Historical

Properties of Thirst

Properties of Thirst

  • Downloads：9203
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-08-06 11:21:41
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Marianne Wiggins
  • ISBN：1797142259
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Suzanne ，

PROPERTIES OF THIRST is an ambitious novel， written almost in poetry with language that is so descriptive of the emotional life of the characters that it is at once heartbreaking and joyous。 And then there is the Afterword。 Author Marianne Wiggins suffered a stroke before completing this book and her daughter and close associates helped her find her way back to finishing it。 There is a gratitude list as well， to let readers know of the Herculean tasks associated with regaining skills lost。 It’s PROPERTIES OF THIRST is an ambitious novel， written almost in poetry with language that is so descriptive of the emotional life of the characters that it is at once heartbreaking and joyous。 And then there is the Afterword。 Author Marianne Wiggins suffered a stroke before completing this book and her daughter and close associates helped her find her way back to finishing it。 There is a gratitude list as well， to let readers know of the Herculean tasks associated with regaining skills lost。 It’s hard to know what is more moving in this total package， but surely it is all worth reading。 I received my copy from the publisher through edelweiss。 。。。more

Alyce ，

def a well-written book with lots of nugs of unexpected and eccentric knowledge on cooking and LA water wars。 there is def a story to be said for the people on the fridges of Japanese internment

Jane Ciabattari ，

Properties of Thirst， the new novel from Marianne Wiggins， whose Evidence of Things Unseen was a Pulitzer Prize finalist， is a complex， thorough， riveting novel。 It’s massive in scope—an emotionally satisfying family saga， an exploration of twentieth-century roaming and taking， an insightful glimpse into the filming of early Hollywood Westerns， and the story of the effects on individuals of government policies like the diversion of water from the Owens Valley in California to Los Angeles and the Properties of Thirst， the new novel from Marianne Wiggins， whose Evidence of Things Unseen was a Pulitzer Prize finalist， is a complex， thorough， riveting novel。 It’s massive in scope—an emotionally satisfying family saga， an exploration of twentieth-century roaming and taking， an insightful glimpse into the filming of early Hollywood Westerns， and the story of the effects on individuals of government policies like the diversion of water from the Owens Valley in California to Los Angeles and the internment of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II at Manzanar and other hastily built， witheringly uninhabitable camps。Virtually every page offers poetic language， conceptual surprises， gripping sensual details。 It’s a sensational， near miraculous achievement， completed after Wiggins’ massive stroke in 2016。 My interview with Wiggins for Lit Hub here:https://lithub。com/marianne-wiggins-o。。。 。。。more

Kimberly ，

"Properties of Thirst" by Marianne Wiggins is as close to perfection as a book can be。 It's an absolute masterpiece。 It is gorgeously written and， though it deals with some very heavy subjects such as the Japanese internment camps， water rights in the American West， and crushing heartbreak， this book is a joy to read because the characters are so fully developed and real。 This book hit every mark for me。 it is richly detailed and beautifully crafted， with lyrical prose and vivid imagery。 Though "Properties of Thirst" by Marianne Wiggins is as close to perfection as a book can be。 It's an absolute masterpiece。 It is gorgeously written and， though it deals with some very heavy subjects such as the Japanese internment camps， water rights in the American West， and crushing heartbreak， this book is a joy to read because the characters are so fully developed and real。 This book hit every mark for me。 it is richly detailed and beautifully crafted， with lyrical prose and vivid imagery。 Though it is a lengthy read， I was positively enthralled through the entire book and I didn't want it to end。 "Properties of Thirst" is definitely one of the best books of 2022。I am so grateful to NetGalley， the publisher， and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this magnificent novel。 。。。more

