Water is Wider by Marie Green McKeon

Two seemingly unconnected lives swirl around each other in Marie Green McKeon’s emotive second novel, Water is Wider.

Phoebe is an impulsive 11-year-old determined to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance, and sets off on a dangerous journey to Connecticut to find the truth. Sidney is a middle-aged proofreader mourning the loss of her mother and the emotional challenges of life after death. Already wrestling with grief, the slow demise of the publishing house that employs her may be too much to bear, leading Sidney to seek unlikely and potentially dangerous company.

These two stories initially lie very far apart, but the road adventure of Phoebe and the existential crisis of Sidney orbit the other in mysterious ways until the unexpected climax of this bold and unique novel.

While this novel begins with an exciting burst of potential, the pace is inconsistent and the individual stories occasionally falter in their flow. The characters are certainly interesting, but the narration is often too revealing, explaining precisely what characters are thinking and feeling, rather than allowing readers to come to their own conclusions. Additionally, the mystery of how these two characters are linked feels critical to the novel, yet the eventual reveal is somewhat lackluster and unrealistic.

With a slightly stronger plot and well-crafted conclusion, Water is Wider would be a more satisfying read. That being said, the novel is an affecting exploration of youth and a poignant meditation on grief, meaning, and family.