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A review by book_concierge
We Are Water by Wally Lamb
5.0
From the dust jacket: In middle age, Annie Oh—wife, mother, and outsider artist—has shaken her family to its core. After twenty-seven years of marriage and three children, Annie has fallen in love with Viveca, the wealthy, cultured, confident Manhattan art dealer who orchestrated her professional success. Annie and Viveca plan to wed in the Oh family's hometown of Three Rivers, Connecticut, where gay marriage has recently been legalized. But the impending wedding provokes some very mixed reactions and opens a Pandora's box of toxic secrets—dark and painful truths that have festered below the surface of the Ohs' lives.
My reactions
Wow. Intricate and nuanced, Wally Lamb has given us a portrait of one American family’s disintegration and coming back together. Rather than use a single narrator, Lamb gives voice to various characters, switching point of view from chapter to chapter. In this way we learn not only Annie’s story, but also ex-husband Orion’s and that of their children: Andrew, Ariane and Marissa. We also hear from some ancillary characters, including a neighbor and Annie’s cousin, Kent.
All these characters suffer trauma and loss, and struggle to find their way back to hope. They make poor decisions, or are targeted victims. But the various members of the Oh family also face tragic events and show resilience and courage in facing their futures.
There were some scenes that really bothered me, especially dealing with pedophilia and hate crimes. But we should be bothered by those kinds of events / issues and facing what makes us uncomfortable is part of the theme of this book. Frequently the characters refuse to face what is so distressing, choosing instead to hide behind alcohol or showing displaced rage or justifying their actions with weak arguments. But it is only when we confront our demons that we can conquer them.
The audio book is voiced by a variety of talented artists, including Wally Lamb (who voices Orion Oh). I found this very effective when listening, though I do wish the jacket of the playaway gave some clue as to which artist voiced which character. The only reason I know who Lamb portrayed was because the audio includes an author interview at the end.
My reactions
Wow. Intricate and nuanced, Wally Lamb has given us a portrait of one American family’s disintegration and coming back together. Rather than use a single narrator, Lamb gives voice to various characters, switching point of view from chapter to chapter. In this way we learn not only Annie’s story, but also ex-husband Orion’s and that of their children: Andrew, Ariane and Marissa. We also hear from some ancillary characters, including a neighbor and Annie’s cousin, Kent.
All these characters suffer trauma and loss, and struggle to find their way back to hope. They make poor decisions, or are targeted victims. But the various members of the Oh family also face tragic events and show resilience and courage in facing their futures.
There were some scenes that really bothered me, especially dealing with pedophilia and hate crimes. But we should be bothered by those kinds of events / issues and facing what makes us uncomfortable is part of the theme of this book. Frequently the characters refuse to face what is so distressing, choosing instead to hide behind alcohol or showing displaced rage or justifying their actions with weak arguments. But it is only when we confront our demons that we can conquer them.
The audio book is voiced by a variety of talented artists, including Wally Lamb (who voices Orion Oh). I found this very effective when listening, though I do wish the jacket of the playaway gave some clue as to which artist voiced which character. The only reason I know who Lamb portrayed was because the audio includes an author interview at the end.