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Eternal on the Water

by Joseph Monninger (Goodreads Author)

3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 · rating details · 918 ratings · 283 reviews

Cobb, a devoted teacher and nature-lover, takes a sabbatical from his New England boys prep school seeking to experience what Henry David Thoreau and the transcendentalists did in the early nineteenth century. Kayaking to the last known spot where the American writer and philosopher camped four years before he died, he encounters the beautiful free-spirited Mary. Also a te...more

Paperback, 368 pages

Published February 16th 2010 by Gallery Books

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Jun 13, 2010 Cleverly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Eternal on the Water was painfully beautiful. Joseph Monninger is an sublime writer. The book flowed even though nothing overly exciting happened. I stayed interested and tuned in through the whole book.
Jonathan Cobb and Mary Fury were lovable characters. I don't think there was a single character in this book that didn't immediately have a personality you couldn't relate to. Jonathan and Mary's Yeti love was one in a billion. Their journey together was heart-wrenching, joyous and enchanting. R...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Dana rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are no fast paced dramatic scenes in this book and every page turned slowly--because I didn't want to leave such beautiful scenes. The conversations between characters, the descriptions of nature's magic, all so lyrical and flowing. I adored every character in this book--not just Cobb and Mary, but their family members and friends as well. I felt like Googling these people, finding them, meeting them somehow...amazing. There are no words to describe the love story between Cobb and Mary and...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Susan for discovering this treasure. Despite its flaws the book completely held my attention and moved me deeply. As a great admirer of Henry David Thoreau, I'm happy to meet anyone, fictional character or otherwise, who shares my fascination with HDT. Monninger give us Jonathan Cobb, a prep-school teacher on sabbatical researching Thoreau's 1857 travels on the Allegash River. Cobb immediately meets Mary Fury, a biologist whose area of specialization is crows, of all things, yes, crows...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Barbara Nourse rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love love stories and this one is wonderful! And sad, and uplifting, and hearbreaking, and amazingly well written. I find it easy to read a story where characters are truly kind, interesting and thoughtful people who face challenges most of us would not have to face.
From the start we know that Mary dies. The story then begins with Cobb and Mary meeting as they each begin journeys by canoe on the Allagash River in Maine. She is a scientist studying crows, he a teacher in an elite, private scho...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Melissa Crytzer Fry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: wip-comps

There was much to love about this book – especially if you are a fan of heavy, thought-provoking fiction with vivid sensory detail. A love story at its core, this novel is narrated by a nature-loving teacher named Cobb and is steeped in scientific study of the natural sciences (just the right amount to keep the reader reading and to lend credibility to the various environmental themes).

Rooted in science and sprinkled with folklore, the novel spoke to my own environmentally sensitive side, featu...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Sasha Martinez added it

Shelves: books-read-in-2010

Monninger knew what he was doing. There are so many risks the author took in crafting this novel. The death of Mary Fury, right at the very first sentence, is just one. Another is the fact that this is an unabashed love story between two very lovely people—aren’t love stories the most difficult things to write, and to execute well? You’re either deemed too fantastical, or too girl-pornish (augh), or too sickly sweet.

But the risks paid off. Eternal on the Water is a lovely book, a love story. Yes...more Monninger knew what he was doing. There are so many risks the author took in crafting this novel. The death of Mary Fury, right at the very first sentence, is just one. Another is the fact that this is an unabashed love story between two very lovely people—aren’t love stories the most difficult things to write, and to execute well? You’re either deemed too fantastical, or too girl-pornish (augh), or too sickly sweet.

But the risks paid off. Eternal on the Water is a lovely book, a love story. Yes, nature and the good ol’ outdoors play a big role, but I liked it, given how much I uphold the values of my sedentary lifestyle. Yes, the novel is tragic, but it still leaves you with a smile on your face. I was rewarded by well-written characters—Cobb and Mary are people I want to be friends with. They’re quirky, and they’ve got good hearts, and the dialogue between the two had me grinning. It’s charming—and I came away with an extensive repertoire of terrible knock-knock jokes, thanks to Mary.

