Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Three generations of women come together in this 'rural noir' novel. Hermine 'Herself' is the matriarch who provides herbal medicine to the townsfolk. She has 3 daughters, and raises a granddaughter nicknamed Donkey who is the the primary narrator of this story. Donkey and Herself live on a remote island, and this story is mostly about how Donkey's mother, Rose Thorn, comes back into their lives.

One on hand, I was mesmerized and didn't want to put the book down. On the other hand, there were spots where it dragged on and it felt like it took me a long time to read this. The townsfolk can be grating, especially the men who seem to all feel ownership of Rose Thorn. There are multiple scenes of animal violence. I also had absolutely no clue what time period this book was set in, which bothered me. But the main characters were interesting, and there were subtle twists revealed throughout, which I enjoyed.

The beautiful cover of this book drew me in, the women of the Great Massasauga Swamp held me captive. Isolated on an island in rural Michigan swamp land, Hermine (Herself) raised her daughters and granddaughter while helping the people of Whiteheart with her healing tonics. The story starts slow but picks up midway. One of the things I liked about this book is the southern fiction vibe it has. Life on the island has an old-time feel in a modern world. The downside was that the book felt long, and I sometimes struggled to continue reading. Thanks to the author Bonnie Jo Campbell. W. W. Norton & Company, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Waters, by Bonnie Jo Campbell, is a lovely book! The cover, the setting, and the story are all beautiful.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC ebook I read to complete this review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have a feeling I will be in the minority on this one, but I just can’t finish this book - the dialogue, the way the men leer and act as if they’re not, the way this is so over-written makes me cringe. Sorry, this one is not for me.

Rose Cottage sat in the middle of a marsh; the home of Herself. She made herbal remedies for the people of Whiteheart, Michigan. She had raised three girls; her biological daughter, Molly, a doctor; the foundling Primrose, a lawyer in California; and Rose Thorne, the most beautiful and charismatic, but laziest, of all. Then, there was Rose Thorne’s daughter Dorothy, nicknamed Donkey because she had been raised on donkey milk.

Rose Thorne and Titus Jr. are in love, but she will not marry him, for she cannot share the secret of Donkey’s birth with him. She has been away for almost two years, living with Primrose in California. Donkey badly misses her mother.

Donkey has spent her life in the marsh. She has never been to school or been around menfolk. Herself draws up the bridge to the mainland at night. Donkey’s huge heart and attachment to animals, makes her prone to choices that do not end well.

The marsh is home to Mississauga rattlesnakes and mosquitos and wild plants and flowers. the women keep two donkeys and a goat and chickens, and forage the marsh. They have everything they need.

The townspeople both depend on Herself’s cures and fear her strange witchy ways. Men sometimes shoot their guns towards the hidden cottage. When the charismatic Rose Thorne returns home, she attracts the townsfolk around her, and they build bonfires at night and bring out alcohol and instruments, partying all night long.

Donkey does not know the hidden history of her family. Why Herself sent away a beloved husband. Why Primrose moved so far away. The identity of her father. And why her mother keeps leaving and won’t marry Titus Jr. But she knows she looks like Titus Jr. and longs for them to marry, to have a father at last.

There are threats all around. The marsh and farm land has been polluted by chemicals, new cancers have arisen that Herself cannot cure. The marsh is haunted by a ghost. And some menfolk fear and hate Herself, and loathe her ministrations to solve women’s burdens and problems.

The novel reads like a dark fairy tale and spools out like a suspense thriller, but with deep explorations into the characters inner thoughts and motivations. Ominous threats are ever present; you expect an inevitable tragedy to take place. And tragedies do happen, and have happened, losses and changes and revelations that alter Donkey’s life.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

There are five women in this story, three daughters, a mother and a granddaughter. They have lived on a small island off Michigan in the swamp. The mother, Herself Zook, is the local "natural doctor" for the people that live in the area, providing healing tonics from the land. Herself is now older, all three of her daughters have abandoned her to the island, and one has even dumped her own daughter to live with the mother. The granddaughter is learning the practice, her place in the family and the family history from her grandmother.

Labeled as "rural noir", a category that I did not realize existed but definitely is an accurate descriptions of the natural and wild world of the island and its inhabitants. This family of women live in their own kingdom which the world outside does not understand.

The story dragged a bit and was hard to engage in initially. I struggled to keep reading so I give this one 3 stars.

An engaging, compelling, energizing story about women and the men who surround them. Set in a rural area, the trials and tests the ladies endure are different than those in urban areas. The Waters mixes in some magical realism and several love stories for a captivating read.

Thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A southern gothic tale that’s sure to please readers who love both these genres. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

Rural Noir! I actually did not know there was a genre called rural noir but it fits this story very well.
When we meet Hermine "Herself" Zook we learned that her healing has changed quite a bit to reflect her point of view of life. Once welcoming and open, herself is now a force to be reckoned with. Her three lovely daughters have ruled the area with their beauty. Dorothy, her grandchild who goes by Donk/ey run wild on the island and much of her coming of age takes place in this story. But like all noir tales and most rural novels, there is a sinister edge to the nature, the working men and the ways that people deal with poverty and disappointment. A beautiful and lyrical story for all rural tale lovers ! #TheWaters #BonnieJoCampbell #WWnorton

Once a month I decide I want to live on an island or a mountain or a tundra with no men. We call it cabin week.
This was a wonderful cabin week read.
I love the part about the 17 cats getting loose and them finding 18.
It is beautiful, sad, and bitter sweet.
I love the setting.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A family of women navigate their lives in a community that doesn't understand their ways.

I am a sucker for books set in Michigan, so I requested this one without knowing too much about it. Snakes freak me out and I can't handle anything involving animals getting hurt, so I'm truly amazed that I made it through this one (though I did have to skip a few pages here and there). Sometimes the story was really beautiful, but at other times I found myself thinking it needed to get on with it already. I also wanted more from the epilogue other than brief snippets from Titus Clay Junior's POV. After that whole journey I felt like I was owed a little bit more information at the end.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In a time when American women seem to be losing their rights and power, this book was like taking a hit of pure oxygen. Women hold the ultimate power and knowledge on an island in a Michigan swamp. Local wise woman Hermine Zook, or “Herself” has cared for the women of the area for years, she’s both feared and respected by the locals and her own family of women. Left by Herself’s daughter, Rose to raise, Dorothy, or Donkey as she’s called is a true wild child. Wandering the island, Donkey wonders about her parentage while trying to understand the world’s mysteries with the help of nature and a math book. Of course, no ideal feminine world will be allowed to exist on its own, and men with bad intentions soon enter the swamp. How the women of the Great Massasauga Swamp deal with that violence left me feeling better than I have in a long time. An exhilarating read