Vicki ，

“Properties of Thirst” by Marianne Wiggins， Simon & Schuster， 544 pages， Aug。 2， 2022。Rockwell “Rocky” Rhodes and his wife， Lou， raised their twins， Sunny and Stryker， on a California ranch， Las Tres Sillas。 He has been mourning Lou since her death from polio years earlier。His sister Cas lives with him。 She came to help with the twins after Lou’s death and stayed on。 The twins are now grown。 It is the early 1940s。Rocky has been fighting the LA Water Corporation for years。 The authority bought up “Properties of Thirst” by Marianne Wiggins， Simon & Schuster， 544 pages， Aug。 2， 2022。Rockwell “Rocky” Rhodes and his wife， Lou， raised their twins， Sunny and Stryker， on a California ranch， Las Tres Sillas。 He has been mourning Lou since her death from polio years earlier。His sister Cas lives with him。 She came to help with the twins after Lou’s death and stayed on。 The twins are now grown。 It is the early 1940s。Rocky has been fighting the LA Water Corporation for years。 The authority bought up water rights to land surrounding his ranch， draining his aquifer。 Stryker is estranged from his father and joins the Navy。 He is sent to Pearl Harbor not long before the attack。 Sunny is interested in cooking。 Then the government decides to build a Japanese-American internment camp next to the ranch。 Schiff， an employee of the Department of the Interior， arrives。 In time， Schiff begins to understand the horror of what he's been asked to do。 He also becomes interested in Sunny。While it is an interesting historical novel， it is disjointed and too long。 The afterword reveals that Marianne Wiggins had a serious stroke while writing the novel， but was able to complete it after a lengthy recovery。 Marianne Wiggins is also the author of “Evidence of Things Unseen，” which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award。 In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more

Fran Hawthorne ，

"Properties of Thirst" is sprawling， rich， deep， passionate， beautiful， and as big as one of its chief protagonists， the 6-foot-plus California rancher Rocky Rhodes， and the vast mountain ranges he loves。 It is definitely worth reading。 Yet， even at 544 pages， this novel is too meager for all the themes and subplots that it tries to tackle。A bit of backstory: Rocky and his twin sister， Cas， grow up in New York City in the late nineteenth century as the heirs to a mining-and-railroad fortune。 Rej "Properties of Thirst" is sprawling， rich， deep， passionate， beautiful， and as big as one of its chief protagonists， the 6-foot-plus California rancher Rocky Rhodes， and the vast mountain ranges he loves。 It is definitely worth reading。 Yet， even at 544 pages， this novel is too meager for all the themes and subplots that it tries to tackle。A bit of backstory: Rocky and his twin sister， Cas， grow up in New York City in the late nineteenth century as the heirs to a mining-and-railroad fortune。 Rejecting that heritage， Rocky heads out to the isolated Owens Valley desert of California， where he and his wife， Lou， build an idiosyncratic ranch。 When Lou dies of polio， Cas moves into the ranch to help raise the couple’s three-year-old son and daughter， Stryker and Sunny， who are another set of twins。 The ranch and valley rely for their survival on what had been a seemingly endless， free flow of snowmelt water from the mountains。 But as the Los Angeles Department of Water begins buying up the water rights and draining the large local lake to feed the growing Southern California city’s gargantuan thirst， Rocky becomes obsessed with fighting what he calls the Water boys – via dynamite as well as lawsuits。 `The main narrative opens with the attack on Pearl Harbor， where Stryker – who had run away to join the Navy -- is stationed。 Then the U。S。 government decides to set up one of its infamous Japanese internment camps right in Rocky’s backyard， at a former apple orchard called Manzanar。 Schiff， a young Jewish lawyer from the Interior Department， is sent to oversee the project。 He soon finds himself drawn to Sunny， Rocky， and Cas， though they’re not especially welcoming。The book is divided into 11 sections， each purporting to be about a different property of thirst （invented by Wiggins）， such as recognition， memory， the thwarting of desire， reinvention， and evaporation。 The important thirst isn’t for water， however。 It’s for connection。 Schiff， Sunny， Cas， and Rocky too often fumble their connections with each other or with different characters， while longing for connection with those they miss， like Stryker， Lou， and the flourishing valley that Rocky first arrived in。 The point of view varies mainly among Rocky， Cas， Sunny， Schiff， and Schiff’s Army aide， Jay Svevo， interspersed with others， sometimes back and forth on same page。 The voices are almost uniformly Dostoevskian in their run-on intensity， though they can have their quirks。 With so many pivotal characters， it’s no wonder the book can’t follow every plot or theme to its fullest。Note: In 2016， when she was nearly finished with the book， the multiple-prize-winning author， Marianne Wiggins， suffered a massive stroke。 Gradually， Wiggins’s daughter nursed her back to writing health， reading the manuscript aloud to her more than two dozen times。 It’s impossible not to wonder how that near-death experience may have altered Wiggins’s concept of the novel。 （Adapted from my review in the “New York Journal of Books，” https://www。nyjournalofbooks。com/book。。。 ） 。。。more