I started it one day, and when I flipped the last page hours later, I could do nothing but smile (and, yes, sigh a little). I can’t stress enough how happy I am that I spent those hours in the company of Monninger’s creation. I couldn’t bear to pause long enough to take notes. I was absorbed, I fell in love with the characters as they fell in love with each other. From that night when we are told—as everyone finds out—that Mary Fury’s body had been found, Jonathan Cobb tells his story. Not so much about how Mary died, how both of them suffered through the pain—more on how they fell in love with each other, and why it was so right. Why it’s perfectly okay to love despite knowing the bleakness of the future. There’s no Oh we will love now because shit’s going to hit the fan. The love is constant, the tragedy nearly incidental. Meaning, these people will love each other, no matter what comes their way, and they do. And I’m glad for that.

Does this novel have flaws? Of course it does. But I didn’t mind. In fact, I don’t think I remember them anymore. There might be many that would disagree with the character’s decisions. But I don’t care. I really don’t. I was swept into the story, and days later, having had time to think about it, I still don’t care. I don’t necessarily agree with how Cobb and Mary resolved things, but me agreeing or not never became relevant—because this is their story, I believed this was their story.

I read this at a good time, I am aware of that. Some of my cynicism had been scraped off when I got to this book, and I know that helped a lot: that I was willing to believe that ordinary people could be made extraordinary because of love, that I didn’t scoff when Cobb and Mary said something particularly sweet. I’m getting soft, aren’t I?

"In a universe, in a continent, in a country, in a state, in a county, on a river, in a small yellow boat," Mary says. That’s what the odds were, that a love like this could even exist. And I believe her.(less)

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Jul 17, 2011 Kendra rated it 3 of 5 stars

While this is not a book I might have picked up to read on my own, it was recommended by another mama friend who also does not have time to read, so we only share the cream of the crop with one another.

This is a love story with an expiration date...I hope that's not too much of a spoiler.

What I liked about this book: Mary, one of the main characters, is a biologist, specializing in crows, ravens and other birds from the family Corvidae. Natural history *and* mythology of these birds is interwov...more While this is not a book I might have picked up to read on my own, it was recommended by another mama friend who also does not have time to read, so we only share the cream of the crop with one another.

This is a love story with an expiration date...I hope that's not too much of a spoiler.

What I liked about this book: Mary, one of the main characters, is a biologist, specializing in crows, ravens and other birds from the family Corvidae. Natural history *and* mythology of these birds is interwoven into the story, and Mary herself is a memorable character because of her passion for these creatures in all of their forms and manifestations in the wilderness and in various cultures. I also enjoyed the tales of the Chungamunga girls, a camp/kayak experience for a very specific population of girls that brought me back to my days attending girl scout camp and going on 7-day backpacking and canoe trips in the wild north of Michigan. I felt homesick for our own Camp Linden as I read the sections of the book dedicated to the girls' adventures in the book. I liked Mary and cared for her and liked her family as well. I would like to have known the character before she became a Chungamunga girl and find out if she was always so perfect or if her personality resulted from her experiences and her predicament...

and that leads in to what I did not like about the book: while she was certainly a likeable and unique character, somehow she is too perfect, her interactions with everyone are too perfect, and the other characters (other than her brother, who is in one section of the book) are unidimensional and as a result, she lacks dimension. The foreshadowing in the beginning of the book and the entire narrative is akin to an over-produced Lifetime Network for Women movie, or a Jodi Picoult book - actually the writing was very similar to Jodi's - create an entirely likeable character, create a perfectly perfect narrative around the character's life with some perfectly perfect quirks, using some decent writing skill, except for one (literally) fatal flaw and use that flaw to create tension in the novel. Step two is to tell the story in a way that foreshadows the tension in the beginning and then tie it all up neatly in a bow at the end. This book is not in the same genre as Picoult, as it is mainly a romantic story. The writing is good but somehow not that memorable. Oh, and the love scenes made me feel all squirmy and after the first few (yes there are more than just a few, I just hopped over them). There are some memorable quotes from the book and some interchanges between the characters that were poignant but somehow not balanced.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who would like a fast read for an airplane ride or a beach read, or to someone who likes Nicholas Sparks (I've never read his books, but this is what I think they must be like from various descriptions of "The Notebook" and from the chunks of the movie version of "Nights in Rodanthe" I've caught here and there while trying to find a movie to watch.) While it lacks dimension, I do believe that the author was trying to tell the story through his characters, and succeeded in this.(less)

