Troubled Waters is an intergenerational story that undertakes a brave task at investigating several difficult societal topics: segregation, racial injustice, climate change and global warming, the expendability of the Black child. The writing is strong and the voices of the three family members are distinct, and yet something about this story bothered me as I was listening to it. I didn’t figure out what that was until I sat down to write out my thoughts, and my main (and probably only) gripe with Troubled Waters is the way the central character Corinne is developed. Corinne is a very obstinate and paranoid character, and while I’m always here for an obstinate Black girl, Corinne’s obstinance has direct ties to her paranoia and anxiety. There’s a brief mention of Corinne’s anxiety diagnosis and her need for prescription medication in the beginning of the book, but that is quickly discounted and only ever brought up again later on when Corinne decides, without consulting a doctor, that she is going to stop taking her anxiety medication so that she can’t be “complacent” to the horrors of the world around her. 🤨 Girl, what?! This decision on the part of the author was a HUGE disservice and a missed opportunity to actually talk about Black mental health, especially in the face of growing up amidst racial injustice, grief, and climate change, all of which is and feels tremendously oppressive. Corrine’s mishandled anxiety and catastrophizing is used as a driving force behind her actions and the climax of the book, yet her overwhelming anxiety and dread are never properly acknowledged or addressed.

Troubled Waters was a really good audiobook to listen to while doing many hours of gardening. I thought that the narrator did a great job giving life to the characters and I liked the overall plot. I do wish we could have gotten just a *bit* more depth into the family and the issues that they faced/were facing, but nonetheless the author did a good job weaving the past and present characters into one cohesive storyline.

Troubled Waters dives deep into the intertwined journeys of Corrine and her grandmother Cora, as they navigate personal grief and confront the imminent threat of climate change. Corrine’s quest for justice after her brother’s tragic death on an oil boat, leads her to become an activist, while Cora’s past as a civil rights activist adds layers of complexity to their family’s history.

In Troubled Waters, Heglar highlights the interconnectedness between individual lives and the broader issues facing our planet. Different decades, different fights and types of activism, but the same lasting power of love, resilience, and intergenerational wisdom.

The author's "After the Word," where she reflects on her own family history, is powerful and touching and adds to the story’s impact.

Thank you @bibliolifestyle, @harpermusebooks, and HarperCollins Focus for the opportunity to experience this powerful narrative.

A time or two I got lost in the timeline- but I did get caught up. I was drawn to the story for the eco lit plot line, but really appreciated the race relations. This title covers civil rights, environmental activism, and climate change, but at its heart it is a family drama. I hope this book gets wide publicity and a varied audience - it deserves the attention.

I enjoyed Troubled Waters. The afterword was very powerful. If it had been a prologue, I might have connected even more to the story/writing. The narration took a bit for me to settle with the cadence but it was great when it clicked. The dual timeline was well handled. I liked the generational family bonds and how to blend historical perspective and current realities.
*Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the audiobook copy

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This book dealt with a lot of big topics in an interesting way. Overall well written, and I enjoyed that it pulled from the author's actual family history. The narrator did a good job.

Troubled Waters by Mary Annaise Heglar was a very moving and powerful book. Mary Annaise Heglar received inspiration from her own family history as the catalyst for writing Troubled Waters. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt. This was my first time experiencing Joniece Abbott-Pratt’s voice as a narrator. I was impressed with her performance. Troubled Waters took place in the south in Mississippi and New Orleans with flashbacks to Nashville during the 1950’s. It alternated between present day and The Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s.

Corrine and her brother Cameron both lived with their maternal grandmother, Cora. Their grandmother had raised both Corrine and Cameron after their mother’s death. Cora was a very positive influence on both Corrine and Cameron while they were growing up. Both Corrine and Cameron appreciated her outstanding cooking and the unconditional love she gave to both of them. When it was time for Corrine to choose a college that she thought she would attend, Cora and Corrine had very different ideas. Corrine ended up choosing Oberlin College, a college where black students were in the minority. Cora worried about that for Corrine. Cameron who was anxious to start earning his own money was enticed by a big oil company to work for them on one of their oil ships that traveled up and down the Mississippi River. After working on the oil barge for just a short time, Cameron had become a victim of a tragic accident that occurred on the ship. Cameron had lost his life in 2013. Both Cora and Corrine were heartbroken as was their Uncle Harold. It was hard for all three of them to imagine a life without Cameron’s presence in it.

While attending Oberlin College, Corrine began to take an active role in trying to reverse the effects of climate change. Corrine became very passionate and concerned about climate change. About a year after Cameron’s death, Corrine and some of her fellow student friends had an idea about how she could honor her brother. Corrine wanted to make others aware of how Cameron had lost his life. She wanted to bring attention to the big oil conglomerates that were not only responsible for polluting our rivers, oceans and planet but how they didn’t care about those who lost their lives as long as they continued to make a profit. Corrine and her friends began to make a plan. They would orchestrate an act of resistance that they hoped would be seen by all. Corrine wanted the world to know how, why and by whom her brother had lost his life and bring attention to climate control at the same time.

