The first thing Vanessa Carvin does when she arrives on the island is change her name. To the locals, she is Willow Hale, a solitary outsider escaping Dublin to live a hermetic existence in a small cottage, not a notorious woman on the run from her past.
But scandals follow like hunting dogs. And she has some questions of her own to answer. If her ex-husband is really the monster everyone says he is, then how complicit was she in his crimes?
Escaping her old life might seem like a good idea but the choices she has made throughout her marriage have consequences. Here, on the island, Vanessa must reflect on what she did – and did not do. Only then can she discover whether she is worthy of finding peace at all.
Book Info: Print length: 161 Pages. Publisher: Transworld Digital. Publication Date: 2 Nov 2023
My Thoughts
I absolutely love John Boyne’s books and The Heart’s Invisible Furies goes into my Top Ten books of All Time. I was so excited to see he has written a series of short novels called The Elements. Water is the first in this series.
This novella is only 161 pages long. It can easily be read in one sitting. Despite the number of pages, this book really packs an emotional punch.
The story centres around Vanessa Carvin. Having fled her home in Dublin she’s arrived on a tiny, isolated island off the Irish West Coast. She’s changed her name and cut all her hair off in an attempt to remove all traces of her previous life.
Slowly the reader learns why Vanessa has left everything behind. Soon, you start to understand more about her drastic actions.
These 161 pages are packed with a powerful and moving tale. The writing is beautiful and the character of Vanessa is so authentic and real. You can’t help but feel her pain, guilt and emotions in such depth that it leaves you breathless.
Absolutely wonderful book and I totally recommend it.
