An enjoyable read, well written and entertaining. Hadn't read this author before but would consider reading again.

Out of the Water is a beautifully crafted story that weaves together the lives of four seemingly unrelated women to be unveil generations of hardship, heartache and loss. Spanning nearly a century, the story is lush with historic detail that realistically portrays the hardship that led to choices they made. The characters are well developed and the storylines nicely intertwined with a satisfying ending. I was truly captivated by each woman’s story, each giving me much to think about, which would make this a perfect choice for book clubs.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. The story is told from several points of view and it is not immediately apparent what the connection is between the female characters whose names head each chapter, but I was drawn into each of their lives right away. Their lives were all so different, but the common thread is adoption, all in different times and circumstances in their lives.

I was most fascinated with Siobhan and her life. Coming over from Ireland as a young teen with her aunt, settling in Boston and then making her way to the Midwest alone. Her life choices set the wheels of the story in motion.

The author's description of places and events pulled me in as if I were there. I was very pleasantly surprised about two things toward the end of the book. One I had been hoping for from the beginning and the other, the final key to the puzzle. I was very happy with the ending.

This is a fantastic family saga filled with strong female characters that spans several generations and covers the Depression to the late 80s. I was happy with the ending and look forward to more by this author.

This book takes you on an emotional journey covering almost 100 years. It's based on love, loss and difficult decisions. Although I admit that's a rather simplistic view point. The journey takes you from Ireland to America and France.

The author has a very good writing style but at times I did struggle to keep up. There are three time lines and at times I got a little bogged down. I'm not a mother but am an aunt who treats my nieces and nephews as though they were my own. I could emphasise with the characters.

I guess this book illustrates why secrets are never good. They have an uncanny ability to show themselves when you least expect it. Isn't it better to not keep secrets regardless of the consequences? That's my opinion by the way not the books. I know times change and historically things are not best revealed.

The problem I see is when secrets are revealed do they deepen the hurt or do they set you on a healing path.

Yes, I would recommend this book. My only concern was that sometimes the timelines got a little confusing.

Enjoy!

There are so many things to like about this novel. The story line is interesting, a bit convoluted, but the subject matter wins the day. The time shifts can be difficult to follow and I think this could have been edited better to facilitate the jumping from such disparate time frames. I am an adoptive parent so the main themes of the book certainly were those I can relate to and empathize with. There are many children who are very disappointed when searching for their birth parents so the tidy bow tying of the ending, for me, felt unrealistic. The best section of the book dealt with Siobhan and her family. Her story outshone all the others. I liked the novel and I would recommend it but with some caveats.

This book kept me awake at night trying to figure out who belonged to who. It was a book I could not put down. I loved the multigenerational aspect and the tangled web of intrigue.

Many historical novels add words like “heart-rending” to their description, regardless of whether the adjective is deserved or not. In the case of this beautiful book, it is absolutely deserved. I should state that I read the uncorrected proof and have no idea if the final title will include the phrase or not, but it should! Also, I rarely give 5 star reviews, but this book deserves no less.

Told in four characters, the story spans almost 100 years. The author crafted the chapters in a way that the reader doesn’t understand how the 4 people fit together until at least the halfway point. Genevieve, Erin, Claire and Siobhan, their lives intertwined over time. I don’t like retelling a plot and I definitely don’t write spoilers, so I won’t describe any further. I will say this book is long, but moves along well and kept me reading all day on a Saturday when I really should have been doing household chores!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Out of the water by Anne Marie Stewart
Five generations of women from Ireland to America tell their stories in this moving and emotional read. Motherhood means everything to them all but in differing ways. Adoption and searching for real family is hard for both the children and their adoptive families. From Ireland to the battlefront in France to a pandemic in Boston in 1919 we finally move on to Seattle in 1981.There are sacrifices made and hard decisions made by each of the women.
All of the stories are beautifully told and the various settings are excellently described. This is an emotional ride and very moving in parts. Fathers, husbands and boyfriends are also involved in the stories and have their parts to play.
This is an emotional read and both distressing in parts and joyous in others. Even if you are not a mother this is still a wonderful read for everyone.

Ann Marie Stewart has done the impossible - made me interested and invested in all her main characters in a split time story. I love her writing style. It’s pretty much how I like my fiction!

The second half did drag a little bit for me but the story was compelling enough to keep me reading. The ending and the twist was totally unexpected! I wish there was more about Antonio so I finished the book with a slight disappointment.

Whatever the case, I can’t wait to see what this new favourite author of mine will come up with next!

This novel is well-written and flows from chapter to chapter. It opens in New York, 1918, with Irish immigrants who come through Ellis Island. Amusingly, Siobhan who arrived with her Aunt Brigid likens the stone faced, unsmiling Statue of Liberty to her aunt. The book than switches back and forth between 1918 and the 1960’s. The people in the chapters at first seem very random (1918 Red Cross Nurse in France, 1965 kindergarten teacher, and Erin’s family) but the author very quickly and adroitly weaves it into one astonishing story that flows as one character tries to find out about her biological mom. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This story is sure to be loved by many..

This book is filled with beautiful emotions of life, love, children and mostly of loss. The joys and pains experienced by each character is beautifully composed. How all of their lives are inter-related!!! I could not have imagined such simple yet at the same time complicated interconnections!