Jessica Hein ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Wow。 Just。。 wow。 I have so much to say about this book and I don’t even know where to begin。 This book reads like a poem。 A fluid， constant stream of consciousness in the third person shifting from POV to POV。 You get to intimately know each character from inside their own mind and how they view and love the others in the story。It tells the story of the Rhodes family， a long line of twins with a significant inheritance from their father and a mission to find their own way in the world， outside o Wow。 Just。。 wow。 I have so much to say about this book and I don’t even know where to begin。 This book reads like a poem。 A fluid， constant stream of consciousness in the third person shifting from POV to POV。 You get to intimately know each character from inside their own mind and how they view and love the others in the story。It tells the story of the Rhodes family， a long line of twins with a significant inheritance from their father and a mission to find their own way in the world， outside of their father’s shadow。 Rockwell Rhodes （Rocky） the Patriarch of the family， drops out of Harvard and moves to the High Sierras in the early 1900’s to be as far away from his father and his money as he can to live off the land and be a real cowboy。 He falls in love with a French doctor （Louisiana “Lou”） and they make a life and medical practice living off the land in the high， snow capped mountains of the Sierras and Mount Whitney。 A simple life with Mexican and Native American laborers living on their ranch together as family and friends， they seem to have the life they’ve always dreamed of。 They have two beautiful twins （Sunny and Stryker） and life is good。 When the children are three， Lou succumbs to Polio and Rocky is left to parent the children alone in the isolated high desert。 His twin sister， Caswell （Cas） immediately abandons her life and dreams as a professional touring harpist in Scandinavia and turns her ball gowns in for galoshes and crewneck sweaters to raise the children alongside her brother and best friend。Stryker is the younger twin， bold and brazen， flirtatious and devious。 He never seems to forgive his father for his mother’s death， and his relationship with his father has always been strained and tense。 Sunny is the practical， pensive， motherly twin。。 always keeping things in order and often sacrificing her comfort and experiences in life to protect her twin brother。 When Stryker decides to leave the family and join the Navy， he only tells his sister， Sunny。 On December 7， 1941， the Naval Base Pearl Harbor in Honolulu， Hawaii is bombed by the Japanese， and Sunny confesses to her family that that is where Stryker had been stationed with his new Japanese wife Suzy and their two twin boys， Ralph and Waldo Rhodes。 They are informed that Stryker was aboard the Arizona and has perished in the attack， and the whereabouts of his new wife and children are unknown。 While the family is searching for answers， and the United States is bloodthirsty with a violent and racist rage against anyone of Japanese decent， a young Jewish lawyer from Chicago named Schiff comes to town with an unusual job for the Department of the Interior。 While eating dinner at the best place in town， Lou’s， he meets Sunny and is immediately taken with her。 When he finds out that she is the lead chef and is living her dream of creating savory， meaningful dishes from all over the world in her own restaurant， he admits to her that he is in charge of opening and operating one of the largest Japanese internment camps on the border of her family land。This story has so many layers of life， love， loss， grace， grudges， and hope… all with water at the center。 You get to know each character so intimately that their development though the pages is both satisfying and sad， as their death and loss become yours。 The love and selflessness of the Rhodes family is a thing of beauty and the love and devotion of Schiff to Sunny and Rocky to Lou sets the bar so high， like only a novel can。 The story was so rich with French， Spanish， Japanese， Hebrew/Yiddish and Native American phrases， slang and shorthand that I felt immersed in so many cultures the entire time。 The details of each and every food made my mouth water， and I felt like I could smell and taste the things Sunny described。 The ending was so devastatingly beautiful and fitting that I can’t even be upset。 This book was phenomenal， exquisite， I couldn’t put it down。 I can’t recommend it enough。 。。。more