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Dec 29, 2010 Michele Casper rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, overrated

I'm conflicted about this book. It was recommended by one reviewer as the one book she would want with her if she were "stranded on a desert island". On the one hand, it really is beautifully written. It takes place mostly with nature as the backdrop, and is told from the perspective of a Thoreau-loving professor (what's not to like there?) On the other hand, it's one of those "soul-mate" romances, complete with intimate scenes that most people find completely acceptable. but that I would rather...more

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Mar 27, 2010 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, recommended, barnes-and-noble-first-look, book-club

Firstly let me warn you that this book actually begins before Chapter One. I grabbed this book one evening and flipped to Chapter One, started reading, and loved it. Then about halfway through the book I checked into the Barnes & Noble discussion on it, and I found that they were asking how the readers felt about knowing in the beginning of the book that Mary would die. Know? I had sort of figured out that it was gonna happen, but they made it sound as if it had played out in the beginning o...more Firstly let me warn you that this book actually begins before Chapter One. I grabbed this book one evening and flipped to Chapter One, started reading, and loved it. Then about halfway through the book I checked into the Barnes & Noble discussion on it, and I found that they were asking how the readers felt about knowing in the beginning of the book that Mary would die. Know? I had sort of figured out that it was gonna happen, but they made it sound as if it had played out in the beginning of the book. What was that all about? I flipped back to the very beginning of the book, and lo and behold! Before Chapter One even begins there was an unlabeled Preface that I had missed, and it did indeed begin with Mary's death. Well, that changed things a little! (So don't do like me and miss the preface!)

The book starts out with Cobb telling the story of the events leading up to Mary's death. He reminisces over the day they met and their life together.

They met when Cobb decided to kayak down the Allagash in an attempt to trace Thoreau's path. Their meeting seems fated from the beginning. They fall fast and hard into love, and their lives are lived fast and easy as they realize that there is a timeclock ticking. Mary is out to lead a full and complete life in an abbreviated amount of time, and she does it quite well. When it is time to leave, she does so with no regrets and a peaceful mind.

You get to know the wonderful support system of extensive friends and family of Cobb and Mary. The student that becomes something of a surrogate son to the childless couple. You feel their love for life and nature and adventure, and you are happy to be along with them on their ride.

I loved this story, tragic as it may be. I thought that the ending was beautiful, and the last 30 pages or so had me boo-hooing much of the time. The way that her family and friends supported her decision to leave this life when she had reached a point where the quality of life was lacking and she was becoming more of a "burden" to those she loved, and her proclamation that it was "time", was touching. There's a soft, ethereal cadence that softened the blow of the harsh realities of the story. I would strongly recommend this lovely tale of love and life and death.(less)

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Mar 08, 2010 Amy Meyer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Eternal on the Water is the story of two people falling in love after meeting unexpectedly on the bank of the Allagash River the evening before they planned to kayak down the river. There is a connection, a bond between Jonathan Cobb and Mary Fury the moment they meet which they cannot ignore. So strong is their connection that a couple they have dinner with a day later thinks they have been together for years. But this is more than a love story. It is a story about truth and consequences, about...more Eternal on the Water is the story of two people falling in love after meeting unexpectedly on the bank of the Allagash River the evening before they planned to kayak down the river. There is a connection, a bond between Jonathan Cobb and Mary Fury the moment they meet which they cannot ignore. So strong is their connection that a couple they have dinner with a day later thinks they have been together for years. But this is more than a love story. It is a story about truth and consequences, about freedom and beliefs, about commitment, loyalty and beauty.

A short time after they meet, Mary tells Cobb (she calls Jonathan Cobb by his last name) a startling secret and one that would make some men run as fast as their legs can carry them. Cobb asks some questions for clarification and to settle his thoughts and emotions. He also agrees to some of Mary's long-term difficult and painful but necessary (for her), plans. But he stays right by her side. He couldn't walk away from Mary even if he wanted to because now that he's met her he cannot imagine his life without her. Mary's secret troubles Cobb because of it's possible impact on their future. Cobb, like Mary, decides to make the best of everyday they have together.

