Sweet Water: A Novel (P.S.)

I did not remember reading this book previously and ended up reading it again. I realized from my Goodreads account that I had read it 7 years ago but nothing about it was familiar. A mystery of sorts as Cassandra moves to the South where she has inherited a house where her deceased mother had grown up. The chapters alternate with her grandmother Clyde’s story. As Cassie meets her relatives and gets to know them the mystery grows. The mystery comes to a head as Cassie and Clyde confront one another.

When Cassandra Simon learns that her maternal grandfather, a man whom she has never met, has left her the family farmhouse in Tennessee she first thinks to sell it but later decides that her life could use a change. She could meet family she’s never know (her mother died when she was 3) and work on her art sculptures.Every family has its secrets and Cassandra quickly learns that hers have more than their share when she realizes that neither Grandma Clyde or her other relatives want her around. They are a closed-off family group full of secrets and mysteries. Cassie makes it her mission to uncover some of the secrets surrounding herr mother’s death. Told from alternating points of view Cassie and Grandma each fight her own battle to learn about the tragic death or to keep the facts hidden.A psychological thriller exploring a dangerous past and an untold truth. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

It is no secret that I, like so many others, loved Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train, which was her most recent novel. Sweet Water was her first novel, and it shows how much she's grown as a writer.That's a polite way of saying this book is downright painful.First off, a warning...I will probably tiptoe into spoiler territory. I try to avoid that when I write reviews, but I'm kind of in the "why bother" mode in this one. So, if you still want to read this book at this point, you may want to tune out now.I will say that Kline's writing talent is evident here. Her prose is readable and mature, but not heavy-handed. The problem with this book is not in the writing, it is in the construction. The plot is barely there and ill-defined. Is it about Cassie trying to "find what she's looking for" with her mother's family? Is it about Cassie's Grandmother's secret? Is it about Cassie's quest to find out what happened to her mother? The answer to all those is this: um, kinda, sorta? I don't think Kline ever had a clear idea of what this book was about and the reader certainly doesn't as they make their way through the story.Then there are the stereotypes of southerners. Let's see...we have the catty frenemies, the holier than thou preacher's wife, the wild child (there are a couple of those), the old drunk, and the town gossip. All of these characters have shown up in any number of superficial Southern novels, movies, or TV shows. And, if that wasn't enough, there is probably one of the most offensive (and, really, inaccurate) Southern stereotypes out there. I'll give you a second....yep. We have a fair dose of explicit cousin on cousin action. Now, Kline does try to diffuse the situation by stating that they aren't "real cousins" because one of them is adopted. But, then she includes a few post-coital observations about how much the two look alike--very pointed observations (which are both yucky and annoying because she never closes that loop...).Yes, I know...you need a shower now.As I said, the one positive aspect was Kline's language. It was the one thing--well, that and the fact that I knew what she could do in Orphan Train that kept me going. However, I'm not going to let this book turn me off Kline's writing. As I said, this was her first novel and, when you compare it to her latest, you can see how much she has grown. If anything, it makes me more likely to read her next book. But, save yourself from the experience of this book and just take my word on it, okay?

I found this story to be more true to life than most I have read lately. I found the character of Cassie to be so well written that she was real. I can totally see any young woman wanting to find out how and why her mother died if all her family have been so closed mouth over the years since her mother's death. When Cassie inherits a house from her grandfather, this is all she needs to be able to go off on her own and start fresh. In Sweetwater, Tn, she meets her rather stiff and straight laced grandmother. That night she meets more of the family. This family is not all they seem to be. You see, they are all hiding secrets. Secrets Cassie feels she must learn in order to find out how and why her mother died. Cassie sets to restoring her new home to a livable condition. it is taking more cash than she has in her savings, so she decides to take a part time job in a bar. Soon, she meets Troy. They are very attracted to each other and spend the night. She learns that Troy is her 'cousin'. and gets very angry that he did not mention this. you see, he did know. You notice I put "cousin" in quotes. For those reviewers who accuse Cassie and Troy of incest, if you pay attention even Troy speaks of being her cousin on a technicality. Troy's mother, Cassie's aunt Lorraine, adopted him. So, they are legal cousins and not blood cousins. It does make a difference folks.The story of what happens as Cassie finds the truth about her mother and her grandparents is a riveting one. It is well worth the read. I recommend this book for age 18 and up.

Masterful, gets you living the life of the book and feeling lost at the end.

The media could not be loaded.        A book which got my interest right from the start. I instantly connected with the main character Cassie and very much enjoyed the author's beautiful and quite poetic style of writing.Kline tells the overlapping stories of Cassie and her grandmother Clyde in alternating first person perspectives. This is the second book I read in a very short time where the author used alternating first person perspectives - and I must say, I really enjoyed this here, while in the other books it got overly annoying. When used wisely (where it really makes sense), this is a powerful tool in generating suspense and building up a kind of psychological density. And the voices of the two women (as well as past and present time) are masterly woven together.27 year Cassie lost her mother when she was a small child and has been raised in New York City by her father. When she inherits the Tennessee house where her mother spent her childhood, she quite spontaneously decides to move there so that she may finally find answers: about her mother and the circumstances of her death and about her roots in rural Tennessee, about her family' Her grandmother and the rest of the family still live in the same town - the family Cassie never got a chance to get to know better.But why does her grandmother act so reserved? What does she hide? And what had really happened in the accident that killed her mother? While Cassie seeks for answers, past time revelations gradually come to light...Ok, now this seems like a rather common plot for a novel. Well, it is. But it's Kline's writing skills which turn this book into something special.The language is rich and poetic. I like the way the author plays with words. The characters are well developed, the dialogues intense. I especially liked the chapters told from Clyde's perspective, which is unusual as I normally connect more with people around my own age. But I found her story very fascinating and mesmerizing.' Her memories are so vivid, you can almost grasp them. The atmosphere of the past is brought to life so beautifully through her thoughts and memories.This is a compelling read as well as a psychological study of jealousy and guilt.BUT there are a few lenghts which don't add much to the course of the story. Also the book ends quite abruptly, it feels like there are one or two chapters missing.That's why I can only give 4 stars. Some passages are BRILLIANT, others are, let's say, capable of improvement...All in all, I can really recommend this book and I enjoyed reading it nevertheless.

Captivating in parts,did not enjoy the ending. Would have liked to know if Cassie went to Atlanta to be with Troy, and about Clyde's recovery.

Was so excited to read this after reading orphan train. The book appeared to be building up a great plot line however it ended extremely disappointed

I am enjoying the character development and build up of mystery. Makes a great summer read!