Customer Reviews

Earth's Waters

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Earth's Waters by Nicole Blades is a very moving book that this avid and picky reader would definitely pick.
The first pleasure is the pitch perfect dialect. I was living smack dab in the center of Barbados from first page to last. Next came the beautifully drawn characters, all complex and intriguing. Finally, there was the inspirational story of a downtrodden yet sweetly hopeful young lady coming into her own.
A special bonus: anyone reading this will gain an understanding of the extreme difficulties Caribbean immigrants may have experienced growing up. Hopefully this understanding will result in greater empathy and kindness towards them.

After attending a book reading by the author, I began reading Earth's Waters with high hopes. My expectations were far exceeded. On the surface, I prepared to have very little in common with the main character, Lilly. But by chapter five, I related so well to her, and I believe every woman who's struggled with finding her identity will discover the same. A great, fast read and a perfect gift any woman in your life.

My sister suggested I read Earth's Waters. I figured, a coming of age novel about a young woman having relationship troubles (romantic, friends and family) ... umm, sounds like a chick book. It didn't take long after flipping open the cover to realize that was a gross mischaracterization. EW is richly written, and the author is an architect of scenes and characters. You start to care deeply about the main character Lilly right off the bat, before she even knows how to care about herself, and by the end you love her and pull for her like family. As a guy, I can say with certainty, this is no chick book. EW is a human book. I'd recommend it to anybody.

I'm usually an "early-to-bed" type, but I was up into the wee hours reading EARTH'S WATERS -- it's that good. I just couldn't put it down. At the center of the novel is Harriette Leacock, a young woman "invisible" in paradise -- invisible not only to tourists who confine themselves to beautiful beaches, but to her family and even herself. ("'Now what of you, huh? Let's hear about you.' I didn't know where to start. No one had ever asked me what I was about.") Harriette's story is compelling, sometimes brutally painful, but redeemed by the honesty and strength of the telling itself. What really hooked me is the language; its cadence is like the sea that Harriette loves so much. The book closes as Harriette ventures "brave and sure, into the sea." But the ending is not candy-coated: a venture involves uncertainty, risk. The sea, in spite of its many positive connotations throughout the book, can also be unpredictable. By the end of the book, I've been hooked not just by language, but by Harriette herself. I'm rooting for her.

Earth's Waters is a fast read, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's just another frothy summer book. The carefully drawn characters and their stories bring Barbados to life, and the heroine (Lily) is a young woman that too many of us can relate to. Hers is a story of deferred identity and both emotional and physical abuse. Thankfully, it's also one of personal discovery and hard-earned confidence. Definitely check out this book.

"Earth's Waters" is a packed novel. Packed with vivid images of this Barbadian paradise, the indelible encounters between the characters, and the warmth and beauty of the human spirit struggling to overcome life's harsh deals. There is not a wasted word in this book. One can hear the lilt in the dialogue and be amazed at so much that is said in the short verbal exchanges, which are very powerful. Once started, you are compelled to find out how and if the "floating" Lily will emerge into the self-determining Harriette, which is her real name and persona. This is so much more than a "coming-of-age" novel or a "chick" book. There is a piece of all of us in here that echoes with our own life experience. This novel continues to haunt your mind. I would call "Earth's Waters" a crystal clear gem of great depth.