Story in Review: “The Color of Water in July” by Nora Carroll

Every now again, a book comes along that surprises you. The Color of Water in July: A Novel by Nora Carroll certainly surprised me.

I downloaded this as a free kindle book back in July of 2013. The title intrigued me, a July-baby, and the cover was well done: interesting without being crowded. It didn’t take long to read, as the pace was really quick. I actually wish the novel had been longer and more-fleshed out.

The main character, Jess, is called back to Michigan to update and sell a lake cottage that has been left to her at her grandmother’s passing. While her goal is to sell out, take the money, and move on as fast as possible, memories of her last summer there and an unfinished timeline of events causes her to dig a little deeper into the family history to discover why that summer ended the way that it did. The story is a delightful touch of mystery and romance, as well as a short love note to the great outdoors of Michigan.

The narration of the story is multifaceted. The story flips back and forth between points of view and characters. The overall story is split between third-person narration of the life of 34-year-old Jess and 17-year old Jess, intermingling the two ages throughout the story. There are also sections that read like diary entries or letters from her Grandmother, Mamie. Between the three different segments, the mystery of the novel unfolds at just the right rate: you get enough information to keep you hooked, but not enough to give away the ending too soon.

My overall complaint with the book is that while the plot is full and interesting, the overall feel of the book is rushed. The character development isn’t as deep as it could be: I want to know more about the people and why they are acting the way they are. Also, the ending wraps quickly: too quickly. There is this great build up and then – BAM! – epilogue. I wanted the author to spend a little more time on the big reveal.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“There must be a precise moment when wet cement turns dry, when it no longer accepts footprints, or scratched in declarations of love; an ordinary moment, unnoticed, just like any. But in that moment, the facts of a life can change.”

“Up in Michigan, the summer is brief, crowded between two ends of a desolate northern winter.”

“What if four generations of women kept coming back and living their lives and depositing their stuff: old letters, telegraph receipts, photos … Then, couldn’t it be, that the house itself became the family story?”

” … the color of water in July—all of promise wrapped up in it, and every disappointment too.”

What made this a good story? The plot: I think Carroll takes the old stand-by of “summer love” and family secrets and really creates something a bit unique and very entertaining. The people: the hints of the characters that you do get are sympathetic and relate-able. I can see Grandma Mamie sitting at her table at the club. I can see Jess stealing out of the cottage and through the woods to a party. I just wish I could see more of them.

What could have made it a better story? My hunch is that this was a self-published novel. While I have nothing against a self-pub, I think Carroll’s work could have gone from good to great with the help of a developmental and line editor. Once again, the plot was great – the overall feeling of the work was just unsatisfying.

I have decided that this book is a fun “summer read” – and there were a few true gems of writing tucked in the corners – but that it could have been so much better with some more in-depth character development and a more evenly paced plot.

Trigger Warning: There is reference to rape and multiple scenes in which a woman miscarries a baby.

 What do you think? Have you read The Color of Water in July? Do you wish it were longer?

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