- Paperback: 464 pages
- Publisher: Pan (5 Mar 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0330492144
- ISBN-13: 978-0330492140
- Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 11 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 63,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Water Gypsies
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
A gritty, compelling saga from the author of the bestselling Birmingham novel, Chocolate Girls.
Book Description
It is 1942, and after a childhood of suffering in Birmingham, Maryann Bartholomew has built a life of happiness and safety with her husband Joel and their children, working the canals on his narrowboat, the Esther Jane. But the back-breaking work and constant childbearing take their toll on Maryann, and the tragic loss of her old friend Nancy, followed by a further pregnancy lead her to a desperate act which nearly costs her her life. The walls of her security are broken down when Joel suffers an accident, and to keep the boats working, Maryann is forced to allow Sylvia and Dot, two wartime volunteers, into the privacy of their life. And when she discovers that someone keeps calling for her at Birmingham's Tyseley Wharf, the dark memories of her past begin to overwhelm her life. For that someone, who seems to be watching her every move, is becoming more dangerous that even she could imagine...
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having read this books prequel, narrowboat girls, I knew all the characters in this book. Which was nice, as I was unaware this book was the follow on.
Briefly, the first book tells the tragic story of Maryanne Nelson, who lived with an abusive step-father, who sexually abused her and her sister from a young age, and her mother, a seemingly self-obsessed poor excuse for a mum. She ends up falling in love with Joel, who is a narrowboat man, many years her senior. and along with her friend Nancy, who has escaped from an abusive marriage they build their lives together on the Cut.
The first book was so heart rendering, making tears well up inside me many times, and I was greatful for a happy ending. Unfortunately this book, doesn't show things as being positive for Maryanne, She has already suffered so much in her life, you think that she can't possibly have more tragedies or hardships to deal with. Personally, being so engaged in her story, I was upset that she didn't live happily ever after (but happily ever after doesn't make a good story)
Anyhow... This is a well written book, which follows on well from the first book, in true Annie Murray style it has many twists and turns that you don't see coming. Maryanne may be older now, and supposibly wiser, she still has many of the insecurities that she gained as a child, and these are not improved with the addition of twins, and Sylvia and Dot, two outiders that are helping out with the war effort.
There is so much going on in this book! you need to be alert to keep up with them all, but this book is a pleasure to read. And it gives an insight into the hard lives of those on the canal boats, and the conflicts that they face.
Well worth a read!
Briefly, the first book tells the tragic story of Maryanne Nelson, who lived with an abusive step-father, who sexually abused her and her sister from a young age, and her mother, a seemingly self-obsessed poor excuse for a mum. She ends up falling in love with Joel, who is a narrowboat man, many years her senior. and along with her friend Nancy, who has escaped from an abusive marriage they build their lives together on the Cut.
The first book was so heart rendering, making tears well up inside me many times, and I was greatful for a happy ending. Unfortunately this book, doesn't show things as being positive for Maryanne, She has already suffered so much in her life, you think that she can't possibly have more tragedies or hardships to deal with. Personally, being so engaged in her story, I was upset that she didn't live happily ever after (but happily ever after doesn't make a good story)
Anyhow... This is a well written book, which follows on well from the first book, in true Annie Murray style it has many twists and turns that you don't see coming. Maryanne may be older now, and supposibly wiser, she still has many of the insecurities that she gained as a child, and these are not improved with the addition of twins, and Sylvia and Dot, two outiders that are helping out with the war effort.
There is so much going on in this book! you need to be alert to keep up with them all, but this book is a pleasure to read. And it gives an insight into the hard lives of those on the canal boats, and the conflicts that they face.
Well worth a read!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Very rare for me to read a story twice,I usually give all my books away but not Annie Murray's. Having read this story again, I found I just couldn't put it down.It's a story of people who work hard on the canal boats,paths and lives cross of people from different walks of life who come together to fight off hardships and support each other. Water Gypsies has everything love, hate, and the story line slowly leads to being a thriller. Fantastic reading as are all of this Author's books.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I really enjoyed this book - the sequel to The Narrowboat Girl. It was crammed full of twists and turns and every corner you turned seemed to end diferently to how you thought! I recemmend this book to anyone interested in Annie Murray's writing or if you are interested in Birmingham history like I am. A lot of it was so real to me as my mother was born in Birmingham and I recognised a lot of the places, people, everyday things of the time and certain jobs of work from what my Mom had told me as she grew up in Birmingham in the times that the books were written.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Water Gypsies
I found this book quite harrowing as well as the first one, Narrowboat Girl. They are good stories but the indepth detail of what the stepfather did is a bit much.
Published 1 month ago by shazza
fantastic read
Read this after the narrowboat girl, buy the time you have read both books you know all the people in the story well. Could not put down the house work had to wait. Read more
Published 3 months ago by chrissie
Water gypsies
Water gypsies is a romantic tale set in world war 2 in Birmingham. It is slightly erotic but appropriate. It is also a little sad in places. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Louise loves books
water gypies
very good read, and i am glad i read the Narrowboat Girls first, brillant book and Water Gypies follows on from that book, found that i could not put them both down. Read more
Published 12 months ago by pixie
Boat People
Great book showing a good insight into a working family on the canals. Very interesting if you have a love of the canals and a great respect of the people and the hard lives they... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mike Jones
Most compelling of Annie Murray's books
I bought this book and Narrowboat Girl together and read them in the correct order. The characters are so alive and the story so full of happy and sad moments. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Midland Annie
A lovely tale of canal life
I really enjoyed this book. It's a lovely story set against the backdrop of the canals and gives a relistic picture of the very hard lives people led on working boats.
Published 22 months ago by Bookworm
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