The characters make this story. Cobb serves as the narrator. We learn quite a bit about Mary and Cobb's life with Mary but as much about Cobb. Mary and Cobb are kind, loving, like-able people. Mary has always loved the outdoors and nature. She grew up to become a scientist and a teacher with nature as her laboratory and corvids her life blood. She's been fascinated by them, and crows in particular, since she was young. She studies corvids and researches their life and world. Mary is honest and charming with a quirky sense of humor. Her enthusiasm for life and her active imagination make every day a new adventure with her. Her love for Cobb is clear as is his love for her. It's as if their life started anew the day they met.

Cobb, a teacher at a prep school is more reserved than Mary with a tendency to sit-back, watch and observe. When they first meet, Cobb is on sabbatical from school and is researching and following Thoreau's trip down the Allagash and his travels in Maine.
Cobb shares Mary's love of the outdoors and the simple life beckons both. Over the course of the novel, they teach each other life-long lessons as well as little things about each other, other people and the world.

Nature is more than a backdrop in this story, it serves as a major character. Mary and Cobb spend more time outdoors than in enjoying it's bounty. The great outdoors is beautiful, honest and open, without pretension or airs. It teaches Cobb and Mary about life and shows them how to cope during the difficult times, how to ride out the pain and how to celebrate the joy and beauty of their life. The Allagash River, where Mary and Cobb meet, is their favorite body of water. It exemplifies the ups and downs of their life together, the joys and sorrows, the struggles they encounter as well as the many happy days they have together. Mary and Cobb set up their home in the heart of quaint New England and marvel at the passing of the seasons. They travel to the beaches of Indonesia and strengthen their bond in the warmth of the sun's rays and the calm, sparkling, blue water. They spend many days enjoying the rugged beauty of Yellowstone National Park while Mary studies the crows and they learn about wolves. And the rugged beauty of Maine, their second home, is part of them. It was there in the beginning and will be their in the end.

Joseph Monninger has written a beautiful story that still swirls in and out of my thoughts more than 10 days after I finished reading it. This book begins with the ending to the story which I found a little disconcerting, at first, but the positive, jubilant bend of the tale draws you in, only occasionally reminding you of the coming ending. Eternal on the Water is filled with symbolism that enhances Mary and Cobb's story. There are several mythological tales and folklore which underscores the lessons this story offers the readers. I think for those of us interested in hearing it, this story teaches us about life and love and how to live joyfully. I expect parts of this story will be with me forever. Eternal on the Water is a touching, compassionate love story and a captivating story about living and enjoying a life of simplicity and beauty.
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Feb 02, 2010 Lynda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm really torn when reviewing this novel because it certainly has the potential to be amazing but in a couple of areas I believed it fell a little short.

First of all, there is the tragic story told in the prologue. It reveals the ending and the reader is drawn into the story to determine the specifics regarding the death. A clever device because it invests the reader immediatly otherwise there is little pizzazz to keep the reader interested. Secondly, there is Mary. She is too perfect and perh...more

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Jan 28, 2010 Ziaria rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book grabbed my attention from page one and it never let go, not once.

I instantly loved Mary and Cobb, The Chungamunga Girls, Wally, Francis, Turtle Freddy, their parents. I even enjoyed all the smaller characters that were a part of Mary and Cobb's journey through their life together. I thought Joseph did a wonderful job telling Mary's story of living with Huntington's disease. I think the disease and it's effects were told with compassion by Joseph.

On top of the amazing love story, there...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kristen-picks

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 18, 2010 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, owned

I wasn't expecting to like this book. I got an advance reader copy but didn't remember signing up to receive this particular book. When I got it, I read the back and thought "Eh, whatever." Today, I ran out of things to read and I picked it back up and read it straight through. I fell in love with the characters and the beautiful descriptions of national parks. Mary's love of life is something one generally hears about in novels of this genre, but it is rarely brought to life with such ease as M...more

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Feb 20, 2010 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is beautifully written - the prose is simple but artful in its simplicity. There is a lyricism in the writing that is difficult to articulate in a review - as a reader, I felt that I was gently carried through the novel. Below is an example of the simplicity of the writing:

"The boy's breathing had been unsteady for the past two hours. Air had become more difficult for the boy to find."

