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From the Publisher
An Interview with Erin Bartels
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A big question we encounter in Kendra's story is whether her memory of events is accurate. Why did you want to explore this topic? Memory is never so cut-and-dried as we like to think. That's why witnesses to the same crime may have conflicting stories and why spouses argue about the details when they talk about a trip they took. We like to think that knowing the truth about a situation is the key to solving problems. But, as Kendra finds, there's a lot more to it than that, and we are often asking the wrong questions. |
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. |
The lake setting feels so visceral and so quintessentially Michigan. Is it based on a real place? In my mind, Hidden Lake looks a lot like Thumb Lake in the northern Lower Peninsula. Lake culture is so ingrained in the life of Michiganders. If you don't live on a lake, you've vacationed on one. I spent many carefree days on Lake Huron on family vacations or with my childhood best friend at her lakefront cottage. There are very particular sights, smells, and sounds you encounter at a lake, and it was a joy to bring the setting to life. |
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The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water: A Novel
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Bartels writes thoughtful novels drawing on important themes - this may be her best yet.
It took me a while to write this review because The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water is deep, poignant, and so well-written that I wanted to do it justice.Kendra Brennan is an author with a problem. She might write fiction, but she’s worried that her storytelling is no longer truthful. This has put a cramp in her creativity, landing her with a terrible case of writer's block. Why did she lose her confidence after a well-received debut? An anonymous letter from “A Very Disappointed Reader” accuses Kendra of being a selfish opportunist who drew the story only in a way that benefited her.She decides to spend the summer at her family’s lake house. The lake area is her refuge, but also full of memories from her childhood. It's alsowhere the moments she now questions took place – those early teen experiences that inspired her debut novel.While at the lake, she discovered that her best friend from childhood -- with whom who she lost touch --has gone missing. And she decides to confront the one person who may have an alternate version to her story of what happened during those summers on the lake (her best friend’s brother). Kendra discovers layers of secrets. As they unwind, what she finds confirms her version of truth and shakes her to her core.I appreciated how the novel delved into issues of memory, and how as women we are often encouraged to question our own perception and memory of what happened (hello gaslighting anyone?). Especially those moments that are traumatic. Also, the novel takes on the age old issue of “he said, she said”. Even when a story plays out in fiction—how do we know whose version is the truth?I adored how the setting, the weather, the visceral experience around the lake becomes almost a character in the novel. I suspect the author may have been writing a location she knows well, as it was so immersive. Skillful writing that made me feel like I was right there at the lake.The author’s note explains how the themes draw from her personal experience. This especially endeared me to a novel that was already moving, profound, and at times intense.Bartels always writes thoughtful novels that draw on important themes, and this may be her best yet.* I received an early copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Top reviews from other countries
Mrs J
Interesting and not too predictable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2023