Title: Water Music: A Cape Cod Story
Author: Marcia Peck
Publisher: Sea Crow Press
ISBN: 979-8986567686
Pages: 244
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Aaron Washington

Read Book Review

Author Marcia Peck’s Water Music: A Cape Cod Story is a mesmerizing coming-of-age novel with every element of a good story. From the narration, the author’s writing style, the portrayal of characters and events, historical references, and literary devices used across the book, the reader is assured of an interesting tale. The author starts the book with a straightforward story, which builds into this engaging and intriguing plot along the way until the end. As you read the accounts, you understand the correlation between water, music, and the events in the book. I like that Marcia Peck got creative and weaved the themes of water and music to make the story more compelling.

We follow the story of Lily Grainger, a 12-year-old whose wish was to enjoy life as a young girl, but fate had other plans. The story is told through Lily’s eyes, which was wonderful as the reader could click with her woes. Lily Granger and her family have arrived at Cape Cod for their summer trip. For many people, a summer vacation is supposed to be bliss, but not for this girl, whom the reader later comes to see how resilient and wise she can be. Lily’s parents are not on good terms. They may be playing their traditional parenting roles, but the detestation between them can be felt. This affects both Lily and her sister Dodie. Lily’s father seems to be headstrong, while her mother had unresolved issues, which she unfortunately projected onto her daughters.

The time at Cape Cod was not entirely awful, as the family had beautiful moments. I enjoyed reading about the girls’ escapades, especially with their cousin Nicole. As you read the book, you get immersed in the quirky family dynamics of the Graingers. Amidst the family friction, Lily found a way of bringing positivity to life. As young as she was, she approached issues like a grown-up. As you read on, you can see why it is easy to like Lily more than her sister, Dodie, or any other family member. Dodie liked reading, was social, and had a generally likable persona. These qualities made me like her, but there was something about Lily that every reader would love. One core item in Lily’s life was her cello. The girl loved her cello and often played it when happy or looking for a distraction. She described it as her steadiest companion, and readers could see why. I like that the author gave Lily’s cello its own life. Reading about the musical instrument, one would be forgiven for thinking it was anything but an inanimate object. We see Marcia Peck’s illustrative skills when describing the cello, among other things.

There are multi-excellent mini-tales in the book, as well as lessons and valuable themes. Family disputes are among the major subjects in the book, as we can see how complicated the narrator’s family is. The battle is not just limited to her nuclear family, as the reader can see a few cracks when Uncle George’s family is brought in, too. Other themes include love, music, nature, tragedies, conflict resolution, and education. Marcia Peck’s book is compelling, and a worthy award-winning tale.