Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Nothing held us back. And I knew for one crystal clear moment that music was made up of magic, not notes.”

This really was one of those books where you have no idea how you’re going to feel about it beforehand. It’s something so far away from what I usually pick up, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance! In this part memoir, part fictional story, twelve-year-old Lily Grainger heads to Cape Cod with her family for the summer, not realising just how much it would change her life, in good ways and bad. I’m so happy to be sharing my review of Water Music: A Cape Cod Story!

About the book

The bridge at Sagamore was closed when we got there that summer of 1956. We had to cross the canal at Buzzards Bay over the only other roadway that tethered Cape Cod to the mainland.

Thus twelve-year-old Lily Grainger, while safe from ‘communists and the Pope,’ finds her family suddenly adrift. That was the summer the Andrea Doria sank, pilot whales stranded, and Lily’s father built a house he couldn’t afford. Target practice on a nearby decommissioned Liberty Ship echoed not only the rancor in her parents’ marriage, a rancor stoked by Lily’s competitive uncle, but also Lily’s troubles with her sister, her cousins, and especially with her mother. In her increasingly desperate efforts to salvage her parents’ marriage, Lily discovers betrayals beyond her understanding as well as the small ways in which people try to rescue each other. She draws on her music lessons and her love of Cape Cod—from Sagamore and Monomoy to Nauset Spit and the Wellfleet Dunes, seeking safe passage from the limited world of her salt marsh to the larger, open ocean.

The beginning

In the summer of 1956, Lily Grainger and her family pack the essentials and head off for a summer at Cape Cod. There was so much I loved about these opening chapters, but the glaringly obvious thing to mention first is Marcia’s beautiful writing and ability to paint an impressive picture of a specific moment in time. There was something so warm and familiar about it; their trip took me back to long journeys cramped in a car, armed with sandwiches and colouring pencils, toys and anything to help pass the time until we reached our destination. Memories of our own family road trips in years gone by flooded my mind and really made me smile. There’s bickering with her sister, Lily’s parents don’t always see eye to eye, but this realness gave this book a charm early on, something that would be so consistent throughout the entirety of the story. I loved finding out more about Lily’s family, what they loved, how they lived, and even their plan to build a house that would soon be theirs. The unexpected nostalgic feel combined with such gorgeous storytelling had me desperate for more.

“Of all the things over which my parents fought, on this subject there was no disagreement: they would find a way to bring my cello. No matter how long and complicated the list, no matter how full the car, they made room for music.”

There was something so special about this family’s love of music, and I especially loved Lily’s cello lessons, her dream to play on stage at a talent show. It’s clear she had passion and drive at such a young age, something that really came through in the author’s words. I also found the author’s portrayal of this family as a whole so real. She highlights the fun moments, the happy moments, but also the family arguments and disagreements, the contrast between light and dark so wonderfully balanced. It’s something we can all relate to in a way which I really liked. Relationships are explored so incredibly well, and it was Lily’s relationships with her mother and sister which seemed more strained than the rest, yet it was fascinating to explore. Lily’s innocence and her desire to be liked made her such a loveable character in my eyes. I loved how vivid the author’s description continued to be, and it felt a genuine joy to experience her words with each new chapter. It was so easy to fly through chapters without realising how much time had passed, which was a beautiful thing.

The middle

It was saddening to see the cracks in Lily’s parents’ relationship. Arguments were more frequent and they rarely saw eye to eye most days. It was clearly having an effect on Lily too, but using music as a means of coping and overlooking what was happening in her family life felt a natural thing to her. Their family isn’t broken by any means, but it was flawed and needed work. I admired Lily’s persistence, how she learns that it is not only key to mastering her instrument, but other parts of life, too. Her desire to be on stage in the expensive dress she saw but could never afford, to make her parents proud, to fix whatever it was that was broken between them. I could really see her. Her mother really was suffering, taking out her anger and unhappiness on Lily and the world around her. She needed help or change, and I hoped she’d get it before things escalated further. The first half of the book has a pretty slow pace, but it wasn’t something that bothered me too much. In fact, it felt rather nice to be able to soak everything in, and I didn’t feel it needed a faster pace for me to enjoy it to its fullest.

“I wanted a mother who kissed me goodnight. I wanted a mother who would teach me the names of flowers. I wanted a mother who took my face in her long-fingered hands and saw her own. I wanted my mother, as I thought she used to be.”

Lily learns independence, especially as her cello teacher ends up in hospital before her big show performance. I could see how much she wanted to succeed, to make her teacher and her mother proud of her. We really see her growth throughout the book, and we not only experience this through her music, but also through her friendships and in discovering her first love. The author writes this so delicately and I felt so surprised by how much more grown up she seemed here than she did as she first set off on the journey to Cape Cod. I was so drawn into all Lily’s experiences in this one summer; her passions, her relationships with others, how she copes in different situations, how she’s always learning. But also the big news events from the world; whales stranded and dying on beaches, the sinking of the Andrea Doria ship. These events really had an impact on not just these characters and their lives, but on me, too. It was powerfully written and something I found really memorable, and I’m so glad the author included these things in the book.

The end

The clever titles of all the chapters in the book finally become clearer here; Hurricane Carolyn was heading their way, bringing severe weather and dangerous conditions. This physical storm also seemed to bring with it a metaphorical one, as Lily’s parents have possibly their worst argument yet, one resulting in unfortunate injuries. It was saddening to see how hard family life was for them, the years of feuds that continued to plague their lives, how the house they were building was meant to be a positive step for their future, but all it was doing was tearing them further apart. When a family member goes missing in the storm, this extra layer of suffering and distress brought even more dark days for these people, and we can really feel the stress of the situation. There was a really unexpected sad moment, and I couldn’t help but feel all the emotion and pain these characters felt. It was written with such care and it really felt like a standout moment in the book for me. The deep conversations these characters had here stayed with me, and I went into those final pages with a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat.

“It’s the sounds I can’t remember. The rain, the motor, voices; it was as if I were watching a picture with no sound. Except that over the scene, laid on top, moving in its own time. was my mother’s music.”

There were some parts of the book that I wished were explored further, such as Lily and Nick’s friendship and small flecks of something more. I felt they didn’t get as much air time as they deserved, but I did like how the author teases a future for them. The theme of music was perfect from beginning to end and there were certain scenes in those ending chapters that were so incredibly special. Lily’s bond with her mother at this point felt renewed, like some part of it had been reborn – it felt really lovely and moving! The book ends on a positive note, despite the sadness, setbacks and storms this family have weathered together, something I was really hoping for. I ended the book filled with a sense of hope and a renewed sense of gratitude for so much. There is so much to love in this book, and I’d really recommend it for those of you who want something different to what you might usually read, something which may be a little out of your comfort zone. If you like a coming of age story, if you like a story based on the life of an author with fascinating life experience, I think you might get a lot of joy out of this one 😊

Overall thoughts

Water Music: A Cape Cod Story is an unforgettable coming-of-age story filled with the highs and lows of growing up, the importance of family and the power of music. When Lily and her family head for a summer in Cape Cod, they experience so much more than they bargained for; not only the joys of building a new home, playing music and creating memories in a new place, but also family feuds, secrets and heartache. The author is a natural storyteller, her words so beautiful and her descriptions so rich and colourful. Whether it’s a scene of happiness and fun, or of darkness and pain, she writes in such a captivating way that completely draws you in. I loved how this author injects her own life experiences into this work of fiction, and her passion for the story really shines through. A moving, thought-provoking story with heart.

You can grab your own copy of Water Music right now over on Amazon.

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