Water Lessons
Water Lessons is the tale of Jim Scoresby, who survives Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on his grandfather’s rooftop in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans, and then relocates to New England.
About the Book
Water Lessons is the tale of Jim Scoresby, who survives Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on his grandfather’s rooftop in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans, and then relocates to New England.
From New Hampshire, to Boston’s historic neighborhoods, to Maine and Cape Cod, Jim must find himself. One afternoon, Jim meets charismatic retired Navy Commodore Walter Henretty, who soon becomes his mentor and friend. Jim soon falls in love with Walter’s daughter Maureen. He becomes a top-performing investments broker in Walter’s firm. Soon the old man enlists Jim, who is not accustomed to completing tasks, in two missions. First, he must restore a historic tri-masted Herreshoff schooner, managing a team of Cape Cod boat mechanics.
Secondly, Jim must mentor a group of struggling African-American and Irish-American youths (among them a Katrina refugee) and teach them sailing and teamwork. All along, Walter imparts valuable lessons. Jim throws himself into New England life, while learning the significance of his New Orleans heritage and identity.
On one fateful morning, Jim is unexpectedly confronted with the second great catastrophe of his life, and his courage, intelligence, and leadership skills are subjected to the ultimate test.
"Wall delivers a full-blooded, old-fashioned novel about love, ambition and money that's reminiscent of the works of Richard Powell, Vance Bourjaily, James Gould Cozzens and other midcentury American authors. From Boston's Beacon Hill to New Orleans' Frenchman Street, the book does an excellent job of evoking a sense of place and contains any number of memorable scenes...an engaging cast of New England types...a novel with many positive attributes..."
– Kirkus Reviews
"...haunting...its strong section on Katrina and solid ending...the book is a gentle reminder that tragedy has a lasting impact on its survivors. That's a 'water lesson' for all of us."
– BlueInk Review
"...profoundly moving...Wall's plot is compelling and marvelous...Jim's mentor and friend, Walter, is larger than life and a character I won't be forgetting any time soon. There's so much to love about Water Lessons. I was swept up initially in Wall's descriptions of the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and later in the accounts of Jim's Atlantic adventures, and I savored every minute I spent reading this story. Water Lessons is an extraordinarily good novel, and author Chadwick Wall is quite a gifted writer. Water Lessons is most highly recommended."
– Jack Magnus, Readers' Favorite
"...wistfully charming, with some very touching moments...WATER LESSONS is a sweet story about a man finding himself after tragedy, and sorting out where he is meant to be."
– IndieReader
"Chadwick Wall has written a beautiful and emotional book that follows a man on a search to find himself and who he is after Katrina. Page one of Water Lessons will draw you in, and each page keeps you invested in the story...Water Lessons is a powerful and emotional read."
– Red City Review
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