By saying air was "difficult to find", the author allowed me to visualize the boy struggling to breat...more
This book is beautifully written - the prose is simple but artful in its simplicity. There is a lyricism in the writing that is difficult to articulate in a review - as a reader, I felt that I was gently carried through the novel. Below is an example of the simplicity of the writing:

"The boy's breathing had been unsteady for the past two hours. Air had become more difficult for the boy to find."

By saying air was "difficult to find", the author allowed me to visualize the boy struggling to breathe without saying it so plainly. There are many other such examples throughout the novel.

The storyline is poignant but relatively simple and there are no sudden turns in the plot - in fact, the book opens with Mary's death so you really already know how it ends before you begin. Yet, despite that, I was completely drawn in and enjoyed every moment of Mary and Cobb's story. I was honestly surprised by how much their story captivated me - there is no background provided about either Mary or Cobb before they meet so you are not invested in them as individuals at all before they meet and fall in love. They fall in love immediately and are discussing futures including the possibility of children within two days of their initial meeting. I am not a romantic by any definition of the word - I can be logical to a fault at times and I struggle to understand love at first sight. I cannot imagine falling so quickly and completely for another person and yet I loved Mary and Cobb's story - I credit the author's skill in subtly telling their story with my ability to set aside logic and just fall along with Mary and Cobb.

Mary and Cobb's relationship faces a challenge - Mary knows she will likely develop Huntington's disease which is progressively debilitating and ultimately fatal. Having watched her father die a horrible death at the hand of this disease, Mary has strong feelings about living life fully and exerting some control over her own death. The specter of her death and the hand she expects Cobb to play at the end of her life challenges the reader to consider important questions - would I choose to live my life differently knowing for certain that I would not live a long life? How does one summon the strength to make difficult end of life decisions?

This book has it all - a beautifully told love story, scenery spanning from Maine to Indonesia and it challenges you to consider life's big questions. I absolutely loved this novel and the emotional ride I took with Mary and Cobb.(less)

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Jun 23, 2010 Jodi rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think I would have liked this book a little more if the author didn't go off on animal stories and keep trying to tie those stories into the characters lives. Once in awhile was fine, but I felt like it went on too often in the book and I found myself skimming those paragraphs. I truly liked the main characters. Mary was an inspiration to me and I wish I could live my life more like she does. I love how she did everything with gusto and never held back. I liked Cobb even more. He never tried t...more

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May 13, 2013 Crystal rated it 2 of 5 stars

Honestly, this is a good book, but just not the sort of book that I look for at this time in my life. This book was good in the sense that the author was able to begin the book with the ending and still have me interested enough to finish the book in order to see how precisely everything panned out. I enjoyed his style of writing. I don't come across books that often that are able to tell a full story with pages largely filled with fragmented sentences. It was also really a beautiful love story;...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Trudy rated it 3 of 5 stars

You had me at Ranger Joan. I've only just started the book, but already I love it. Yeti love, crow stories, people who are really bears and you can smell honey on them, Chungamunga girls. I only regret that I must stop reading for the moment and live my life! To be continued...
Losing me a little. What's with all the kissing? And the improbable plot lines? Hypothermia in the wilderness? No biggie. I don't get how the Indonesia part serves the plot. Okay, she saves an Indonesian child from dying o...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Eagleeye rated it 1 of 5 stars

First of all, yes I liked this book. I was pulled into the love story right away, and just kept reading. This book also made me feel profoundly sad at times. It tugged at that basic desire in me (and I imagine in most people) to truly experience connections with nature. This is why the love story worked for me, it was so intertwined with a love for nature. But I have to say, this book is a lot more than just a love story. Its underlying themes of naturalism and voluntary euthanasia and assisted...more

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Jan 27, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

At first glance, I wasn't sure that this was a book for me. But once I started, I could not put it down. Yes, the novel is romantic, heartbreaking, and a bit controversial, but it is more than the sum of these parts. The characters were built with care - and although the relationship between Cobb and Mary starts off running, readers always feel as if the two are being true to themselves.

