The Well by Catherine Chanter / Reviewed by Kyla Marlin
Killer Nashville Book of the Day
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Catherine Chanter, Author
Catherine Chanter’s debut novel, The Well, is nothing short of spectacular. With words that flow as easy and as magical as in author Alice Hoffman’s novels, I was beyond impressed. This novel had me from the mysterious and gut-wrenching beginning to the thrilling end.
Ruth Ardingly is just an ordinary, 40-something grandmother, who is struggling to keep her marriage alive after a scandal involving her husband, Mark, and child pornography charges. Although Mark is found innocent, the couple struggles with the aftermath of bad publicity within their community.
Seeking refuge from the discomfort and scrutiny of London life, a pervasive drought overtaking the country, and her touch-and-go drug addict daughter and grandson, Mark and Ruth seek sanctuary at an oasis… a farm called, The Well.
The Well is seemingly untouched by the drought that grips the rest of the country. It remains fruitful, vibrant, and green. This seemingly magical farm strikes jealousy and hate in the hearts of their neighbors and fellow townspeople. And while Ruth and Mark make strides towards salvaging their marriage, they soon encounter mounting challenges from the death of their grandson to people who perceive the farm as either scandalous or magical.
Soon public knowledge of this oasis soars and The Sisters of Jericho, a group of women who have created a female-based religion that worships The Rose and its power over the rain and the earth, flock to The Well, and create even more havoc for Ruth and her family.
With religious overtones that capture the heart and the mind, Chanter takes you on a whirlwind adventure with a woman who believes in hope for a better life and finding faith in something no one can explain. In the meantime, she toils for a better future with her husband and her daughter, and to find the truth of who killed her grandson.
I highly recommend this novel for anyone seeking mystery, thrills, struggle, and murder. This novel will bring you hope, tug on your heartstrings, and make you feel the struggle of guilt, grief, and acceptance.
5 out of 5 stars!
Kyla Marlin is a quirky and awkward post-grad of ETSU who writes obituaries for the Johnson City Press by day and poetry for her blog meanderingsatmidnight.wordpress.com by night. She is just an average post-grad trying to navigate the confusing path of adulthood whilst becoming an expert in the art of chips/salsa paired with wine.
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