Writers are fueled by many things: love of language, an eagerness to explore ideas and themes, the belief that well-wrought characters and a dexterity with words will speak to others, and maybe even change the world.

Erin Bartels, author of three previous novels and a collection of short stories, brings to her fiction the love of history and place, strong personal beliefs, as well as beautifully crafted language. But in this, her latest novel, Bartels probes the very act of producing fiction, of looking back on one's life, of allowing painful experience to form plot and story.

Channeling memory, Bartels attributes a similar past experience to her main character, Kendra, also a novelist, who when the novel begins is staying in a summer house on a lake in upstate Michigan. Kendra's grandfather has recently died, her mother is estranged--the cabin on the lake providing a perfect place and time for Kendra to focus, finish her current novel.

At its beginning, THE GIRL WHO COULD BREATHE UNDER WATER acknowledges the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald:

For those I’ve failed and those I’ve forgiven   All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath. F. Scott Fitzgerald

WRITING THAT NOVEL 

Kendra knows the trajectory of her story, she just needs to tie up some loose themes, write the ending. But writer's block has set in, she now struggling with the words in a letter concerning her last novel, a letter signed by A Very Disappointed Reader. (an excerpt) Kendra, Your book, while perhaps thought “brave” in some circles, is anything but. It is the work of a selfish opportunist who was all too ready to monetize the suffering of others. Did you ever consider that antagonists have stories of their own? Or that in someone else’s story you’re the antagonist?   

It probably wouldn't have mattered what the letter said, but it does matter who wrote the letter. And this quest becomes the engine for the novel. Who wrote the letter and why. Who wants to hurt Kendra, to increase her doubts about her writing, her purpose in life, the pain that made her write novels in the first place. Being an author has saved her from an absent mother and other secrets of the past. Being able to write parts of her story has healed wounds.

Though readers of The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water are not privy to exact passages from the novel within the novel, we begin to see that this initial letter that is unsigned will haunt Kendra all summer, while she works on her newest book, takes up a friendship with a man who speaks fluent German and is translating her first novel into that language. 

Now older and successful, because of that first novel, Kendra has come back to this place of memories. She is eager to work and also enjoy the lake of her childhood. But the words of the Very Disappointed Reader haunt.

“the admiration of strangers is all you’re likely to get…It certainly won’t win you any new friends. And I’m willing to bet the old ones will steer pretty clear of you from here on out. In fact, some of them you’ll never see again." 

Such words become worse than writer's block. They prevent healing and encourage Kendra to push the memory down "under water," she being afraid to look at it, examine it and its eternal effect on her.

If Hidden Lake is a trigger, than what Kendra needs to deal with must involve the people who have also returned for the summer. In the light of sunshine and birdsong, will Kendra be able to heal, stop pushing the memory "under water", stop holding her breath? Maybe those who return to the lake are also connected to some "hidden" past. 

POETRY, PROSE and STYLE 

Bartels' writing soars, some sentences moving toward poetry.

In all our enchanted summers together on the lake, there had been more good than bad. Sweet silent morning. Long languid days. Crisp starry nights. Your brother had thrown it all out of whack, like an invasive species unleashed upon what had been a perfectly balanced ecosystem. But he hadn’t destroyed it. The good was still there, in sheltered pockets of memory I could access if I concentrated.

The novel can jolt a bit, Bartels often referring to You, as if this is a story for someone else, we are only being allowed to learn of the events. It's a stylistic device that eventually works--the YOU is Kendra's childhood friend Cami, who is not at the lake, who has disappeared. Her brother is definitely there: (Tyler would be there. Every paradise needed a serpent.) and thus we sense Kendra wants little to do with him. Once the reader adjusts to this methodology, the flow of the novel is clearer. 

It was apparent that she didn’t know that you and I hadn’t talked in eight years. That you had never told your mother about the fight we’d had, the things we’d said to each other, the ambiguous state in which we’d left our friendship. And now a woman who only talked to me when necessary was reaching out, wondering if I knew how to get in touch with you. That was the day I started planning my return to the intoxicating place where I had spent every half-naked summer of my youth—because I was sure that in order to recover you, I needed to recover us.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NOVEL   

…I was lying to myself about why I decided to finally return to Hidden Lake. Which makes perfect sense in hindsight. After all, novelists are liars.

