Customer Reviews

The Waterman: A Novel of the Chesapeake Bay

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Tim Junkin's The Waterman, written in a clear, beautiful prose, was a wonderful, sometimes exhilarating read. A book that celebrates the strength and determination of youth, it also explores the odd, unexpected ways of relationships, and the unforeseen repetitions of life. More than that, though, it's just a fun, involving story that sweeps you up and holds your stomach before grabbing your throat. The scenes vary enormously while the dialogue is pitch-perfect. All of it is welded together by Mr. Junkin's ability to tell a good story. The protagonist made me yearn for my youth, for hours on spent on the water, the summer sun heating it up so that it resembles a sloshing, melted pool of colored glass. He brought back the smells and the heat and the thrill of being young and strong and living off something so much larger, with so much history and soul. I rarely look back at early adulthood, but The Waterman rattled the hazy corners of my memory and actually made me nostalgic. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking an elegant, strong read combined with luminous observations and a flawless voice.

The tale is surprisingly low on action, and moves at a meandering pace. Yet Junkin does a wonderful job of drawing you into the waterman's life, and life on the bay. Spartan prose and credible, interesting characters make it a rather intoxicating read.

Clay Wakeman was born and raised on the Chesapeake Bay. He drops out of college when his father is lost in a storm off the Eastern Shore in order to take possession of his father's boat and work as a waterman -- an independent commercial fisherman. Clay's friend Byron joins him in a start-up crabbing business, and just as they are breaking even, Hurricane Agnes roars in to ruin the salinity of the eastern Bay waters, forcing Clay and Byron to crab along the Virginia shoreline. Here their real troubles begin as Clay falls irrevocably in love with Kate, Byron's post-traumatic stress kicks in with a vengeance, and the boys stumble onto a drug ring. The Waterman is a riveting, exceptionally written, highly recommended novel of well drawn characters, great background detail and flavor, and a robustly crafted plot of suspense and danger.

After reading this book I felt an overwhelming desire to drive to the Cheseapeake Bay and read it again. I did, and the experience was surrealistic. Junkin's descriptive prowess belies any notion that this is his first novel. The characters jump from the pages and let you into their souls. A must-read!

Tim Junkin's first novel is a neatly crafted, and very well written evocation of the time and place of the Chesapeake Bay in the early 70s. The characters are fully drawn, and the dialog rings true. Beyond that, he has a clever story to tell, and he tells it well. Definitely worth a look.

Having spent a portion of my life on the Chesapeake Bay, this book was like going back in time for me. The descriptions of the area are the best I have ever read and the story is wonderful. A must read for anyone who loves the water and loves a good story!

I thought the best part of the book was the descriptions of the waterman's activities. I loved the time spent on netting for alewives and pulling the sailboat off the sandbar. The author really portrays the love and beauty that a waterman feels for the bay. This book was like a "Cold Mountain" on the Chesapeake Bay. I really enjoyed it.

I picked up this book at Bethany Beach last week and finished it in two days. I was only sorry it ended. As a woman who grew up on the Eastern Shore I found "The Waterman" a beautiful evocation of the land and water and a thrill to read. It is poetic while captivating. Junkin's two main characters, Clay and Byron, are the real thing, and take the reader on a memorable journey tryin to live the dignified existence of watermen on a declining Bay. The early 1970's come alive as does the culture and traditions of the special world of the Chesapeake, but obstacles seem to mount. The level of danger and suspense builds to a riveting and imaginative ending, one fitting as well. While carried along by the exciting narrative I was whisked back to the fragile and exquisite world which held so much magic for me as a girl, and reminded of its vital place in my comsciousness. I adored the book and recommend it. It's my favorite read of the year!

From the first section, "Remembrance" until the riveting conclusion, I thought the book was elegantly written. Deeply emotional, provocative of the moral dilemnas we all face, it speaks honestly of what lies below the surface and often remains unsaid. And it is true to the Eastern Shore where I grew up. A good read!

I thought it was beautifully written. I learned so much of interest about crabbing and the ways of the watermen. It was filled with suspense and I couldn't put it down. I was totally caught up in the lives of the characters. I'm looking forward to the sequel.