The Age of Water Lilies

by Theresa Kishkan

With The Age of Water Lilies, Theresa Kishkan has written a beautiful novel that travels from the time of colonial wars to the pacifist movement to 1960s Victoria, and shares a unique and delightful relationship between 70-year-old Flora and 7-year-old Tessa.

When Flora Oakden leaves her English home in 1912 for the fledgling community of Walhachin in British Columbia’s interior, she doesn’t expect to fall in love with the dry sage-scented benchlands above the Thompson River-and with the charismatic labourer who is working in the orchard. When he and all the men of Walhachin return to Europe and the battlefields of France, Flora remains behind, pregnant and unmarried. Shunned by those remaining in the settlement, she travels west to Victoria and meets freethinker Ann Ogilvie, who provides shelter for her in a house overlooking the Ross Bay Cemetery. Fifty years later, among the headstones of Ross Bay, curious young Tessa is mapping her own personal domain when her life becomes interwoven with that of her neighbour, the now-elderly Flora. Out of their friendship, a larger world opens up for these unlikely companions. Theresa has written a sweeping story that transcends time and springs from a passionate exploration of the natural world, its weather, seasons and plants.

Genres: Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2009

Reviews

[Petra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I often visit Victoria and the Ross Bay Cemetery is a delight to wander through. This right away brought this book to my attention. Who doesn't like to read of locations they are familiar with?
In that aspect, this book is wonderful. It describes the Ross Bay area of Victoria so well I could picture it in my mind and see myself wandering along the coast, as I do when there. I enjoyed the differences as well.....the look at Ross Bay in the 20s and the 60s.....the slightly wilder, less developed Ross Bay that I know.
Flora’s story starts out wonderfully. A young, English woman from a well-to-do family comes to the interior of British Columbia to forge a new life. She’s a bit of an embarrassment to her family ‘cause she’s turned down suitors and is.....gasp!....still unmarried at the “old” age of 19. Best that she goes to the Colonies.
Once Flora moves to Victoria, though, I felt the story started to lose some of its momentum. It had all the elements of a great story: young, unmarried mother in the 1920s, women coming into their own independence, a growing city, changing times, etc. But it turned into a bit of a lecture about war and pacifism and women being left behind. Flora’s story was rather passive as well. She lived a normal life of the times (barring her non-married status): she does laundry, occasionally works (during the War when “man”power was scarce), she raises her daughter. Her life doesn't have the drama needed in a book; there’s no tension to drive the story forward.
Tessa is a wonderful child. She’s bright, inquisitive, polite and loves her world (Ross Bay). She’s a delight. There’s no way around that. Her map project is amazing and unique. I could go on and on about how great a kid she is. But her story, like Flora’s doesn't have drama or purpose in the sense to drive the story forward. She’s a kid, in 1960s Victoria, living her life. She goes to school, plays with neighborhood kids, visits the cemetery (okay…that may sound weird but the Ross Bay Cemetery would be a draw for kids in that neighborhood; it’s that unique & old).
I didn't find that Flora worked hard at life. She lived it day by day, took what came her way passively in many ways but didn't make bring any changes into her life. She took what came her way. She’s a follower; not a doer.
I also thought that the author was hinting at things that were not explained or elaborated upon. Both Grace & Tessa “hear” things in the graveyard. Grace, particularly, hears voices, not only in the graveyard. Flora never asks about this? Well, neither does the author. She mentions it a few times, makes the story a bit mysterious, then it fizzles away, not to be mentioned again. A loose thread, a red herring, an attempt to bring tension into the story? Who knows....but it seems out of place......as did the incident with Tessa’s brother. I won’t go into spoilers. Something bad (non-fatal) happens to Tessa’s brother but the purpose seems to be only to give Tessa nightmares for a few nights....as was the incident at the beach. Both these incidents seem to be included just to show that if a child comes forward with their fears, an adult can take the fear away. It doesn't connect with this story of this book. It’s filler, it seems.
There’s a lot of good in this book. It’s a story of two past periods of times in one area. The change in both the city and the people is interesting and could have made a darn good story. The writing is poetic and beautiful. I wasn't surprised to read that Theresa Kishkan is a poet.
For someone who knows this area, it’s a wonderful description of a wonderful city and cemetery. It had all the pieces for a wonderful story. However, I felt that the pieces didn't quite fit together cohesively enough or that there was much of a story to tell.
I enjoyed this book mainly because of the familiar setting. I would have loved to see a picture of Tessa’s map in the end of the book. That would have been awesome.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dedication of Theresa Kishkan's The Age of Water Lilies reads "For my parents, the Fairfield years." This is very insightful, for while the novel centres around the character of Flora Oakden and a girl named Tessa, it is also a novel of place, and places become characters. The town of Walhachin, and the 1960's city of Victoria, British Columbia, and within Victoria, the area called Fairfield are more than mere settings.

The novel splits itself into two time periods. One occurs from 1912 to early 1963, and that strand is the story of Flora Oakden, a young woman who falls in love with a man named Gus who goes off to war, but leaves Flora pregnant and unmarried. The love of Gus and Flora is portrayed with gentleness and precision. Gus is killed in the war, but the love of Gus and Flora lives on in the form of their child, named Grace.