But you know what it's like when someone attacks your writing. Criticize me about anything else - what I look like, what I drive, what my ancestors did to your ancestors- who cares? But my writing, your writing...that's the real you, isn't it? That's what is inside of you. To have it thrown back in your face is just the worst feeling in the world. 

All fiction is based in reality. That's why we read it. That's why we write it. To process reality. To deal with all the crap that happens to us.

The best fiction simply tells the truth.
But the truth is never simple.

FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIN BARTELS 

Your main character is an author who wrote a novel based on her own experiences. Is any of your novel based on your experience?

Yes, though certainly not all of it. The emotions in this story are ones I've been working to process for more than three quarters of my life, and there are a few scenes that I wrote almost exactly as I remember them happening to me. But most of the story is simply extrapolated from my own experience and the experiences of a lot of women. I think every woman who reads this book will find herself somewhere within the pages.

Novels are about looking through someone else’s eyes, seeing what someone else sees when they look at the world, and realizing, perhaps for the first time, that other people are just as real and alive and hurt as you are. Erin Bartels

https://boomerhighway.org/the-girl-who-cou…athe-under-water/

Erin Bartels excels at unique stories told in her own style and THE GIRL WHO COULD BREATHE UNDER WATER is no exception. Main character Kendra Brennan wrote her break-out novel as a method of recovery from childhood trauma that haunted her still in adulthood. At first she believed she exorcised the pain and found an opening to forgiving the one she holds responsible, but then she received a cryptic note basically saying that she did not know or understand the whole story, that villians should have their chance to speak. Writer's block follows and when Kendra inherits her grandfather's cabin on the lake, the scene of the trauma, Kendra sets out to see if she can identify the writer of the note and maybe also repair a long broken friendship. The essence of this novel comes to the reader slowly and when you finally realize all that had happened in Kendra's youth, it is a huge sucker punch to the gut. That there is any path to reconciliation and forgiveness is a testament to God's love. This is one of the strongest books about recovery and forgiveness that I've read and that Bartels can deliver that message so strongly without hitting readers over the head with it is a sign of the author's authenticity. I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley. All opinions are mine.

“‘You don’t think people are better than they used to be?’ He snorted. ‘No, I don’t.’ I thought for a moment. ‘Women can vote. There’s no more slavery.’ He tipped his head in some measure of concession. ‘Human societies may change here and there. But human nature? Nah. People are always people. And people are broken.’”

Kendra Brennan has writers block and moves into her grandfather’s old cabin on Hidden Lake. She is there to confront Tyler, her childhood best friend’s brother-the man who inspired the antagonist in her first book-in order to prove to herself that she told the truth in her novel. But facing the truth about her failed friendship with his sister Cami proves to be the hardest thing she’s ever had to do.

This book, although sprinkled with some heavy subject matter, was just beautiful. I read The Paper Palace last year and got some of those same vibes with this one with the lake, the cabins, and the close friends and family. The writing was amazing and the storyline had me constantly wanting more.

I really enjoyed the audio, maybe even more than the book. The narrator has such a smooth voice and reads with such emotion that you can’t help but to get lost in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley, RB Media, Revell Publishing, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book it is an immersive story that quickly grabbed me ,I liked the fact that it was written from the point of view of an author writing her second novels it set up a rather satisfactory book within a book theme . after reading the actual authors acknoledgement section it was clear that the story had some autobiographical elements further rounding the experience
I found the characters immediately believable and real , I enjoyed the setting in a vacation lake house as this added both sunny summer holiday vibes and the element of isolation to the story .
I loved some of the smaller character parts in particular the elderly recluse who lives year round in his ramshackle home .
The author has a flowing prose style that is both interesting and relaxing to read , the book is lengthy and briefly about 2/3of the way through it just started to loose my interest before regaining it again and keeping it to the end .it is a slowly evolving tale and would probably benefit from being read more slowly than I usually do as this would allow you to become more immersed in the story
I would recommend the book to the lover of literary novels who enjoy character development and astormg sense of place

