Waterwoman - Paperback Fiction - Book Review

HART, Lenore. Waterwoman. Berkley. 241p. c2002. 0-425-19007-2. $14.00.

A

Annie is a plain young woman growing up in a fishing family on the islands off the coast of Virginia in the early 20th century She wants nothing more than to join her father on his boat but is forced to stay at home and care for her depressed mother and beautiful but simple sister. When her father drowns at sea, Annie gets her wish and becomes a waterwoman, fishing for her family's income. Her life is hard but fulfilling until she meets Nathan. a handsome tourist boat guide recently back from the battlefields of WW I. He is taken by Annie's rough sensuality and initiates a passionate sexual affair. Their physical relationship begins to deepen around the time when he is introduced to her mother and sister. The heartbreak that follows reaches its page-turning conclusion in the hurricane of 1920 that wreaked devastation along the Atlantic Coast.

Hart's prose is beautiful, flowing across the page, and leads the reader effortlessly from chapter to chapter. She takes Annie beyond the usual gender-bending heroine mold and instead shows the inner passions of a young woman responsible for everything and everyone in her life. The strong sexual content of the book will limit its audience but even the descriptions of the physical relationship between Annie and Nathan never seem jarring or inappropriate to the plot development. Recommended for adult collections and senior high libraries, where appropriate. Courtney Lewis, Libn., Groton Sch., Groton, MA

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kliatt
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group