The other strand of the story revolves around the relationship Flora forms with a child named Tessa, and this time period is only a short period from April 1962 to early 1963. One of the great strengths of this book is Kishkan's ability to weave the lengthy arch of Flora's part of the narrative around the short time that Tessa shares with Flora.

For both Flora and Tessa, the reader watches how their separate lives begin with innocence, with dreams and a world to be explored, but soon, so soon, the world invades and shouts their innocence to death, and then, replaces their loss with remembrance. There are striking and effective symbols represented by places that ground this novel. For Flora there is a box canyon, hidden by shrubs that allow her and Gus to find privacy and moments of love, for Tessa there is a loose board, that when entered brings her to Flora's garden. The box canyon, the garden, the location of Fairfield in Victoria, the Ross Bay Cemetery are all places where identity is found in this novel.

One of the most powerful parts of the novel for me was young Tessa's desire to map the local cemetery. the layers of meaning in this part of the plot were handled with a masterful touch.

The blending of character and a sense of place make this a novel one that deserves to be read, and then to find a place on your bookshelf.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very charming book . I loved that most of the story takes place in British Columbia, where I live. I enjoyed reading about the past history that was interwoven into this delightful novel. Themes such as: the history of love and war; settlement in a new country; racism, and the treatment of unwed mothers added depth to the novel. I certainly will seek out other books by Theresa Kishkan.

[Tanis Buckton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous read - totally enjoyed this book and love that it was set primarily in my neck of the woods.

[Magdelanye · Rating 4 out of 5]

review pending

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read a book, I often find myself writing things down to look up later: words, phrases, song lyrics, food, book references, place references. This book has has given me lots to look up, particularly with respect to Ancient Greek literature!! What I didn't need to look up so much, was the Victoria, BC, the predominant setting of the book.

I, ostensibly (work here, live just north), live in Victoria and am very familiar with the area. I loved all the visual imagery of the book, with respect to the periods. Who knew that the Fairfield area was built over a collection of streams, streams that were used by natives as roadways of sorts back before the town really took off. I think a stroll through the inconic Ross Bay Cemetery is in order this summer; it's been such a long time since I've been there to explore. Maybe I'll even put my ear to the ground to see if I can hear running water!

There story itself is lovely. We get to meet Flora in 1913, the main protaganist, as she's settling into life in the interior of BC. Circumstances force her to leave Walhachin (she's unmarried and preggers and her lover has headed of the Great War), so she heads to Victoria, where the baby's father's family live. There she finds not only a home but a great, enduring, friendship with Ann and raises her daughter in the home into which Ann welcomes Flora. We are also introduced to young Tessa, in 1962 Victoria. Tessa is Flora's neighbour and the two strike up a great friendship and a kinship for art and history.

There is nothing earth-shattering here, although there is a strong anti-war sentiment articulated throughout the book. This is just a lovely story of a well-lived life. Gentle and easy and very readable. I loved it!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have driven by the ghost town of Walhachin near Kamloops, B. C. many times and often wondered about the people that lived there. Flora Oakden moves with her older brother to Walhachin in 1912 from England. He has purchased land and plans to plant an orchard. The book switches back and forth between the years they lived there to her present life in Victoria during the 1960's. While she is living in Walhachin, she meets a laborer but she soon discovers he has a fairly well to do background. She falls in love and after her lover has left to join the Canadian troops involved in WWI, she realizes she is pregnant. Her brother has also signed up, leaving her on her own. She knows her pregnancy will cause others to shun her. She decides to move to Victoria where her lover's estranged parents live. She meets Ann Oglivie, and rents a room from her. Ann and her become close friends. Now, Flora is much older and she has developed a friendship with a little neighborhood girl, Tessa. Tessa has often watched Flora wander the nearby cemetery, stopping at several graves to pay her respects. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The only part I had difficulty with, was understanding the Greek play Ann and Flora play a part in. While I understand the reason for the play, I had difficulty understanding the script.

[Ramona Nehring-Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading "The Age of Water Lilies," by Theresa Kishkan and very much enjoyed it.

The fictional story of the young wealthy English woman surviving the hardships of WWI and facing the harsh and restrictive social standards imposed on women in the first half of the 20th century kept my interest throughout the book. At the same time, the author's acute attention to historical detail covering significant events, social constructs, and the smaller realities of day to day life during that period, adds a richness to the novel that I fully appreciate.

"The Age of Water Lilies" is a fantastic read for anyone interested in historical fiction, women's place/role in the early 20th century or, B.C.'s history.

[Jacqueline Worboys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it's not a long or difficult novel, the author provides insight into the BC ghost community of Wallachin, deserted in W.W.I when the men signed up to fight and the women and children left the community. No-one returned. It's a sad chapter of BC history, built with optimism and hope, and left a shadow of its former orcharding promise. In the wider context, the author puts the incident into the themes of war, loss, desertion and plodding on. Great geographical descriptions of Victoria in 1914, 1962, and of Wallachin, Pennies, and the Ashcroft and Hat Creek area.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about women in Victoria and the pacifist movement. Also tells about the friendship between a 70 year old title artist and a very creative 8 year old girl.

[Jillann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the setting of Victoria and the BC interior during and after WWI