The novel explores the idea that crafting meaning in your own life involves love and risk - and so might the...more

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Jan 28, 2010 Milka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-during-2010

Cobb and Mary. From the second they meet each other they know they are destined to be together. They really are quite perfect to each other; both teachers, both passionate about something and at the moment they meet, both going to the same direction.

The story begins by foreshadowing what is going to happen in the end; Mary is going to die. Cobb starts to tell the story about their love to a ranger and that way the reader gets to know the story as well. I really liked the way Monninger starts up...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: outdoors

I'll answer a few questions from the discussion section of the book to serve as my review. This is not a book I picked up because I just had to read it, It was 3 bucks, I was in a pinch, & just went with it (:

Some of the questions are a little of out reach for me, call me stupid but I wont/cant answer them, at least not right now.

6. The end was ok, I expected it to be more dramatic, maybe I didn't read it in the right quiet kind of setting to let it sink in & get emotional with it but ma...more I'll answer a few questions from the discussion section of the book to serve as my review. This is not a book I picked up because I just had to read it, It was 3 bucks, I was in a pinch, & just went with it (:

Some of the questions are a little of out reach for me, call me stupid but I wont/cant answer them, at least not right now.

6. The end was ok, I expected it to be more dramatic, maybe I didn't read it in the right quiet kind of setting to let it sink in & get emotional with it but maybe it it hand't started with the ending it might have had more impact. Knowing there was death in the first page almost made me put the book down.

13. I dont know how she could take her own life. I don't & hope I never have a deteriorating disease like that but killing your self is no admission to Heaven. I know they were religious people but it plays a part in my answer. I know she was doing what she loves but how can you ask your husband to help you kill yourself? He obviously knew from the beginning that it's what she wanted but don't you think after years of a whirlwind romance you would change it? "hey hun, gotta help me die today, & dont back out!" Uhh, sorry. I would never ask my husband to do that no matter what I may have said in the beginning.

14. Only answering part of this question. No I did not find the evolution of Cobb & Mary's love realistic. Talking about having children & 10 years down the road the very first night they met. It's love stories like this that mess up the real world for the rest of us. These unrealistic expectations get put into our minds & we are crushed when it doesn't go this way. I do however think it was beautifully written for a man. I was also glad that Mary never seemed manly as some female writers end up making their male characters sound like women.

I feel like the questions I answered helped me sum up how I feel about the book. It was good but I will be able to trade it in at the used book store & get on with my life. I felt no emotional connection to any of the characters & I dont feel like I will find myself thinking about them any time soon. I did however love that Mary was described as an L.L. Bean model, because that's how I aspire to dress (:(less)

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Apr 28, 2010 Jinny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 09-2010-reads, fiction-north-american

This was a poignant read, especially because I have something in common with Cobb: falling in love with and marrying an amazing person with a fatal illness. For this reason, the portrayal of Mary didn’t seem sentimental or unrealistic. As “Eternal on the Water” says, when you meet someone like Mary Fury, you know you’ve met someone. Joseph Monninger’s choice of the surname “Fury” for Mary speaks not of anger but energy, movement, and power – so fitting for her character and approach to living.

O...more This was a poignant read, especially because I have something in common with Cobb: falling in love with and marrying an amazing person with a fatal illness. For this reason, the portrayal of Mary didn’t seem sentimental or unrealistic. As “Eternal on the Water” says, when you meet someone like Mary Fury, you know you’ve met someone. Joseph Monninger’s choice of the surname “Fury” for Mary speaks not of anger but energy, movement, and power – so fitting for her character and approach to living.

One review printed on the book’s cover calls the work a “touching love story immersed in the beautiful simplicity of nature,” and another says, “there’s a touching grandeur to the story.” While I agree with both, the story does much more than touch. It wrenches. It pushes. It pulls. It convinces the reader that there’s such a thing as living “pedal down.” It makes you want to see life as the every-bit-is-precious thing that Mary does, and let nothing get in the way of that experience – not your own failing body and mind, or the slow decline of another who is, literally, our life, and who has taught us how to live.

