At the Water’s Edge

At the Water’s Edge

READ REVIEWS

“I devoured this book. Sara Gruen has proven herself, once again, to be one of America’s most compelling storytellers.”
—Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help

“Sara Gruen is a wizard at capturing the essence of her historical setting, and does so here in spades.”
—Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife

“If I needed a reminder why I am such a fan of Sara Gruen’s books, her latest novel provides plenty…The only fault I can find with this book is that I’ve already finished it.”
—Jodi Picoult, author of Leaving Time

“A rich, beautiful novel. Elegantly written and compulsively readable.”
—Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale

” I love this marvelous, marvelous book.”
—Joshilyn Jackson, author of Someone Else’s Love Story


In this new novel from the author of the #1 New York Times best seller Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces. In At the Water’s Edge, she tells the gripping and poignant story of a privileged young woman’s moral and sexual awakening as she experiences the devastations of World War II in the Scottish Highlands.

Madeline Hyde, a young socialite from Philadelphia, reluctantly follows her husband and their best friend to the tiny village of Drumnadrochit in search of the Loch Ness monster—at the same time that a very real monster, Hitler, wages war against the Allied Forces. Despite German warplanes flying overhead and scarce food rations (and even scarcer stockings), what Maddie discovers—about the larger world and about herself—through the unlikely friendships she develops with the villagers, opens her eyes not only to the dark forces that exist around her but to the beauty and surprising possibilities as well.


PRAISE

“[A]n utterly winning story . . . full of riveting scenes.”
Miami Herald

“Powerfully evocative.”
USA Today

“A captivating tale.”
US Weekly

“Gruen is a master at the period piece—and her latest novel is just another stunning example of that craft.”
Glamour

“[A] passionate period piece.”
In Touch Weekly

“Compelling… a heartwarming story about life, and the places it can potentially take you.”
InStyle

“A daring story of adventure, friendship, and love in the shadow of WWII.”
Harper’s Bazaar

“A gripping, compelling story… wholly diverting and well written. I read it in one sitting.”
—Boston Globe

At the Water’s Edge captivates with its drama, intrigue and glimpses of both the dark and light of humanity.”
Bookpage

“Monster romance . . . super steamy love story.”
Good Housekeeping (“GH Read of the Month”)

“A page-turner of a novel.”
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Riveting… Gruen’s beautiful setting and deeply sympathetic characters ensure a memorable read for new and returning fans alike.”
—Publishers Weekly

“[Gruen] combines historical fiction, romance, and fable to good effect, and her narrative description is often sublime. . . . This ambitious novel is 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 finishing, 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, author of Leaving Time

“I devoured this book. Sara Gruen has proven herself, once again, 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, author of The Help

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. Magical.”
—Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife

At the Water’s Edge is a rich, beautiful novel. Elegantly written and compulsively readable, it is at once a gripping love story, a profound examination of the effects of war on ordinary women, and a compelling portrait of female friendship. While delving into powerful themes, Sara Gruen never loses sight of what matters: her characters. This story of one privileged young woman, coming of age in a time of impossible upheaval and terrible choices, will keep you riveted until the very last page.”
—Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale

“Sara Gruen has an exquisite eye for detail, and she evokes the haunted—and haunting—landscape with her signature passion, freshness and scope. Atmospheric and gritty, the compelling tale of Madeline’s struggle to redefine herself in a world gone mad will linger long after you turn the final page.”
—Joshilyn Jackson, author of Someone Else’s Love Story

At the Water's Edge

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EXTRAS

Excerpt