After having read her past books, I was highly anticipating this one. This book was so different than what I expected. This was a complex story in which readers are submerged into a story that draws a person in until the book is finished. The book is not a quick read that readers can zoom through. To understand the many different points and connect everything together, readers will need to focus on the story. While reading, there seems to be several different things going on. I liked several things about this novel. One thing is how complex the storyline was and another was trying to figure out what was going to happen next in the storyline. Ms. Bartels writes so descriptively in all of her books and provides readers with a clear picture of what she wants to convey in her books (and does an exceptional job doing that in this one). I highly recommend this emotionally riveting story and know you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

I love this author’s lyrical writing style, and the non-cookie-cutter sort of stories she writes. And those were the very features I liked best about The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water. The writing was beautifully constructed. And the story itself didn’t shy away from difficult subjects or situations, which was refreshing, and reflective of the messiness and complexities to be found in real life.

That said, some of the characters’ decisions over the course of the story bothered me in ways that I didn’t really feel were resolved with the book’s conclusion. Maybe chalk that up to the messiness of real life? Still, I would have loved to see a more explicitly Christian message woven into these characters’ lives over the course of the story.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a good story well told. Particularly those who enjoy a vivid setting, complex characters, and an element of mystery in their reading. I think it could make an especially good choice for discussion groups. I know this book is one I’d enjoy discussing with others who’ve read it.

The audiobook edition features excellent reading by Mia Barron. She breathed life into the characters’ voices and the flow of the narration.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley. This review represents my own honest thoughts on the book.

I adore unique fiction, and this is such an interesting premise. I recommend because of the story itself, writing style, and its ability to transport you into a different world.

The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water is an emotional and beautifully written book. Kendra is an author who had a very successful first book and now after receiving a nasty review can't seem to write a word for her second book. She escapes to her grandfather's cabin where she has great memories from her childhood. This is a story of friendship, healing and mainly forgiveness. Really enjoyed this book!

My interest was piqued when I first read the description of this book, however it was not what I expected....but I was riveted from the very beginning. While the pacing may seem a bit slow at times, it was absolutely perfect as the author unraveled the many twists within the story. This story is definitely character-driven, as Kendra returns to the family cabin where she had spent many summers to confront her past.

Ms. Bartels prose evokes raw emotions on a deep level in this story filled with pain and loss, but also one of healing and hope. Full disclosure- mention of sexual abuse may be a trigger for some readers.

I love the author's writing style and look forward to reading more of her books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A tough one to review! It was in my top two most anticipated 2022 reads, and it has me reeling in different directions.
First of all, I applaud the author for approaching the difficult subject of rape.
The reason for me not giving it a 5-star review is because it got confusing at times throughout the story when the main character, Kendra, jumped from present to past. Also, I had to reread the first pages a few times to realize Kendra was narrating to her best friend. This whole book is Kendra talking in her head to her best friend, which I thought clever. But it took a while to figure it out, taking me out of the story in a frustrating manner. I'm not sure I would have pushed on if I hadn't read other books by Erin Bartels and knew she could deliver.
The last reason for not giving it 5stars is because it's missing the spiritual element desired when I pick up a Christian novel. It almost doesn't seem like a Christian with lots of mention of alcohol and the main character in bikini most of the time. I read many mainstream books, so the content did not offend me. But some pages are borderline of explicit sexual scenes. Being that the story is about Kendra's quest is to confront her past and work through emotional baggage that plagued her life as a rape victim, I understand but would have expected fewer details from a Christian publisher.
Halfway through the book, I said, "This is a three-star. I'm moving on to the next book." But I kept on reading. Perhaps being a victim myself, I wanted to see the author's writing. I'm glad I did. So much raw emotion behind the lost innocence, guilt, and the loss of a best friend, made me cry. Cleansing tears. I can resonate with the death of a Best friend at a young age and being a rape victim. Erin Bartel hit those emotions well. This book isn't for the faint of heart. It's heavy. I hope people will find healing or the start of it when they read it. There is a theme of forgiveness floating around, but it's not intense. Kendra wants to hang on to the good memories and burn what represents the past, which is good. I just wish it offered more Godly hope. It has a bitter-sweet but strong ending. It's one of those good ones that will haunt you for days. It just took a while to get there. It started off as a slow-paced 3 star, then gradually ended in a 5star. Since it's a book that I kept putting down initially, I will rate it a 4.
The publisher gave me a complimentary copy, and  I was not required to provide a good review. These thoughts and opinions are my own.

