The Edge of Water by Olufunke Grace Bankole is a beautifully written meandering through three generations of mothers and daughters.

The story unfolds through a series of letters which is effective since it allows the reader to see some of the same situations from different perspectives. I usually find letter formats a bit distracting, but here, the author skips the usual "Dear..." and "Regards," keeping me engaged. The storytelling felt more immediate and personal that way. The beginning of each one includes a reading by a fortune teller, such as, “shells in the shape of a wave.” It’s a really interesting way to bring in culture and set the stage.

The characters of the women are complex and their relationships with each other are fraught with the influences of tradition, culture, independence and dreams. They each have to deal with what is expected of them versus what they want; Ester’s (the grandmother) story in Nigeria is particularly harrowing, although Amina (the daughter) certainly has a difficult time as she navigates a new country before and during Hurricane Katrina as a single mother. Laila (the granddaughter) both suffers and benefits from the journeys of her foremothers. They are each stronger than they believe themselves to be, and ultimately brave enough to carve their own path.

My one small issue is a part of the story that talks about these several souls in the story that come together over and over again across time. While this adds to the folklore that is woven throughout the story, it didn’t resonate for me since it didn’t seem to have any real influence over the characters’ interactions or lead to any learned truths.

Overall, this is a moving story and fantastic debut by the author. I’m looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

Thank you to Tin House Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This was a very well written book! It was so touching and moving, the familial issues and struggles this family deals with is crazy. It is so heartbreaking, and the writing was so well done! I loved the cultural differences and similarities!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!