When Cora finally worked up the courage to tell her grandmother, Cora, about her plan and what she was planning to do to execute it, Cora became increasingly angry and overly concerned about Connone’s safety. Cora let Corrine know that she was adamantly against her plan. This plan of Corrine’s dredged up old demons that Cora had secretly burrowed deep inside of her. Cora had her own secrets that stemmed back to the time when she was a five year old girl and her father had enrolled her in an all white school while her family had lived in Nashville during the 1950’s. For Cora, that experience had influenced the rest of her life. She had been taunted, hurt, ridiculed and threatened during those years. It left a lasting, guarded and fearful impression on her life that she never forgot but kept to herself. All Cora ever wanted to do was protect her children and grandchildren from the cruelty of racism she experienced as a child. How could Cora protect Corrine from the wrath of racism? Could Cora finally come to terms with her demons? Would Cora be able to finally share her secrets with the people she loved the most? Could both Cora and Corrine find a way to help each other heal?

Troubled Waters by Mary Annaise Heglar addressed the current issues of climate change and the impact of integration on a young black girl and the nation back in the 1950’s. Mary Annaise Heglar skillfully wove the past and present together through the voices of Cora and Corrine. Although these two strong, independent and passionate women were a generation apart, their experiences with racism remained eerily similar. I was emotionally connected to both of their stories, feelings, passion and outcomes. Uncle Harold, Cora’s son and Corrine’s unmarried uncle, was the third voice in this well written and impressive book. Troubled Waters was about family, loss, believing in a cause and sticking with it no matter what the consequences might be, determination, racism and a multitude of long kept secrets that caused pain and walls to be erected. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Troubled Waters by Mary Annalise Heglar and highly recommend it.

Thank you to HarperCollins Focus/Harper Muse for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Troubled Waters by Mary Annaise Heglar through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank u netgalley for the advance Arc of this audiobook to listen to

This story was interesting of a young woman trying to find her own way in the world, but as the story goes on you see the story becomes more talking about 2 generations of a black family in southern USA,, the emotional depth in this book is allot and moved me quite often. After reading this book I found out the author had drawn from her own life while writing this and that made what I read have more of an impact on me

4.5 rounded to 5 stars.

I bought this book on a whim not realizing it was a new release I just loved the beautiful cover.

“Troubled Waters" takes us on a journey into the lives of a grandmother and granddaughter. The journey intertwines their lives realizing they are more connected than they thought.

I believe the story building, characters and narrative were linked important topics such as generational trauma, activism, family and healing. The book focused on environmental injustices, which I am not too familiar with, but bringing like to this issue.

“Girl, there is no such things as a ‘strong Black woman’” and then what was said after that…. Slaps fingers. I love the realness of the characters and how relevant the story it to today. I appreciate the book’s insight on the black experience, particularly as a black woman in multiple generations. There were so many quotes I tagged from hearing my grandmother speak in such a way or things that I have said or felt as a black woman. I loved the books relatability.

And then my girl, Joniece Abbott-Pratt’s narration brought the characters to life. I really love books read by her. I read this book in 2 days (which is super fast for me). I was so invested in the characters.

I would have read the book as I have the physical copy but thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins Focus, Mary Annaïse Heglar, and Joniece Abbott-Pratt for the advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review. I feel like the audiobook allowed me to really feel a part of the story.

This book was raw, heartbreaking, and explores generational trauma in a way many do not. I loved the author’s push to explore the complicated relationships between generations with Cora and her grandmother. But I wanted her to go deeper, explore further. I wanted to know more about her brother and their relationship and the impact on their family his loss had.

You have to read this! Or rather listen. First off the narration is perfection. It is everything! She could read me the phone book from 1989 and I would listen.
This story completely swept me away. I am always thinking about climate change, so I completely got Corrine's perspective. I want her to succeed. I felt for her.
And Cora went through some seriously painful stuff. She wants her grandbaby to not get hurt. I got her too!
I loved the relationships between the characters. I also loved the science and the history. It was all clearly well researched. I could not get enough of this book.

An interesting story. Overall, I enjoyed it. The characters were interesting and felt real. They all had flaws that made them more human and all of them were interesting to get to know better through their unique POV's.
But I had a significant issue with how the characters were written and the overall 'tone' of the book. Exactly what age demographic is this for? The story itself seems more adult but the book was definitly not written for an adult audience. While the main characters were flawed, human and interesting, they were also written as very naive and child-like. This was especially true for the side characters.
It felt stuck between the worlds of adult fiction and young adult (maybe even children's) fiction. And this negatively impacted my reading experience.
I wish the editor had pushed for a change in the language so that the story could have been told in a more adult way and the characters would have come across less naive. Especially the younger member of the family, who is in her early 20s, read to me more like a 12-year old than a young woman.