Highly recommended! Well thought out and very well executed.Thank you for the opportunity to review this story.

This was a many layered story that takes us on a journey, and it can be an uncomfortable one, as we discover and come to terms along with Kendra some issues from her past that she is coping with.

Kendra is an author working on her second book. Her first book was well received, and she is enjoying being an author until she receives an anonymous critical review that shows that someone knows her story is much too close to Kendra's own life. Writing this book was a way for Kendra to relieve her pain and she thought she masked it fairly well. But someone knows.

So, Kendra goes back to where it all started, to face her past, make peace with certain people, find her best friend, and face and slay her demons. This is not an easy task. Kendra takes a journey down memory lane along with us and certain truths are revealed, long hidden secrets are uncovered, and the pain and the abuse is much deeper than she realized.

This was a good story, author Bartels certainly knows how to weave one, but this is a hard one to read. As a forewarning this does deal with sexual abuse and touches on all the ramifications that deals with. It is a story full of hope and forgiveness as well.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

I've seen several reviews starting they're disappointed because it doesn't talk about God or include Scripture, but this is a powerfully written story with an underlying theme of forgiveness. Several twists and turns are predictable, but there was a surprise or two.

I do wish there were a note at the beginning, or in the description, with a 'sexual abuse content warning' for the reader. That is most certainly needed.

I am not a fan of novels about novelists. It feels a little self-serving … and do we trust them to tell the truth? Is being a writer really like writers portray their profession in fiction? I think not.

But I am a fan of Erin Bartels. I thought The Words Between Us was absolutely brilliant, so when I saw The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water available as a review copy, I immediately clicked. With that title and that cover image, wouldn’t you?

Then I read the book description and I wasn’t so sure. But I gave it a go because, well, Erin Bartells. And that cover. And the title. And I’m glad I did.

The Girl Who Could Breath Under Water was brilliant. It’s a compelling story about a wounded character who doesn’t give up her secrets easily, or the secrets she knows about other people. It’s a multi-layered story that is good on the outside and even better underneath. It’s a (mostly) made-up story that rings true because it’s anchored in truth, in the way real people think and feel and act.

It’s a story that reminds us that our truth is not the only truth, and reminds us that our past makes our present, and sometimes we have o to overcome that past in order to have a future.

What it isn’t is “classic” Christian fiction with nice Christian characters who pray and read their Bibles and go to church. But it is a powerful examination of truth, and it’s a story you won’t soon forget.

Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

**There are some slight spoilers below**

I have mixed feelings about this book. I love the author's writing style. She is definitely gifted, and has a wonderful ability to go between present and past events with little to no awkward transitions. She also writes characters who are relatable, even if they sometimes make you nuts.

What I did not enjoy about this book was that the description mentions nothing about child sexual abuse or suicide being topics of discussion. There is a LOT in this book that could certainly trigger someone. There are scenes of abuse described in way too much detail, and it just leaves you feeling uncomfortable, like you should tell someone what just happened.

I also don't believe the issues the main character faces were dealt with in a healthy way. For anyone. No one (in her past or present) was open to hearing what she was going through. The parents on all sides seemed very clueless and uninvolved with their kids. For the one family, knowing the son they adopted had abuse in his history should have made them more vigilant in watching him. He should have been in therapy. No one suggests Kendra go to therapy. No one owns up for their lies or mistakes. It all gets excused one way or another, and she as the victim is left feeling guilty for everything. If she wants relationships with these people (minus the abuser) then she just has to live with it.

Not good.

For a Christian book, there was little to no mention of God at all. It seemed like a mainstream story mistakenly marketed to the Christian sector. I would probably not read another of her books without reading others' reviews first.

