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Waters of the Dancing Sky
Middle-aged Beth Calhoun is haunted by the drowning death of her young mother and the shame of having no father. Escaping from an abusive marriage, she retreats to her family's wilderness island home and delves into her mother's old diaries, which contain long-held secrets.
266 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
25 people want to read
About the author
Janet Kay
6 books83 followersJanet Kay lives and writes on a lake in the woods of Northwest Wisconsin.
Drawn to nature since she was a child, she sees its wonders as a source of renewal, reflection, and connection with something greater than oneself.
She is also strongly drawn to the Victorian era. This is reflected in her writing.
Her lifelong passions include creative writing, travel, photography, and spending time with family and friends.
She has published five novels to date - Waters of the Dancing Sky, Amelia 1868, The Sisters, Rainy Lake Rendezvous, and her latest release - Unfinished Business.
An intriguing psychological thriller with a supernatural twist, Unfinished Business is set along the North Shore of Lake Superior including Isle Royale and Voyageurs National Parks.
According to Valerie Biel, award-winning author of Beyond the Cemetery Gate:
"From intriguing to terrifying, this thriller is a page-turning read! It's the perfect mash up of paranormal mixed with historical fiction alongside a budding romance as a family mystery is unraveled. It's Wendy Webb's "The Haunting of Brynn Wilder" meets the classic movie "Somewhere in Time."
Check out her website at
http://www.novelsbyjanetkay.com
Drawn to nature since she was a child, she sees its wonders as a source of renewal, reflection, and connection with something greater than oneself.
She is also strongly drawn to the Victorian era. This is reflected in her writing.
Her lifelong passions include creative writing, travel, photography, and spending time with family and friends.
She has published five novels to date - Waters of the Dancing Sky, Amelia 1868, The Sisters, Rainy Lake Rendezvous, and her latest release - Unfinished Business.
An intriguing psychological thriller with a supernatural twist, Unfinished Business is set along the North Shore of Lake Superior including Isle Royale and Voyageurs National Parks.
According to Valerie Biel, award-winning author of Beyond the Cemetery Gate:
"From intriguing to terrifying, this thriller is a page-turning read! It's the perfect mash up of paranormal mixed with historical fiction alongside a budding romance as a family mystery is unraveled. It's Wendy Webb's "The Haunting of Brynn Wilder" meets the classic movie "Somewhere in Time."
Check out her website at
http://www.novelsbyjanetkay.com
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 17, 2013
This was one of my typical book club books. It was good, but I found myself skimming through the book. The main character I thought repeated her complaints to much and found myself not liking all of her woah is me out look on life. Yes she had a reason to complain, but I still had a hard time connecting with Beth.
January 4, 2018
Loved this book,,,,,,,the worst thing about is that it ended!!
August 19, 2010
Review by Mrs. Dorothy Barron
"When one begins Author Janet Kay's WATER OF THE DANCING SKY, one expects a love story, but it is so much more; she knits and weaves a story of love and its many facets.
Broken and defeated in spirit, confused and rudderless from an abusive 20-year marriage, a call from a dying relative gives Beth Calhoun the courage to leave her husband. She retreats to a very special place, Rainy Lake - the place of her childhood and home to generations of her ancestors.
Beautiful Rainy Lake and its surrounding wonders and seasons become the focal setting and center stage. Basking in the beauty and wonder of Rainy Lake and its surroundings almost cause one to forget the heartaches, broken promises, and losses which occur. It is here that Beth finds peace, serenity, and an anchor as she derives strength to weather the storms of life and heal emotionally.
In WATERS OF THE DANCING SKY, Author Janet Kay shares a quote, "Life isn't about how to survive the storm but how to dance in the rain." (unknown author). Such is the essence of Kay's beautifully written story.
This novel reminds us of those things are really important in life and affirms that letting go and moving on are not only necessarry, but integral parts of love and life.
Author Janet Kay also shares some interesting historical facts about her beloved Rainy Lake throughout the story. At the end of her book, she provides the reader with a listing of internet resource sites about places of interest in this region."
