NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERIn this thrilling new novel from the author of Water for Elephants Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces At the Waterrsquos Edge is a gripping and poignant love story about a privileged young womanrsquos awakening as she experiences the devastation of World War II in a tiny village in the Scottish HighlandsAfter disgracing themselves at a high society New Yearrsquos Eve party in Philadelphia in Madeline Hyde and her husband Ellis are cut off financially by his father a former army colonel who is already ashamed of his sonrsquos inability to serve in the war When Ellis and his best friend Hank decide that the only way to regain the Colonelrsquos favor is to succeed where the Colonel very publicly failedmdashby hunting down the famous Loch Ness monstermdashMaddie reluctantly follows them across the Atlantic leaving her sheltered world behind The trio find themselves in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands where the locals have nothing but contempt for the privileged interlopers Maddie is left on her own at the isolated inn where food is rationed fuel is scarce and a knock from the postman can bring tragic news Yet she finds herself falling in love with the stark beauty and subtle magic of the Scottish countryside Gradually she comes to know the villagers and the friendships she forms with two young women open her up to a larger world than she knew existed Maddie begins to see that nothing is as it first appears the values she holds dear prove unsustainable and monsters lurk where they are least expected As she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be Maddie becomes aware not only of the dark forces around her but of lifersquos beauty and surprising possibilitiesPraise for At the Waterrsquos Edge ldquoBreathtaking a daring story of adventure friendship and love in the shadow of WWIIrdquomdashHarperrsquos Bazaar ldquoA gripping compelling story Gruenrsquos characters are vividly drawn and her scenes are perfectly pacedrdquomdashThe Boston Globe ldquoA page-turner of a novel that rollicks along with crisp historical detailrdquomdashFort Worth Star-Telegram ldquoPowerfully evocativerdquomdashUSA Today ldquoGruen is a master at the period piecemdashand this novel is just another stunning example of that craftrdquomdashGlamour ldquoA captivating talerdquomdashUs Weekly ldquoCompulsively readable a rich beautiful novel at once a gripping love story a profound examination of the effects of war on ordinary women and a compelling portrait of female friendshiprdquomdashKristin Hannah ldquoUtterly winningrdquomdashThe Miami Herald ldquoA compelling enthralling read a novel which captivates and rewards paying off in a series of emotional and narrative twists comfort reading of the highest orderrdquomdashThe Globe and Mail ldquoA super steamy love storyrdquomdashGood Housekeeping ldquoUnique in its setting and scope this impeccably researched historical fiction is full of the gorgeous prose Irsquove come to expect from this authorrdquomdashJodi Picoult ldquoGruen conveys the lure of the Scottish Highlands At the Waterrsquos Edge captivates with its drama intrigue and glimpses of both the dark and light of humanityrdquomdashBookPageFrom the Hardcover edition.
