroundings. 📘 The book explores themes of memory and identity through the metaphor of water's physical properties, particularly how it can both preserve and distort what lies beneath its surface. 🏊‍♀️ The protagonist, Hallie, is a professional underwater photographer—a career choice that serves as both literal and metaphorical device throughout the narrative. 🎯 The novel was nominated for the Dublin IMPAC Award, one of the most prestigious international literary prizes. 💫 Wiggins incorporates actual scientific principles about water's unique molecular structure and behavior to develop the story's central metaphors about human relationships and emotional bonds.