Wide Is the Water

Purchas Family #4

by Hodge

Mercy Leggett Purchis is separated from her husband Hart, who, following the Revolutionary War, is interned by the British at his cousins' Sussex estate

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, American Revolutionary War, American Revolution, Suspense

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1981

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Aiken Hodge is one of my favourite authors. This book lives up to her reputation as a masterful story teller. It has been a great many years since I read "The Judas Flowering" that I hardly remember it and didn't realise "Wide is the Water" is a sequel until I was well into it. Then it dawned on me why bits of the past appeared to be glossed over as if the reader should have prior knowledge of them. I very nearly set aside the book to see if I could find a copy of the first book to review its contents but decided I might as well keep reading seeing I was so far along in the story already. Besides, the suspense was holding me hostage and there were just so many plot twists that I had to finish the book. I had to know if the seemingly star-crossed newlyweds would ever find happiness with so many forces at work against them, not the least of which was the war that they each no longer felt so passionate about fighting in. The "wide water" separating Hart and Mercy was far more menacing and difficult to bridge than the physical one of the Atlantic Ocean. The author really evokes some strong feelings in the reader about that insidious "wide water" that attacks even good marriages. That would be a challenging discussion theme for a book club to engage in.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exciting book set during the American War of Independence. Well written, good characters, but a bit too much politics and intrigue for my personal tastes. Follows others about the Purchis/Purchas family in the UK and USA by the same author. Three and a half stars, really.

[Cary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Judas Flowering. Still Revolutionary War backdrop and at times such a slow moving dialog.

[Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this woman's work, she died though and I am worried that her books won't be available much longer.