Stephanie ，

I am grateful to Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for providing me with the opportunity to read an advance copy of this magnificent novel。20th century California， specifically the Owens Valley， provides a turbulent setting for Wiggins spectacular epic。 The rancher at the center of the tale， Rocky Rhodes， is the blue blood son of a brutal New York capitalist in the mold of the Astors and the Morgans。 When railroad magnet Wellington Rhodes dies， Rocky and his twin sister， Caswell， sell off the fami I am grateful to Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for providing me with the opportunity to read an advance copy of this magnificent novel。20th century California， specifically the Owens Valley， provides a turbulent setting for Wiggins spectacular epic。 The rancher at the center of the tale， Rocky Rhodes， is the blue blood son of a brutal New York capitalist in the mold of the Astors and the Morgans。 When railroad magnet Wellington Rhodes dies， Rocky and his twin sister， Caswell， sell off the family’s assets and Rocky heads West。 Rocky’s wife， Lou， whom he first spied on a Chicago rail platform， is the only female physician practicing in Inyo County， ministering to the resident Indian and Mexican populations until her death from polio。 Rocky is left to raise their three-year-old twins， Stryker and Sunny， at their ranch， Las Tres Silas （the Three Chairs， a homage to Rocky’s adoration for Thoreau）， in the shadow of the Sierras。 Cas， a six foot three woman who Rocky thought looked like Spencer Tracy， was the defining woman in the twin’s lives， sacrificing her career as an acclaimed harpist， and her own chance at parenthood， to assist her grief stricken brother raise his twins。 Stryker blamed his father for his mother’s premature death， and even when he was old enough to understood how polio infiltrates， nothing could diminish his anger or refocus it away from Rocky。 Much to land-bound Rocky’s dismay， Stryker joined the navy， writing from Pearl Harbor to his sister periodically who passed along the news to Rocky。 Sunny remained with her father and aunt， operating a local restaurant， Lou’s。World War II encroaches。 The desiccated land adjacent to the Three Chairs is requisitioned by the government。 Schiff， an employee of the Department of Interior， is charged with building a detention camp， Manzanar， at the base of Mount Whitney to house Japanese-American citizens after the President banned all citizens of Japanese descent from living on or near the western coast from Canada to Mexico。 At the beginning of the 20th century， agents were sent to Manzanar， two hundred miles north of Los Angeles， to buy up land for water rights that they could send back south by canal and aqueduct to a thirsty Los Angeles。 These water poachers from Los Angeles built an aqueduct， designed by William Mulholland， that diverted run-off from the Sierras from the Owens Valley， causing Rocky’s neighbors to abandon their arid ranches and move north。 Rocky， who had waged a thirty year “holy war” against the Department of Water in Los Angeles， had sued on the theory that the City needed to pay for the dust that blew off the drained lake and polluted the air requiring dust mitigation。 Rocky’s vendetta intersects with the detainees whom he thinks that he could use to demonstrate a cause and effect between geriatric emphysema and pediatric asthma and the water being diverted。This magnificent novel is seeped in history that is familiar to Californians， but is so rooted in the lives of these unforgettable characters’ that it makes the familiar history particularly vivid。 Whether Wiggins’ is describing the minutiae of the delectable meals created by Sunny or the majestic beauty of the expansive Owens Valley， each sentence is poetic and deftly crafted。 It is not an overstatement to call this panoramic novel a masterpiece。 。。。more

Melissa Crytzer Fry ，

I was immediately interested in this book when I read the description concerning water rights and the protection of beloved California ranchland （as I sit smack-dab in the Arizona desert and parts of our state face water restrictions that seem， also， to cater to “the many vs。 the few。” i。e。， Ranchers/farmers in our county are being restricted while large cities in other counties have zero restrictions）。“You can’t save what you don’t love” was a theme presented throughout this novel – a sentiment I was immediately interested in this book when I read the description concerning water rights and the protection of beloved California ranchland （as I sit smack-dab in the Arizona desert and parts of our state face water restrictions that seem， also， to cater to “the many vs。 the few。” i。e。， Ranchers/farmers in our county are being restricted while large cities in other counties have zero restrictions）。“You can’t save what you don’t love” was a theme presented throughout this novel – a sentiment I’ve voiced many times regarding humans’ detachment from nature。 In this novel， it becomes an expertly woven theme – related to land and relationships and humanity。Naturally， water images abound， and each section is presented with the various properties of thirst， eleven in all， including， among them， memory， desire， truth， reinvention， evaporation （brilliant）！ Some of the liquidy imagery: …Here he could hear the water， he could see the water， the shadow of the water: ice on the mountains vapor in the clouds…。 He had loved the land and had watched it parch and buckle， water trapped and stolen by … he didn’t even like to think the name。 Los Angeles。I could relate to Rocky and his absolute adoration for the ruggedness of the area （and would hope to see Pierce Brosnan cast as him！）。 This novel tackles tough and tender issues simultaneously: love and loss， the corruption of large municipal entities， and the horrific reality of Japanese-American internment camps in America。 It address moral consciousness and humanity， and pits it against greed and selfishness。The writing is dense and complex and uses a lot of unconventional grammatical and punctuation techniques， which may turn some readers off （lots of dashes and parentheses， stream of consciousness）。 And while I wholly enjoyed this story， I noted a kind of unevenness throughout that I couldn’t quite put my finger on – very lengthy soliloquies that needed paring down （for my tastes） and often-excessive descriptions that got in the way of the story （usually something I don’t mind）。When I read the Afterword， I gained some clarity regarding my reaction。 That said， the Afterword also erased any potential quibbles I might have had。 （view spoiler）[When I learned the author had suffered a massive stroke when this book was still in draft stage， and read about the struggle her daughter went through to ensure it would be published， and then learned of the author’s struggle back to speech and sight and writing … I cried。 The amount of work the editor， also， put in to coax the damaged-but-healing author’s words back from her… I appreciated it even more。 （hide spoiler）] Many thanks to the publisher， Simon and Schuster， and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Sandra Heitzman ，

Beautifully written， beautiful characterizations and a very interesting story about a fight for water （1940's） and a moral civilian tasked with implementing an internment camp for Japanese Americans。 There is also a love story。 This was a dark period in American history and the novel examines the choices made by everyday people。 Beautifully written， beautiful characterizations and a very interesting story about a fight for water （1940's） and a moral civilian tasked with implementing an internment camp for Japanese Americans。 There is also a love story。 This was a dark period in American history and the novel examines the choices made by everyday people。 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

Know in advance that this amazing novel will demand your full attention- and that it might not be for everyone。 Set during WWII， it's the story of Rocky， an East Coast patrician who relocated to Lone Pine， California and built a life on a ranch with his wife Lou and his twins Stryker and Sunny， and later with his sister Cas。 The Los Angeles Water Authority has， however， stripped him and others in the region of their water， almost killing the ranch。 Schiff， an attorney with the Department of Inte Know in advance that this amazing novel will demand your full attention- and that it might not be for everyone。 Set during WWII， it's the story of Rocky， an East Coast patrician who relocated to Lone Pine， California and built a life on a ranch with his wife Lou and his twins Stryker and Sunny， and later with his sister Cas。 The Los Angeles Water Authority has， however， stripped him and others in the region of their water， almost killing the ranch。 Schiff， an attorney with the Department of Interior arrives and shakes up Sunny and Rocky's lives as he is charged with building and maintaining what becomes the Manzanar internment camp。 He falls in love with Sunny， who runs a small French restaurant in town， and is gutted by guilt over the people in the camp。 It's impossible to describe the scope of this novel， which moves from Lone Pine to Hawaii to Europe and back and forth in time。 Much of it reads almost as stream of consciousness and there are occasional lists。 Know that there are no chapters （at least not in the kindle version） and it might take a moment to transition between perspectives。 That said， these are vivid and real characters with a story that kept me turning the pages until the end- and the afterword。 Much credit and appreciation is due to Wiggins' devoted and determined daughter Lara Porzak who has cared for her and this novel since Wiggins' stroke。 It's not an easy read by any means but I found myself unable to put it down。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 Highly recommend。 。。。more

