Secrets in Water

Sheila Martindale is poetry editor of Canadian Author and Bookman and
the author of No Greater Love.

The cover of this book shows a woman looking out of what could be a
rain-spattered window, the myriad drops putting her face into soft
focus, her eyes seeing something far away. The picture perfectly depicts
the tone and content of Secrets in Water, a riveting novel of discovery.


Following the death of her mother, Annie Ransome returns to her prairie
home town with no intention of staying beyond the time it takes to sort
things out. But slowly and irrevocably, stories about her family emerge,
stories she explores and enters into. Her current life in Toronto with
her almost-too-perfect husband retreats into the background as she is
taken over by the past. Like a painstaking archeologist, Annie sifts
through the sands of time, gently revealing old artifacts. Each new
piece of the puzzle is savored, and each one seems to contribute to the
protagonist’s knowledge of herself. Annie also learns about those
still living, primarily her husband’s aunt, a previously formidable
woman to whom Annie had never warmed. The water theme is
prevalent—memories of skinny-dipping and a near-drowning are noted;
and during Annie’s stay the river floods, threatening to carry away
whole chunks of geography and history.

This novel is multilayered and richly textured, written in beautifully
poetic prose that somehow does not gloss over the harsh realities that
are exposed. None of the characters is perfect (or necessarily likable),
but all are engaging, and we begin to really care about them as the
story progresses. Annie eventually comes to terms with her present
through an understanding of her past, and we celebrate this development.
Secrets in Water is a thoughtful and deliciously enthralling book that
will appeal to anyone interested in the state of being human.