Trouble the Water [Paperback]

Nicole Seitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 11, 2008

Set in the South Carolina Sea Islands, Nicole Seitz's second novel follows the stories of two sisters. One is seeking to recreate her life yet again and learns to truly live from a group of Gullah nannies she meets on the island. The other thinks she's got it all together until her sister's imminent death from cancer causes her to re-examine her own life and seek the healing and rebirth her troubled sister managed to find on St. Anne's Island.

An entrancing, unsettling story of sisterhood and sea changes, healing grace and unlikely angels.  A tragic, hilarious, hope-filled novel about the art of starting over.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Seitz (The Spirit of Sweetgrass) manages to keep her second faith fiction novel fairly light even though it covers depression, suicide, child abuse, domestic abuse and death. Honor, in her mid-40s, escapes to St. Anne's Isle off the South Carolina coast with her life in tatters. She's unemployed and broke, and feels unworthy of love after a divorce and a failed relationship. Her attempted suicide is thwarted by a group of Gullah nannies who rescue her and love her back to health, introducing her to Duchess, a quirky woman with a penchant for nudity. Honor lives with Duchess for a while as they help each other heal, and eventually Honor reclaims her love for life and painting, and reconnects with her sister Alice. The narration switches regularly among the three women (Honor, Duchess and Alice) and the story jumps back and forth over an eight-year span, which makes the first half of the book intricate to follow. The novel is uneven: none of the serious topics is mined in depth and the writing is simple, but the plot, once understood, is compelling. Fans of inspirational fiction may feel challenged by some of the edgier content, but the story does include a near-death bedside conversion. (Mar.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 289 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595544003
• ISBN-13: 978-1595544001
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #856,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nicole Seitz is the author several novels - Beyond Molasses Creek, The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, and The Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Her paintings are featured on the covers of her books. Visit her web site at www.nicoleseitz.com for more information.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant and powerful story of sisters and secrets, April 9, 2008

By 

Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Trouble the Water (Paperback)

Trouble the Water by Nicole Seitz is a multi-layered story about the love between sisters and the power of God's healing love. Honor is rescued from a suicide attempt by several nannies in South Carolina's Low Country. Miss Blondell, an elderly Gullah woman, takes Honor under her wing and puts her in local dingbat Duchess' home. Duchess is known for her flirtacious antics with the men and showing her sixty year body in all its naked glory. Honor and Duchess make for an odd mix. Both suffer from depression and acting out, but each look at the placement as God's way of using them to help care for others. The story is told through several different points of view. Honor and Duchess each take turns telling their story, but Honor's sister Alice also gets a turn, as do Honor's letters to Alice. Honor is truly the heart of the story, but her chapters aren't the ones that tell you the most about her. It's the chapters from Alice and Duchess that really expose Honor for who she is: the angel who troubles the waters for their healing. Seitz writes this achingly beautiful story of healing and forgiveness with compassion and just enough humor to take the edge off of the sweetness.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On My Must-Read List!, July 11, 2010

By 

KDMask (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Trouble the Water (Paperback)

The first Seitz book I read was actually her latest "Saving Cicadas". I loved it so much, I decided to read all her other books as well. Trouble The Water is by far my favorite of all her stories. Rich in characters and detail,it was so hard to put down. I told my husband it was a book I couldn't wait to finish but really didn't want it to end. A story about a life lived in secrets and redemption on an island of magic. As with all of her books, Seitz manages to pull out a twist when you least expect it. If you love tales of life's journey, sorrow, loss and joy, you'll love this book. I plan on giving it as a gift to my friends this Christmas!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Miss This One, August 10, 2008

By 

mamato3boys (Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trouble the Water (Paperback)

This book is unique, uplifting, and well-written. Both the characters and the story draw you in from page one. The author deftly switches among narrators, locations, and dates. A lesser writer would have lost the reader, but Seitz is able to enrich the story instead. I highly recommend it.