At the Waters Edge, Sara Gruen
At the Waters Edge, Sara Gruen
36 Rating(s)
List: $20.00 | Sale: $13.20
Club: $10.00

At the Water's Edge

Bestseller

Author: Sara Gruen

Narrator: Justine Eyre

Unabridged: 10 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/31/2015


Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A daring story of adventure, friendship, and love in the shadow of WWII” (Harper’s Bazaar) from the renowned author of Ape House and Water for Elephants

“Gripping, compelling . . . Gruen’s characters are vividly drawn and her scenes are perfectly paced.”—The Boston Globe

In January 1945, when Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a retired army colonel who is ashamed of his son’s inability to serve, Ellis decides that the only way to regain his father’s favor is to succeed where the Colonel very publicly failed—by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster. Leaving her sheltered world behind, Maddie reluctantly follows Ellis and his best friend, Hank, to a remote village in the Scottish Highlands. Gradually, the friendships Maddie forms with the townspeople open her up to a larger world than she knew existed. Maddie begins to see that nothing is as it first appears, and as she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be, she becomes aware not only of darker forces around her but of life’s surprising possibilities.

About The Author

Sara Gruen is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of At the Water's Edge, Water for Elephants, Ape House, Riding Lessons, and Flying Changes. Her works have been translated into forty-three languages and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. Water for Elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring Reese Witherspoon, Rob Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz in 2011. She lives in western North Carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the world’s fussiest goat.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Angela M on April 01, 2015

2.5 stars rounded up. The place and history are well depicted here but I found it difficult to connect with Maddie , the main character until I was at least halfway through the book . When the connection between the opening story and the present story became apparent, I became more interested but it......more

Goodreads review by Carol on April 28, 2015

Sara Gruen is a wonderful writer and storyteller. I've read four of her books and loved every one. At The Water's Edge started slow for me, taking 6 or 8 chapters for me to get attached to the narrator, Maddie. At the start, she, her husband Ellis, and their best friend, Hank, are spoiled, entitled,......more

Goodreads review by Leanne on June 23, 2015

It's been so long since I read Water for Elephants that I only really remember the feeling I got when I read it, and not necessarily any of the finer plot points or the writing style. And At the Water's Edge is not quite that - it didn't excite me or lift my heart the way Water did, but I still like......more

Goodreads review by Althea on March 24, 2015

Does this sound appealing to you? 'The Great Gatsby' meets 'Outlander'? It's not precisely what this book is - it's set during WWII, not the 1920's, and the Romance With A 'Highlander' is in the 'present' day, no time travel involved... but if the concept sounds good, you'll probably like this book. O......more

Goodreads review by M.J. on February 08, 2015

Pitch perfect atmosphere, characters who grow and develop, who anger and impress and please, a story line that ebbs and flows and builds in intensity until you are utterly submerged in the story - turning pages faster than you want to because you want to do the writing justice but you also have to......more


Quotes

“Breathtaking . . . a daring story of adventure, friendship, and love in the shadow of WWII.”Harper’s Bazaar
 
“A gripping, compelling story . . . [Sara] 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
 
“A captivating tale.”—Us Weekly
 
“Utterly winning.”—The Miami Herald
 
“A compelling, enthralling read, a novel which captivates and rewards, paying off in a series of emotional and narrative twists . . . comfort reading of the highest order.”—The Globe and Mail
 
“A super steamy love story.”—Good Housekeeping
 
“[Gruen] conveys the lure of the Scottish Highlands. . . . At the Water’s Edge captivates with its drama, intrigue and glimpses of both the dark and light of humanity.”BookPage

“A heartwarming story about life, and the places it can potentially take you.”—InStyle
 
“A natural for the book-club set.”—Booklist

“If I needed a reminder why I am such a fan of Sara Gruen’s books, her latest novel provides plenty. Unique in its setting and scope, this impeccably researched historical fiction is full of the gorgeous prose I’ve come to expect from this author. And even after the final page, its message still resonates with me: The monsters we seek may be right in front of us. In fact, the only fault I can find with this book is that I’ve already finished it.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Time
 
“I devoured this book. Once again Sara Gruen has proven herself to be one of America’s most compelling storytellers. You might be tempted to rush to get to the answers at the end—but don’t, or you’ll miss the delectable journey that is Gruen’s prose.”—Kathryn Stockett, New York Times bestselling author of The Help
 
“Magical . . . At the Water’s Edge skillfully transports us to a small, tenacious Scottish village in the grip of war, and into the heart of Madeline Hyde, a woman who is a stranger to herself until forces convene to rock her awake. Sara Gruen is a wizard at capturing the essence of her historical setting, and does so here in spades, but it’s Maddie’s unexpected transformation that grounds and drives the novel. As her husband and best friend search the surface of the Loch, desperate for a sign of the elusive creature, Maddie learns to plumb her own depths, and comes fully alive to the world around her.”—Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife