Deeper Water (Jessie Cole, Fourth Estate)

The premise of Jessie Cole’s second novel is reminiscent of her acclaimed debut novel Darkness on the Edge of Town: a car accident brings a stranger into the lives of a family living on the outskirts of a small rural community. This is no bad thing, as Cole’s first novel was brilliant, absorbing and haunting. Deeper Water is told entirely through the eyes of Mema, a sheltered young woman who comes across the slightly older and intriguing Hamish during a storm. His intrusion into her world—which includes a bereaved sister, fierce mother and disturbed best friend—propels Mema towards an awakening that forces her to consider her place in the world beyond the security of the farm. Cole creates vivid scenes of lush farmland and teases out interesting and rich characters with an impressive economy of language. Mema manages to be somewhat naïve and a social outsider but also observant and engaging. Glimpses of black humour and social commentary—a conversation about the value of email, for instance—are cleverly injected into the narrative. There is a sense of foreboding around Mema’s unpredictable best friend Anja, a slow burn towards catastrophe, which also echoes the mounting tension of Darkness on the Edge of Town. Jessie Cole is an impressive writer and Deeper Water is another fine and elegantly written novel.

Portia Lindsay is a former bookseller who now works at the NSW Writers’ Centre

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Category: Reviews