I felt very uncomfortable reading this book. I had looked forward to it for so long, having enjoyed the author’s previous books immensely. I found it hard to get into, & only persevered because I was committed to reviewing it. It became more & more complex, some things guessable & some not. Maybe I was uncomfortable because of the memories it brought back, things I considered dealt with, or long buried, or well papered over – but they never are truly finished with, are they? Warning : do not even think about starting this book if you are in even a remotely vulnerable state. It is not for you. And I don’t think it was for me...
Will I read another Erin Bartels book? I don’t know, but probably not for a long, long time.
[There was much content I certainly was not expecting in a Christian book. Whilst I realise it would have ‘spoiled’ the book to have mentioned it in the blurb, I do think there should have been some sort of warning beforehand.]

This is a very emotional story. Some people may find it hard to read. This will bring tears to your eyes for a lot of this story. Kendra comes back to her home and learns many truths about what happened to her many years ago. I could not put this book down. Kendra meets new people and must learn to live again. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

I was totally looking forward to this book as soon as I saw the stunning cover and found out the story was about a writer on a deadline hiding out at her grandfather’s secluded, lake-front cabin. That sounded like it would be right up my alley.

Sadly, this book ended up not being to my taste.

If the blurb had mentioned it had an overwhelmingly strong theme of sexual abuse of a child, I never would have chosen to read it. I am not the target audience for such a book; that theme is not one I enjoy reading about.

The sexual tension between a child and a teenager was so thick that nearly every scene between the two characters felt slimy and gross. It also made me wonder why the younger character “liked” the older one, as he never proved trustworthy in the least. There was nothing likable about him, so I really struggled to see why the younger character had a crush on him. Because of that sexual tension and the abuse situation (shown in vivid detail), this was a really tough book to read.

Alcohol—beer and hard liquors—were consumed often throughout this story, with zero regret about it in any of the characters. I don’t enjoy reading about alcoholics who don’t realize they have a problem.

A character said, “I’m allergic to peanut butter,” which rightfully made another character freak out about having made a peanut butter sandwich for him—only to have him admit, “I’m kidding. Only kidding. To lighten the mood.” Food allergies are serious and are often life-threatening. Many, many people have died from peanut allergies alone (and there are numerous other serious food allergies in existence). This “humor” was not funny to me, as I understand from personal experience how serious and life-threatening food allergies can be.

The leads stayed in the same cabin for a full summer even though they were unmarried. This tarnished the “romance” for me, as it was awkward and immoral. It also led to some crude sexual innuendo in a few spots, which naturally led to some awkward mental images.

I wish this novel would have been clean and included more than a couple of passing thoughts about God’s existence. It really felt like a general market book for how crude, alcoholic, and sexual it was. This was quite shocking coming from a Christian publisher I’d come to trust to publish clean romances.

The one thing I completely loved about this book was the mechanics of the author’s writing style. I had never before seen an approach that felt like the entire book was a letter written to the lead’s best friend. Nor had I seen a book that so seamlessly slipped from present-day into memories and back again. These aspects of the writing style hooked me in (as well as I could be with the aforementioned content involved). They were fresh, unique, superb, immersive, unexpected, and exquisite. I only wish they were used in a much cleaner story.

The writing style might have been exactly what I was in the mood for, but the content of the story was not. I do hope it is a helpful story for people needing to heal from broken pasts involving sexual abuse. My heart goes out to the author (as per the author’s note) and other victims of sexual abuse, whether child or adult. Those scenarios are never fair or right, and they shatter my heart every time (this novel included).

Content: immodest clothing (bikinis), alcohol (excessive), tobacco, crude sexual innuendo, mythology mentioned, sexual tension between a child and a teenager, child smoking, nude photos, nudity, skinny-dipping (teens), crude sexual terms, rape, replacement expletives, suicide, casino mentioned, sexual perversion mentioned, premarital sex, illegitimate pregnancy, profanity (German), drugs mentioned

Terrible book with some really heavy stuff that wasn't totally dealt with., Just a depressing and terrible story

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. I loved this book! The story handles relationships - good, bad and worse - and definitely demonstrates dysfunctional families as well as dysfunctional “almost families.” The characters are multi-dimensional and the situations are fascinating. I totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories that are difficult yet unputdownable.