Water Wings Book

A first novel that heralds a bold new writer, Water Wings is at once a disturbing glimpse of the underbelly of small-town life, and a big-hearted journey into the mysteries of girlhood.

Darlene Oelpke is getting married, again. After a string of failed relationships, beautiful, vampish Darlene has finally chosen a second husband — inexplicably, Reg the Shoe Store Man. Her grown-up daughters, Vivian and Hannah, are home for the occasion, and find themselves immersed in memories of their girlhood both thrilling and tragic. And as they revisit the landscape of their youth — the river, the forest, their worn-out green house — they uncover long-buried secrets, as well as deep ties to one another.

The sisters recall the death of their father, killed in a bizarre boating accident when they are still young. Vivian, then an imperious teenager who wields her intelligence like a weapon, does her best to keep the memory of their father alive, particularly for little Hannah, whose recollections are as changeable as the face of the river that silently snakes through the town. But Hannah will have to come to terms with more than one death, as she learns that sinister people can inhabit the most benign places.

With a dazzling cast of characters that includes a nymph-like cousin named Wren (born with webbed hands and an affinity for insects) and a plethora of hairy "uncles" Water Wings is a story of gentle humour and uncommon delights, told with colossal talent and charm.

Publishers Weekly

Set in a small town in Ontario, this delicately wrought family drama opens as Darlene Olepke, mother to Vivian and Hannah, prepares for her wedding to Reg Sinclair, the shoe store man. Vivian and Hannah's father, Mick, died in a tragic water-skiing accident many years ago, and since then Darlene has depended on a string of men for support. However, her inexplicable marriage to Reg, "a large pale man with a perm," dredges up memories and questions for Darlene's family. Darlene's two very different daughters, sharp-witted Vivian and dreamy Hannah, each narrate chapters, as do Angie, Darlene's practical sister, and Wren, Angie's deformed but sensitive daughter. Wren, sensitive to small wonders, draws parallels between human relations and the natural world-particularly the fragile and beautiful insects that inhabit the surrounding Ontario forests-that become increasingly relevant as darker truths about the town emerge. Despite the fine-grained loveliness of Hartog's prose, the novel suffers from a lack of focus, none of the characters crystallizing into distinct, memorable creations. The narrative swings freely from past to present and back again, sweeping memories of sticky summers and lost dreams in its wake. This patchwork construction, along with erratic pacing, decreases the tension and appeal of what is otherwise a beautifully rendered tale. (Feb.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.