“Troubled Waters" is a powerful narrative that intertwines the lives of a granddaughter and grandmother, exploring their struggles with racial and environmental justice across generations.

Heglar’s meticulous background research (and thoughtfully added personal experiences) made this book fit a branch of historical fiction I love. As a climate scientist, I often find themes of climate change and climate justice hard to successfully portray in a story without it feeling like a topic thrown in sans purpose to the overall narrative. That is not the case here; the clear but often overlooked connections between climate and society provided profound depth to Corrine’s story. I appreciated how "Troubled Waters" linked topics of generational trauma, grief, activism, family, and healing, showcasing the enduring strength and resilience of Black women against a backdrop of societal and environmental turmoil.

Joniece Abbott-Pratt’s narration brings the characters to life with incredible personality and vibrancy, I loved her storytelling. Highly recommend.

Such an intense read, the topics of grief, loss, generational trauma, love and family. You can really feel the power behind the authors words. Amazing work

Bravo! I absolutely loved everything about this book especially the themes of grief, maternal relationships, and of course climate change.

"Troubled Waters" by Mary Annäise Heglar is a
thought-provoking book. It is literary fiction and partially historical fiction. It is partially set in 2013/2014 and partially set at the time of the civil rights movement in the 50s.

Corrine is a young woman going to college and grieving the loss of her brother, Cameron, who died a year earlier in an accident on an oil rig in the Mississippi River. Cora is Corrine's grandmother, who is grieving her grandson. Harold is Corrine's uncle and Cora's son. He tries to help his mom and niece communicate better and he is there at the most important times.

Grandma Cora was one of the first and youngest black children to be integrated into a white school in Nashville, Tennessee. It wasn't easy for her at all. Corrine is very worried about global warming and saving the planet, and she is very upset with the oil companies. She blames them for her brother's death.

There are some great cooking scenes with Grandma making biscuits, fried fish, and gumbo.

This book is ultimately heart-warming and a very good read!

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 5/5 by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 4.25 rounded to 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Focus/Muse, and Mary Annäise Heglar for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Definitely loved every minute of this story.

The narrator's voice was so beautiful
The fact that the author incorporated her family into the story was top tier. This alone added so much depth to the story

A beautifully heartbreaking but inspiring story. I will be adding this to my trophy shelf!

I found this to be an interesting story of two women’s lives. Alternating voices of the granddaughter Corrine and her grandmother Cora, both had engaging stories. Corrine was heavily involved with bringing light to her brother’s death, presumably due to climate change. I really liked her involvement in this movement, and thought the reaction of those around her to the crisis was very telling (and pertinent today). Cora’s story of being a black child during the beginning of school integration was powerful and sad. I thought the characters were well drawn, and I appreciated the author’s note at the end describing how much of the story was based on her own family.

I listened to the audio of this book. The narrator was very good! Nice pace, voice inflection, and cadence kept me engaged. I would happily listen to her narration in the future.

I really enjoyed this book and the awareness that it offers when it comes to climate change, family, and trauma. In this book there two main characters/POV's. First we have Corinne who is attending college at Oberlin University in Ohio and she is majoring in Environmentalism. She is truly passionate when it comes to climate change and many corporations have no idea or awareness of what they are causing. As we get to know more about Corinne we learn more and more about her past and the relationship she has with her grandmother.

The next main POV is Cora who is Corinnes grandmother. Her is very protective over Corinne when it comes to her well being, but at times it can be too over protective at times. She was completely against Corinne attending a predominantly white college and she felt it would not be safe her. Though we soon find out that she is basing that off from her own experiences that had happened in the past. Cora had a rough childhood. She dealt with racism and so much more where it caused trauma and not willing to change her mindset on things.

As we get to know both of these characters they eventually realizing that they are misunderstanding one another. They both have two different protectives and not really getting to know each other and where they are coming from. As time goes on in the book the strain on their relationship. lessens because they truly love each other. I don't want to give too much away, but this book was a page turner and I highly recommend everyone to read this book. I loved the POV's and the granddaughter and grandmother relationship that it portrayed. I honestly cannot wait to read more book by this author.

REVIEW

Thank you #partner @harpermusebooks for my #gifted copy. 💕

Troubled Waters
Mary Annaïse Heglar

📌 Inspired by the author's own family history.

💭Troubled Waters explores the intersection of racial justice and environmental justice in this powerful, moving novel of courage and sacrifice. Through past-present timelines, Heglar explores themes of family, grief, healing, activism, risk, and the ways different generations impact change.

🎧 I read this one with my ears, and really loved this format. Narrator Joeince Abbot-Pratt is one of my favorites (she narrated two of my top audiobooks of 2023). So when I saw her name attached to this audiobook, I immediately downloaded it. Abbott-Pratt beautifully portrays this multigenerational cast of characters.

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