"When one begins Author Janet Kay's WATER OF THE DANCING SKY, one expects a love story, but it is so much more; she knits and weaves a story of love and its many facets.
Broken and defeated in spirit, confused and rudderless from an abusive 20-year marriage, a call from a dying relative gives Beth Calhoun the courage to leave her husband. She retreats to a very special place, Rainy Lake - the place of her childhood and home to generations of her ancestors.
Beautiful Rainy Lake and its surrounding wonders and seasons become the focal setting and center stage. Basking in the beauty and wonder of Rainy Lake and its surroundings almost cause one to forget the heartaches, broken promises, and losses which occur. It is here that Beth finds peace, serenity, and an anchor as she derives strength to weather the storms of life and heal emotionally.
In WATERS OF THE DANCING SKY, Author Janet Kay shares a quote, "Life isn't about how to survive the storm but how to dance in the rain." (unknown author). Such is the essence of Kay's beautifully written story.
This novel reminds us of those things are really important in life and affirms that letting go and moving on are not only necessarry, but integral parts of love and life.
Author Janet Kay also shares some interesting historical facts about her beloved Rainy Lake throughout the story. At the end of her book, she provides the reader with a listing of internet resource sites about places of interest in this region."
May 15, 2012
Waters of the Dancing Sky by Janet Kay is an inspiring story of love, forgiveness and second chances.
In an attempt to flee from her abusive husband, Beth returns to her family's island home on Rainy Lake. Beth hopes her grandmother, who raised her, will be able to shed light on her sketchy past, but when her grandmother passes away Beth is left with many unanswered questions. Alone she must unlock the mystery of her past to find out the identity of her father and discover what really happened to her mother.
As Beth begins reading her mother's diaries, haunting secrets are revealed. Now, Beth must decide to accept the past and forgive the ones she loves or continue on a downward spiral in misery. Will Beth ever find happiness again?
Waters of the Dancing Sky is well written and blends reality and fiction creating a story to be treasured.
I highly recommend Water's of the Dancing Sky.
In an attempt to flee from her abusive husband, Beth returns to her family's island home on Rainy Lake. Beth hopes her grandmother, who raised her, will be able to shed light on her sketchy past, but when her grandmother passes away Beth is left with many unanswered questions. Alone she must unlock the mystery of her past to find out the identity of her father and discover what really happened to her mother.
As Beth begins reading her mother's diaries, haunting secrets are revealed. Now, Beth must decide to accept the past and forgive the ones she loves or continue on a downward spiral in misery. Will Beth ever find happiness again?
Waters of the Dancing Sky is well written and blends reality and fiction creating a story to be treasured.
I highly recommend Water's of the Dancing Sky.
November 18, 2016
Kay has spun a very realistic story of hope in adversity, set in some of the world's most beautiful natural locations. Beth is in crisis. Her husband of 20 years has become abusive and her marriage has disintegrated beyond repair when she is called back to her childhood home. Her only daughter is in Paris, studying. Her grandmother is on her death bed. Beth rediscovers her childhood home on an island near the Canadian border and slowly discovers the truth about her life and herself. The characters are carefully drawn to show nuanced relationships and I found myself drawn to several, as well as the natural beauty described throughout the book.
February 22, 2012
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I found the book a bit slow in the beginning, and maybe the mysterious identity of Beth's father should have been a bit more obvious to her. However, overall, I found Janet Kay's descriptions of the area and the aurora borealis were incredible. They made me want to be there! I found the middle half to last third of the book very emotional (and I'll admit it - I blubbered for a majority of it (sigh). An added bonus was Kay's beautiful poetry. I'll be watching for more of her works.
April 15, 2013
I liked this book. I felt it was a really good story about the life of a woman with many different layers. It was nice to have a background on most of the characters, even going back in time with Nana, Papa, and Seth (his previous life). Because the book takes place in Minnesota, I paid special attention to all the places the author visited. I loved the simple life Beth left to live after her bad marriage, and I think she was always meant to be there. I will enjoy discussing this book, the topics the author delved into, and all of the characters at our next book club.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews