THE EDGE OF WATER is one that I will have to return to in the future when I'm in a better place. I'm softly DNF-ing this one with all of the tender, love, and care it deserves until I am able to get my hands on the physical book; I found the writing quite nice but the narration was too difficult to get in to. At the point of DNF-ing, about 30%, I would have fallen at about a 3 stars, but this could increase when I eventually return for the physical experience in the future.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t stop listening. I was hooked from the first minute! The narration was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

The Edge of Water by Olufunke Grace Bankole

Nicole Cash does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of this debut book with her reading of this epic tale following the lives of three generations of daring women.

The Edge of Water is told in alternating chapters by Esther, a strong-willed Yoruban matriarch and her daughter, Amina. In letters to her daughter, Esther narrates her life growing up in Ibadan, Nigeria. Some chapters are voiced by an Iyanifa, a title for a priestess in the Yoruba tradition. Amina arrives in New Orleans after dreaming of a better life and opportunities hoped for in America. After becoming a single parent to her daughter, Laila, and finally starting to find her way, a hurricane is threatening to destroy the city. Years later Laila is wanting to know more about her mother and her distant relatives of Nigeria.

This book is filled with folklore, Yoruba Christianity, traditional religion, mother/daughter relationships, betrayals, love, and heartbreak. I thought this was a very good debut and I liked the development of the characters and her writing style. I look forward to future books by Olufunke Grace Bankole.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook

This is a difficult one for me to review. I chose this arc because I’m from New Orleans and I was eager to read what sounded like a really moving story. And I was loving the story until a certain point, specifically, I was enjoying the story of Amina, Esther and the portrayal of a pre-Katrina New Orleans.

However, I really struggled with the author’s choice to add wild dogs to her depiction of what occurred at the Superdome. I am a Hurricane Katrina survivor. My father stayed behind at the Superdome. I have other family members who stayed at the Convention Center or rode the storm out at home. There were plentiful terrors that occurred at the Superdome and throughout the city. It was inhumane and unfathomable what my people endured. I simply cannot understand the decision to add wild dogs attacking people and eating the bodies of the dead. This felt wholly unnecessary and disrespectful. There were no wild dogs at the Superdome, a building that was holding 25,000 residents. Families who showed up to the Superdome with their pets were turned away. Tens of thousands of pets died in that storm due to starvation and people were already victimized by a failing government. Bankole’s decision to embellish this story un this manner was triggering and felt like a slap in the face.

It completely soured me on the whole story. I began to feel the author was rather careless in using our trauma for her story and up to that point, I was really enjoying how well researched it seemed. This is incredibly unfortunate because up until around 71% of the story, I was set on giving this book 5 stars, but I could not move past this.

I don’t expect anyone other than those deeply affected by Hurricane Katrina to take issue with this, but it was something I was unable to get past.

As for the narration, the accents were a little stilted, but it was clear enough for me to understand everything that was being said. I also think the cover is beautiful.

This was a tale told with distance. I couldn't connect to the characters. Each character, representing one of three generations of a Yoruba family, had a story ... these were somewhat uplifting but mostly tragic and a bit stereotypical. The women are dreamers and innocent; the men are liars, scammers, and thieves, with several women on the side. I found myself lost throughout the middle of the book; I couldn't pay attention, even with the excellent narration of Nicole Cash, who was pitch perfect. The end somehow brought everything together in a bittersweet but compelling way. If only the centre of the novel had been rewritten ... or perhaps drastically cut down. Now that I think on it, this could be a fine novella with a finer yet sturdier frame.

WOW. TEARS. Full RTC, but I loved this dynamic, deep, and touching story about mothers, daughters, and the cultures that connect us. I cannot wait to read more from Olufunke Grace Bankole.

Three generations of women figure prominently in this novel that takes us from Nigeria to New Orleans. I learned a lot about family dynamics and the patriarchal society the author describes in Nigeria w/r/t parental rights, inheritance, etc. as well as the cultural norms of consulting with and believing in the spirits. In New Orleans, no stranger to voodoo, the time is 2005 and the place is the Superdome. The author gives us a harrowing narrative: what it might have been like to be a scared and somewhat lost Nigerian woman trying to make it in America. In the end, family is what matters most.
Excellent narration in the audiobook. The book drags in parts, but is an impressive debut. 3.5 rounded up.
My thanks to the author, publisher, Dreamscape Media, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobook of #TheEdgeofWater for review purposes.

"𝘍𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘺-𝘴𝘪𝘹 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯."

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗗𝗚𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥 is the story of mothers and daughters, their dreams and regrets, and how they often don't say what they should to each other until it's too late.

Set in Nigeria and New Orleans, Olufunke Grace Bankole incorporates Yoruba traditions and folklore into her tale about three generations of women. I loved learning more about this aspect of Nigerian culture, and how it bonded the women even when they were far apart.

This story is tragic but also hopeful, and Nicole Cash's narration brings so much depth to it. It took me a few chapters to get get used to the novel's format - each one starts with a prophecy "in the shape of shells" and the plot unfolds through a series of letters - but it's worth sticking with to see how it masterfully comes together in the end. And that cover! 😍

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the copy to review.

one of the things I love about being a reader is that sometimes, I just know i’ll love a book based on the description alone and that’s exactly how I felt about The Edge of Water.

there were so many things i loved about this book, and so many moments that shook me to my core.

to start, the writing felt both traditional and prophetic, woven with yoruba proverbs some familiar, some new to me. Bankole also chose to write the Yoruba words without their diacritical marks as a way to represent the “in-between” experience of being a first gen person. as someone who is fluent in Yoruba but was never taught how to use the diacritical marks, I deeply appreciated this decision and it made the storytelling even more powerful and accessible.

another aspect that I loved was the mother-daughter dynamic between Amina and Esther. their character development was written in a way that was masterful. Amina and Esther felt like real people, and at the core of their struggles were loneliness, regret, respectability politics, cultural expectations, and a love that, though quiet, was profound. their relationship was intricate and imperfect in a way that felt deeply human.

but what shocked me the most was Bankole’s depiction of Hurricane Katrina. I knew the storm would be part of the story, but i didn’t know how it would unfold. It has been years since I’ve read anything in depth about Katrina, and while this book had many heartbreaking moments, the storm’s portrayal was by far the hardest to read and to relive. Bankole handled this section with immense care, honoring the trauma that real people endured.

I finished The Edge of Water a week ago and although many tears were shed, I find myself missing its little world. needless to say, this book is on my all time favorites list, and I couldn’t recommend it more.

***I do want to note that I was not a fan of the narrator due to the accent and mispronunciation of words.

3.5 stars 𐙚

honestly this book was really good.
i found the dual timeline / location concept was done really well in this book. i loved the complex characters and the invisible string between ester and joseph after all this time!

What an incredible debut. I really loved the author's writing style. I hung on to every word. A reviewer described the writing style as silk, and after having read I would agree. This book felt wise and spiritual. I can't wait to read more from this author.

The Edge of Water spans three generations and three settings — Nigeria, New Orleans, and the Bay Area. It is a broad family drama that requires patience from the reader, as a work of literary fiction. While I appreciated the underlying message and character development, I don't think I was the target reader for this one as I had a harder time getting into it than I had hoped. A solid debut from a literary voice that is likely to ripen beautifully. Nicole Cash did a wonderful job with the narration, easily sweeping the reader between settings and perspectives.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Netgalley, and Olufunke Grace Bankole for an advance copy for honest review.

The Edge of Water was an excellent read. I loved the writing and it was propulsive. Great character study. I would read more from this author.

This book made me feel! It was deep, intensely emotional, thought provoking and heartbreaking. What will be will be even if it wasn’t destined to be. The mother and daughter dynamic of Esther and Amina was difficult to read at times but in that difficulty was the heart of their story. Esther was a mother who wanted more for her daughter Amina. Amina the daughter who dared to dream of better and was determined to make a way for herself. A deeply, moving cautionary tale of not waiting until It’s too late. I will think about these characters because they left a lasting impression on me. Olufunke Grace Bankole wrote a stunning debut novel, and Nicole Cash did a wonderful job bringing the cast of characters to life through her narration. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity at an advance listen.

4 stars

This is a glowing debut, and I am already excited to devour whatever Bankole has to offer next.

The novel covers three generations, and while this features a realistic perspective and some level of tragedy and heartbreak is required, that isn't all there is here. Frequently, these expansive family dramas develop into a list of sadnesses and missed opportunities, and there is a strong thread of hope and persistence here that carries the entire narrative, even in the dark times. I noticed and appreciated this very much.

I really enjoyed the character development, sense of place, and the style overall, and the narrator of the audiobook adds so much to the experience.

Fans of literary fiction, familial dissections, and thematic long term impacts will also find a great deal to enjoy here. Again, looking forward to reading more from this author.

This was an ARC audiobook from NetGalley that I really enjoyed this author’s debut. It is a story of love, family, travel, dreams, ambitions, loss, connections and reunions. The story began in Africa and gave some background into Amina’s origins and family. The different perspectives from multiple characters was enjoyable. Olufunke did a good job of eliciting different levels of emotions from me as I listened. I even found my eyes glistening as I listened to the heartbreak and loss. I smiled multiple times during the reunion of 2 very important main characters and found their ending triumphant.
I’m excited to see where this author goes next.