Cobb’s commitment at the book’s beginning to ride the Allagash rapids is a great metaphor for the journey he’ll take once he meets Mary – frightening, exhilarating, unpredictable, full of promise…Rough waters, calm waters – learning to navigate, feeling every cell alive. For me, this passage (spoken by Mary during a story about crows) said it all about Cobb’s choice to be with her: “…the thing he loved most cost him his life,” and later, “…Would you die for beauty? Was [Madrid:] mistaken in the end to give himself entirely to one perfect thing? Or was his death a death we should all hope for?”

I LOVED the Chungamunga girls – “gangly moose girls,” as Cobb called them ….their identity, their courage, their doing things they “couldn’t” do, their solidarity…and most of all, the way they brought out the best in others. My late husband said once to me, of being part of a group of others who all had illnesses, "With them, I don't feel like damaged goods." No comparisons. Just belonging and acceptance.

Also enjoyed the author’s portrayal of Mary as both a scientist and a teller of tales, a purveyor of things mythical. It’s easy to see why Cobb, Freddy, Wally, Annie and John, Francis and others love her.

This book left me wondering if the author has ever been in a situation like the one he portrays here. He did a good job.
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Jan 25, 2010 thewanderingjew rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book shines a light on true love and the courage necessary to face life and death.
It is a beautiful but tragic tale, described as a love story by the author. For me, it was more than that. It was a journey about survival, about facing life threatening challenges, about dealing with impending doom. The author's writing style is very easy to read. With a spare use of words, he paints really sharp and often extremely descriptive images. I felt as if I was in the setting and knew the characters...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cheeeeesy-romance, heartstring-pullers, strong-female-characters

I picked up a bunch of books from the bargain rack recently, and most of them were there for a reason. Eternal on the Water, however, was a complete surprise and I think it must have been discounted by accident. Certainly by someone who hasn't read it. It is a gorgeous piece of fiction, and I am glad I stumbled upon it.

Monninger's prose easily evokes a mental image of some of the most beautiful places I've ever read. As a huge fan of nature, I loved the way he wrote about woods and animals and...more

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Jan 26, 2010 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, read-in-2010

From page one this book took me in and really held me. At first I was a little leery thinking it was going to be a very depressing book. Boy was I wrong! Mary, one of the main characters is found dead in the Allagash River. I wanted to know why. I like how Joseph Monninger gave us the ending right off the bat and then took us back through the whole story of how Mary met Jonathan Cobb and how they came to be a couple. The story just flows wonderfully just like the river which plays an important r...more

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Jan 29, 2010 Lydia Presley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, fiction, arc

I received my ARC copy of Eternal on the Water a few days ago and was excited about being able to be included in the first group of people to read the book.

However, the story just didn't live up to what I thought it would be. This is the story of Jonathan Cobb and Mary Fury, a woman who has Huntington's Disease. It's the story of their relationship and includes all sorts of descriptions relating to nature; crows and turtles being two prominent figures.

What I didn't like about the book was that...more

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Jan 28, 2010 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2010

"Eternal on the Water", by Joseph Monninger, is destined to become a classic in it's own rite. It is a beautiful story of love and desire to live life to the fullest.
Monninger takes the New England rustic area and gives us a look through the eyes of Mary and Cobb, as they find each other fall in love and live life to it's fullest. There's no looking back as these two show that life can be great, if only we allow it to be. The story initially takes place on the Allagash River in Maine, where Ma...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Maria Hooley rated it 5 of 5 stars

This really is an amazing book. I absolutely loved the characters, and for 344 pages, I felt like I'd lived with them for so long because the author put so much thought into what details to share and how to construct their lives to make it matter.

It's so hard to write about death and avoid the maudlin, but Monninger is very skillful in that regard. It's not about pity just an understanding that this life ends so that the journey for the person can continue, and I really liked the way the philoso...more

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Feb 06, 2010 Sheree rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, read-in-2010, reviews, general-fiction, arc

Eternal on the Water is a beautiful, graceful, sad, whimsical, funny, joyful story and I absolutely fell in love with it. As I came to the last few chapters I read slower and slower not just because I knew I'd cry buckets at the ending but because I wanted to savour the feelings this story evoked. It's a book about 'Yeti' love, about life and really living it.

