Bonnie Jo Campbell

I read Bonnie Jo Campbell's short story collection, American Salvage, last year and it was possibly my top read of the year, at very least in the top three. So many things made that book special, but chief among its virtues is Campbell's almost otherworldly ability to create a sense of place. As it happens, I know well Southwestern Michigan, where The Waters and most of the stories in American Salvage are set but have not been there in many years. Campbell brought me right back (Often kicking and screaming, I left MI 40 years ago and sometimes I still feel if I stop running I will end up there again, it happens right in the book, against everyone's will.) It is gritty and ugly, except where it is surpassingly beautiful and the ethos of the place has changed little in the last 100 years. Though I would never have thought of it, it turns out it is a pretty perfect place to set a fairy tale, which in part is what this book is.

Within the first 20 pages I said this was like a mashup of the Brothers Grimm and Willa Cather. I was amused to later see that one of the people who blurbed this said it read like a combination of the Brothers Grimm and Flannery O'Connor. I can see that, and people often label Campbell as a Southern Gothic writer, but she is not. I suspect those people know nothing about the Northern Midwest. Having lived in both regions I see clearly the differences. The most important distinction for me is that Midwestern Gothic is, like Midwesterners, polite, restrained, more lurks under the surface than above. You have to work for things, and the churn below the surface will let you ignore it for a very long time. Southern Gothic is the book equivalent of an over-the-top 24-hour-a-day crime scene, you are not allowed to look away, the ugliness will hit you over the head with a socket wrench if you try. To see the horror and pathos in Midwestern gothic you need to look into the back of Granny's cupboards or under the floormats of the most beleaguered men. You need to work for your violence and pain.

Campbell is an absolute master of Midwestern Gothic, and this book is really impressive. In addition to creating an alternate world filled with wonder and violence in equal measure, Campell introduces us to amazing women forging a life out of nothing, either running from this world or cemented in place. They are fascinating creatures, simultaneously fit for those fairy tales and extraordinarily real. I took of a star because there were times I thought it dragged. It always came back powerfully, but for me the part of the book that centered on Donkey and Herself (Dorothy and Hermine, there are lots of nicknames) and the specifics of creating medicines from nature and of Donkey learning outside of a formal environment started to get dull. As mentioned this was just a small part of the book, but that drag kept me from being fully in love with this. Still, I passionately recommend it.

I listened to this book read by the incomparable Lili Taylor (whom I have loved since Say Anything and Mystic Pizza) and it was great. It is only January, but I suspect this will be on my top 10 audiobook narration list at year's end.… (mehr)

Hermine “Herself ” Zook has spent all of her life on her little island in the Great Massasauga Swamp—an area known as “The Waters” to the residents of Whiteheart, Michigan. Herself is known for her skill as an herbalist and has made a living out of selling herbal remedies to those from nearby towns seeking her help. Her marriage of fifteen years ended after she threw her husband out after a scandal that is still fodder for gossip among the townspeople. Her daughters have grown up and have all left home, her eldest Primrose a lawyer, her middle daughter Maryrose (Molly) a nurse and her youngest Rose Thorn who lives in California with Primrose but has left her daughter Dorothy “Donkey” Zook with Herself to raise. As the story begins, we find out that Herself has isolated herself from her community, rarely venturing out of her home with only her eleven-year-old granddaughter for company. Donkey has questions about her family, has heard the whispers and has sensed the strained relationship between the women in her family but is unable to get anyone to tell her all she wants to know. Donkey also misses her mother and craves having a father in her life and spends her time learning from the nooks her aunts send her, bonding with animals and nature and following after her grandmother, secretly concocting remedies for those requesting Herself’s services. When Rose Thorn returns to Rose Cottage, old friendships are rekindled, resentments resurface and as the secrets about her family begin to unravel it is to be seen whether Donkey will finally get the family she desires, or the revelations drive the family further apart.

The Waters by Bonnie Jo Campbell is an intriguing story revolving around themes of family, loneliness, isolation, grief, and community. I loved the vividly described setting of the island, the surrounding rural community and the mystique of Herself and her remedies. My heart ached for Donkey and her loneliness. Her desire for a family and her connection to nature and her love for animals will strike a chord in your heart. The main female characters are well thought out, as is the dynamic between the Zook women and their immediate community who regard them in turn with awe, admiration, curiosity, resentment, and a bit of fear. It did bother me that none of the male characters were portrayed in a positive light. Titus Jr. whose history with Rose plays a significant role in the story and who remains, for the most part, a positive influence in Donkey’s life lacked depth and certain aspects of his storyline toward the end felt inconsistent compared to how his character was built up. There is a lot to unpack in this story – long-buried secrets, mysteries, and deeply emotional moments but perhaps, there was too much going on with the characters, which resulted in a long-drawn (and a tad convoluted) narrative with inconsistent pacing and more than a few unnecessary supporting characters and underwhelming plot points. I was glad the pace picked up in the last quarter but overall, though there is a lot to like about the writing and despite being a fan of character-driven immersive stories, I struggled to stay invested in the characters or the narrative as a whole.

Please note that there are scenes of animal cruelty that might prove disturbing for some readers.
Finally, I love that cover!

I received a digital review copy from the publisher via Edelweiss+. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.… (mehr)