NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this thrilling new novel from the author of Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces. At the Water’s Edge is a gripping and poignant love story about a privileged young woman’s awakening as she experiences the devastation of World War II in a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands.After disgracing … Highlands.
After disgracing themselves at a high society New Year’s Eve party in Philadelphia in 1944, Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a former army colonel who is already ashamed of his son’s inability to serve in the war. When Ellis and his best friend, Hank, decide that the only way to regain the Colonel’s favor is to succeed where the Colonel very publicly failed—by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster—Maddie reluctantly follows them across the Atlantic, leaving her sheltered world behind.
The trio find themselves in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands, where the locals have nothing but contempt for the privileged interlopers. Maddie is left on her own at the isolated inn, where food is rationed, fuel is scarce, and a knock from the postman can bring tragic news. Yet she finds herself falling in love with the stark beauty and subtle magic of the Scottish countryside. Gradually she comes to know the villagers, and the friendships she forms with two young women open her up to a larger world than she knew existed. Maddie begins to see that nothing is as it first appears: the values she holds dear prove unsustainable, and monsters lurk where they are least expected.
As she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be, Maddie becomes aware not only of the dark forces around her, but of life’s beauty and surprising possibilities.
Praise for At the Water’s Edge
“Breathtaking . . . a daring story of adventure, friendship, and love in the shadow of WWII.”—Harper’s Bazaar
“A gripping, compelling story . . . Gruen’s characters are vividly drawn and her scenes are perfectly paced.”—The Boston Globe
“A page-turner of a novel that rollicks along with crisp historical detail.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Powerfully evocative.”—USA Today
“Gruen is a master at the period piece—and [this] novel is just another stunning example of that craft.”—Glamour
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I picked this up because I heard it was about a couple who goes to search for the Loch Ness Monster and I’m a big fan of debunking the supernatural.
BUT this is actually a World War II story about Scotland and it has some amazingly drawn characters!
So there’s very little Loch Ness Monster and lots of what it’s like to have to carry around a …
I just love getting lost in a good Sara Gruen story, and this one did not disappoint!
Wow – Best book I’ve “read” in a while! Thoroughly entertained. Didn’t think Sara Gruen could outdo herself after “Water For Elephants” but she did a great job with this one. Excellent storylines, and characters that leave a lasting impression. Fantastic job of creating the feel of WWII Scotland – so much history woven throughout. I actually …
I love stories set during WWII, and this was a great one! It’s well-written, and the main character Maddie is really likable! You really root for her to be happy.
The beginning of the story left me unsure if I would enjoy this novel. Maddie, Ellis and Hank were such frivolous, self-indulgent characters, there was very little to redeem them. I visualized Maddie as a balloon tied to Ellis’s wrist. She bobbed along, following him wherever he led, with no will of her own. Ellis and Hank were able to bully and …
When I started the book I wasn’t sure where it was going, but the strange plans the main characters cooked up during a world war kept me engaged. Did not completely see the romance coming. Good, easy entertaining read with a satisfying ending.
The author Sara Gruen has indicated in several online interviews that she has held a long-standing fascination with the Loch Ness monster starting at the age of twelve when she first visited Urquhart Castle. As such, a monster-related plot creates a backdrop for Ms. Gruen’s historical fiction novel At the Water’s Edge. Although unique, it’s just …
Love this author’s voice. I’ve been a fan since Water for Elephants. Great storyteller.
At the Water’s Edge presents a picture of the culture of wealth in wartime in a new way. It’s tear-wrenching at times, funny at times, and has a good love story as well as a bad one. I liked the heroine’s strong and steadfast character and cheered for her to rise to the top throughout the book. The magical realism added mystery and depth. Another …
Sara Gruen is a master storyteller and she did not disappoint with this book. Great atmosphere, complicated characters, messy backstories, a touch of mystery, and a sweet, unexpected romantic undercurrent.
Just as in Water for Elephants, Sara Gruin has written another engrossing and well-written and conceived novel.
This is another one that I could read over and again. This one took me away. I felt as though I was standing with them at the water’s edge, searching…
Sara Gruen, a wonderful author in every way
Read this one because I loved WATER FOR ELEPHANTS! Both were great reads!
I like Sara Gruen and this book was not a disappointment. She is a skilled writer who can paint a word picture so you think you are there with her.
4 stars because it was slow starting for me. I did not care about the trio of fast friends and their drunken escapades. It seemed to go on forever….Then they went to Scotland and I was hooked by …
At first, I thought I wouldn’t like this book, but it drew me in and held my interest until it ended. It was atmospheric, and I could easily imagine the life and locations of the characters.
This was a book with a fairly predictable plot, but it was entertaining and a fast read. Good for a summer read.
The descriptions of the actors actions snd feelings plus description of the setting pulled me in the book. When the character felt sea sick, I felt seasick.
absurd plot, idiotic characters,inane use of Scottish terms which added nothing to atmosphere of story. Waste of time.
I had a really difficult time starting this book, but once I got in to it, I could not put it down !