"... Yeti love. You never expect to see it, but you've heard it's out there and it might just be a legend. But you keep looking for it any...more Eternal on the Water is a beautiful, graceful, sad, whimsical, funny, joyful story and I absolutely fell in love with it. As I came to the last few chapters I read slower and slower not just because I knew I'd cry buckets at the ending but because I wanted to savour the feelings this story evoked. It's a book about 'Yeti' love, about life and really living it.

"... Yeti love. You never expect to see it, but you've heard it's out there and it might just be a legend. But you keep looking for it anyway."

"You don't value a fire any less because someday it will go out."

I don't want to give too much away because this is truly a book you have to experience yourself to appreciate its beauty. Joseph Monninger begins Eternal on the Water with the ending but I can tell you that knowing the ending and seeing the ending play out, are two very different things. Mary and Cobb felt real to me, more than characters in a book, and when you're emotionally invested & connected taking the journey with them is so much more than just ... knowing. This story reinforces my belief in the well known quote "it's the journey that matters, not the destination."

Monninger's storytelling is a gift, the vivid imagery, the beautiful descriptions of nature, the quirky myths & tales of bears and crows, put you right in the moment. I don't even like crows and yet I found myself captivated by Mary's enthusiasm and love for corvids (crows & ravens.) This story would not be what it is without the Chungamunga girls, and even though I can't explain their significance without giving away spoilers, they play an integral part, both heartwarming and heartwrenching. I'm sure each person reading Eternal on the Water will take something different from the seamless blend of laughter, tears, joy, and sadness and I'm sure my review can't possibly do this story justice, so please read it yourself and decide.

Eternal on the Water touched my heart and the story has stayed with me long after the last page was turned. It invites you to believe in love at first sight, it inspires you to celebrate life, to value each and every moment, to live each day to the fullest and find joy in the simple things. It's one of those special stories you want everyone to love, just as much as you do.
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About Joseph Monninger

Joseph Monninger has published eleven novels and three non-fiction books. His work has appeared in American Heritage, Scientific American, Readers Digest, Glamour, Playboy, Story, Fiction, The Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated and Ellery Queen, among other publications. He has twice received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and has also received a fellowship from the New Hampshi...more Joseph Monninger has published eleven novels and three non-fiction books. His work has appeared in American Heritage, Scientific American, Readers Digest, Glamour, Playboy, Story, Fiction, The Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated and Ellery Queen, among other publications. He has twice received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and has also received a fellowship from the New Hampshire Council for the Arts. His young adult novel, Baby, was awarded the 2008 award for best children’s literature from the Peace Corps Writers. It was also chosen as a top ten book by YALSA, the American Library Association. The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s’ Books awarded Hippie Chick, a young adult novel, a blue ribbon for a top book of 2008.

Joseph Monninger grew up in Westfield, New Jersey and attended Temple University on a football scholarship. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso, from 1975-77. He has been a licensed New Hampshire Fishing Guide and has fly-fished from New Zealand to Wyoming’s Wind River Range. He lives with his wife, Wendy, and his son, Justin, in a converted barn near New Hampshire’s Baker River. For several years his family competed in the New England Sled Dog sprint races and ran a small sled dog business in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Laika and Willow, two sled dogs, live in happy retirement with them.

As a teacher at one time or another at the University of New Hampshire, the Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island, The American International School in Vienna, and at Plymouth State University, Joseph Monninger has spent thirty years in classrooms. During the summers he directed academic enrichment programs at Williams and Amherst Colleges. He led student groups on bicycle tours across Europe, sailed the Whitsunday Islands near the Great Barrier Reef, and worked on community service projects in Montserrat, West Indies and on the Crow Reservation in Montana. He has taken a mail boat across the southern edge of Newfoundland and, as a young man, hitch-hiked across the United States three times.

His latest novel, Eternal on the Water, will be published by Pocketbooks in February 2010.

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“In a universe, on a continent, in a country, in a state, in a county, on a river, in a small yellow boat,' I said. 'That's what Mary used to say to explain the odds of us meeting. And you have to be born in roughly the same period. Those are the odds. And probably you need to speak the same language.'-- Cobb” — 2 people liked it

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