{Book Club} At the Water’s Edge

Summer is headed our way, so it’s time to restock our bookshelves with some fun summer reads to keep us entertained while lounging by the pool, flying to a vacation destination, or simply curling up on the couch. In a couple of weeks, I’ll suggest a non-fiction read that I’ve had my eye on, but today I’m pleased to announce Freutcake’s Book Club read for the first part of June, a novel entitled At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen (author of Water for Elephants – an all time favorite of mine!).

I was graciously gifted a copy of At the Water’s Edge by an old friend of mine who is familiar with my love for reading. And to my delight, my copy of the novel is even signed by Sara Gruen, herself! Here in Pasadena, we have a magnificent bookstore called Vroman’s that is Southern California’s oldest and largest independent bookstore. It has been around since 1894! Famous authors often stop by the store to do readings and sign copies of their books, making it that much more enticing to buy the actual books rather than downloading them onto a device. Though I have recently made the switch to a Kindle, I vow to continue supporting my local and independent bookstores whenever I can. Imagine a world without actual books! I can’t even…

So back to At the Water’s Edge; I’ll keep it simple – you’ll enjoy it. The three main characters are spoiled Americans who find themselves in a remote town in the Scottish Highlands during WWII, on a hunt for the Lock Ness monster. I thought this was an interesting and creative premise and I couldn’t help but wish this were already made into a movie so I could see the hauntingly beautiful Scottish landscapes described. Maddie is our female protagonist, and though she is likable, her husband and his best friend are not. Maddie begins to see these men for who they really are and starts to rediscover herself through the people she meets at the inn where she resides. Friendships are formed, romances blossom, suspicion arises, and the terror of a world at war casts an uneasy shadow over everything. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself staying up late into the night to indulge in the pleasure of At the Water’s Edge. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below; I’m extra eager to know what your opinions are on this one! Happy reading!

photos by Leah Bergman

Purchase the Book:

Hardcover: At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen
Kindle