I picked up this read simply because I was drawn to the title, not knowing what the story was about. Partway in, I realize that it's about a middle-aged woman who has left her husband for.... another woman. I chose to continue reading as, by that time, I was drawn into wanting to find out what goes on in the psyches of the parties involved. I admit, that it was very disconcerting and even uncomfortable reading some of the more lurid details about events that led to that development -- abandonment, abuse, etc. The author has bravely tackled some very taboo subjects and spelled them out -- I believe, not so much to unsettle the reader, but to paint a very dynamic backdrop of understanding that things aren't always as they seem (and that it's easy to judge), and that these are circumstances that are very real in the world today. Ultimately, metaphorically and symbolically, it comes down to water being both the strong (carving and formative) and weak (taking the path of least resistance) forces, which we all are at some point or another.
