Jun 16, 2009

Review: The Prudent Mariner


The prudent mariner will not rely solely on any single aid to navigation, particularly on floating aids. That was one instruction she clearly understood. ~ page 130


THE PRUDENT MARINER is the story of 10 year old Riddley Cross, her grandmother Adele, who is losing a battle with Alzheimer’s, her eccentric neighbor, Carver and various other members of Riddley’s family.

The Cross family lives on the Georgia coast of the Inter Coastal Waterway in 1970. It’s a time of change but you can still see and feel the old ways of the South without even looking very hard or very far.

One day, in her recently deceased grandfather’s den, Riddley finds some disturbing postcards from the past. Since Pauline, Riddley’s mother, told her she could have the postcard collection as a remembrance of her grandfather, Riddley didn’t see anything wrong with keeping them to herself. She’s used to keeping secrets. She was sure that if she showed those postcards to her mother, not only would she never see them again, they were sure to upset Pauline a great deal.

Soon it becomes evident that Adele can no longer live alone, so she is moved into the garage apartment so Pauline and the rest of the family can look after her. In no time at all, it’s clear that Riddley has a way with her grandmother, unlike Pauline, her husband Sam or the twins, Emmaline and Charlotte, who are a few years older than Riddley. Adele, who never was a big talker, has become even more silent, and like Riddley, has a fondness for wandering and also for the river that runs so close to their home.

Adele and Riddley soon make friends with Carver, the woman who lives next door and begin to spend time with her, which is another secret the two share. Though Riddley has put the postcards she found in a safe place where they won’t be seen, they are never far from Riddley’s mind and even her dreams. There is something oddly familiar about them that she can’t quite figure out and when she shows one of them to Adele, she gets a response that raises even more questions.

Leslie Walker Williams’ THE PRUDENT MARINER is a very well written novel with beautifully developed characters who tell a story that methodically unfolds as we are getting to know them. She has skillfully created a multi-layered plot loaded with family history and even an air of mystery.

Being a lover of Southern Fiction, I was very much looking forward to reading this debut novel. I loved the characters, especially Riddley and Carver. Ms. Williams allows us to get to know and understand all of the main character’s personalities and even their inner-most thoughts. This depth of charachter is a very important part of the telling of this story. There’s so much more than a little girl trying to figure out why certain terrible postcards are in her family’s possession. There’s also more to Adele’s story than just an old woman fighting a mentally debilitating disease. And finally, more to Carver’s complex personality than the eccentricities that the locals speculate about. All of these factors combined add up to a very enlightening, powerful story.

For me, it got better with every turn of the page. At times, I found myself holding my breath. The images that I formed in my mind from the writing were so vivid, I could almost see it playing out like a movie. In fact, I think this would make a great movie. It has a simplicity about it, but at the same time, so many stories are being told. I loved the final pages of this book. The water plays such an important role in this story - seemingly at times, in slow motion.

This is a great debut novel and I will not hesitate to read future works by Leslie Walker Williams. I am so pleased that my local library purchased their copy solely upon my request. Ms. Williams is also a writer of short stories that have appeared in many publications. THE PRUDENT MARINER was awarded the Peter Taylor Prize and the Morris Hackney Literary Award.

THE PRUDENT MARINER
Author: Leslie Walker Williams
Website: www.lesliewalkerwilliams.com
Publisher: University of Tennessee Press
Published: October 2008
Pages: 298
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

9 comments:

  1. Hi Lisa,

    That is brilliant when a book makes you hold your breath! I love it when that happens.


    A very interesting review.

    Today is WHAT'S ON YOUR DESK WEDNESDAY? on my blog. And you've been tagged. I hope you can join in with the fun, but please don’t feel any pressure to do so. If you don’t have time to do it today, there is always next Wednesday!

    I will also upload any photos to my WHAT’S ON YOUR DESK WEDNESDAY? Flickr set, so if you’d rather not have your photo’s included, just shout!

    Here is my WHAT’S ON YOUR DESK WEDNESDAY?

    Take care, and have fun!

    Sassy Brit ☺

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  2. This sounds like a wonderful book, Lisa. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I definitely need to add this to the list. Your library must be better than ours, I think in our county 3 people have to request a book before they will buy it.

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  3. I love Southern literature too and this one sounds like a winner!

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  4. Hi again. Just to let you know I sent you an e mail re being an alternate winner of Hint of Wicked.Details in e

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  5. Sounds perfect for the Southern Reading challenge. It's great that your library could purchase this for you. Our library has had to make so many cutbacks we can rarely do that anymore.

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  6. Just wanted to post my comment here too Lisa!!

    What a fantastic review Lisa!! I must read this book...I love the stories within the story and how the postcards mean something...sounds great and I'm into Southern lit right now!!

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  7. Great review Lisa. This sure sounds like a book I'd like. I think this is one that I might even buy on the cover alone. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

    You're lucky to have such a great library. Mine requests things but it takes forever for them to get there after that for some reason. I'm usually too impatient.

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  8. Sounds like a terrific read- and it sounds like you have a terrific library!

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  9. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! It was such a simple tale but told so beautifully. I really love her style of writing.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I look forward to hearing from you again soon!