Greg ，

In this novel， Marianne Wiggins expertly explores a dark period in American history through the lenses of interesting， fully realized characters and a powerful landscape。 Throughout， her unifying metaphor is water and thirst。 She uses it to examine the complexities of love and connection between people and to the land。 “You can’t save what you don’t love” is her main message。 The Rhodes family， curiously consisting of three generations of twins， lives on a ranch in California’s picturesque Owens In this novel， Marianne Wiggins expertly explores a dark period in American history through the lenses of interesting， fully realized characters and a powerful landscape。 Throughout， her unifying metaphor is water and thirst。 She uses it to examine the complexities of love and connection between people and to the land。 “You can’t save what you don’t love” is her main message。 The Rhodes family， curiously consisting of three generations of twins， lives on a ranch in California’s picturesque Owens Valley in the 1940’s。 They display abundant helpings of familial love and caring characterized by food， traditions， anecdotes， idealism and individualism。 These are tempered by loss， sacrifice and grieving mainly caused by the war and disease。 To provide texture to her sweeping narrative， Wiggins includes actual historical facts surrounding the U。S。’s xenophobic racist governmental policy of Japanese internment and L。A。’s exploitation of the valley for its scarce natural resource—water。Rocky Rhodes is the patriarch of the family。 Ironically， he inherited his wealth from a father who became rich by plundering the environment for natural resources。 Now Rocky finds himself as an impassioned advocate for preserving the water that L。A。 is sucking away from his homeland。 Also， he is grieving the untimely death of his wife， Lou， from polio。 As a caring physician， Lou apparently acquired the virus while treating Native-Americans in the valley。 Rocky is left to raise his twin children， Sunny and Stryker。 Sunny copes with the loss of her mother by deciphering her notes on French cooking （all in French）， while her brother reacts to his own grief by recklessly acting out。 He joins the Navy before Pearl Harbor and apparently dies there during the attack only after marrying a Japanese American woman and fathering twin sons。 Unfortunately， Wiggins never satisfactorily provides closure or sufficient detail for this sad plot element。 This shortcoming can be forgiven， however， since Wiggins suffered a devastating stroke before finishing the novel and it was only completed through the diligence of her daughter。 Aside from the immediate family， two other characters play prominent roles in the plot。 One is Rocky’s ungainly twin sister， Cas， who comes to help with raising his twins following Lou’s passing。 She is an endearing personage， who is both physically and figuratively larger than life。 The other is Schiff， an idealistic young lawyer sent by the Interior Department to establish the Manzanar Internment Camp for Japanese American nationals from the West Coast exclusion zone。 As the child of holocaust survivors， the injustice of citizenship by ethnicity is not lost on Schiff。 His infatuation with Sunny makes for a delightful boy-meets-loses-regains-girl love story that Wiggins exploits to the fullest。 PROPERTIES OF THIRST is a wonderful reading experience filled with intimate details and universal themes。 In creating this novel， Wiggins has clearly done her homework。 While seamlessly following the adventures of the Rhodes family， Wiggins manages to delve into the intricacies of French cooking， the difficulties and injustices of warehousing certain Americans out of fear。 And especially， along the way， she evokes the expansive setting in the American high desert along with its haciendas， unique vegetation， and sweeping landscapes that were repeatedly used as Hollywood movie sets。 。。。more

Shell ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is a super interesting read。 The story follows a farming family living in California during WWII。 It follows their struggles with the war， water rights， and having an interment camp for Japanese Americans right across the road from their property。 I learned much about how the City of Los Angeles used eminent domain to take land away from farmers and ranchers to steal the water needed for the city。 It also tells about the living conditions of the interment camps and the people who thought th This is a super interesting read。 The story follows a farming family living in California during WWII。 It follows their struggles with the war， water rights， and having an interment camp for Japanese Americans right across the road from their property。 I learned much about how the City of Los Angeles used eminent domain to take land away from farmers and ranchers to steal the water needed for the city。 It also tells about the living conditions of the interment camps and the people who thought the interment was wrong and how they tried to help。 It ultimately is a grown up love story。 I highly recommend reading this book。 。。。more

Thomas ，

This was a captivating story， one that I became deeply invested in and taught me a lot about history and the Lone Pine area。 Marianne Wiggins has a writing style that makes you fall in love with a landscape and way of life。 She is a magician with words， able to deeply describe moments that may leave us speechless and incapable of describing with words。 I found myself deeply connected to the characters and felt the joys and pains that they did。 Overall， an incredible read！

Iphigenia ，

Loved this！ A sweeping family saga with richly developed characters， deep questions， and a fascinating setting。 I love books that are set in the WWII time period but manage to tell a fresh tale。 Here， the diversion of water to Los Angeles and the set up of a Japanese-American internment camp are both interesting plot points。

Suzanne McLaughlin ，

I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 The story is woven around the LA water wars， the imprisonment of Japanese-Americans during World War II， and the bombing of Pearl Harbor。 The character development was top-notch and interesting。 I could hardly put the book down until I completed it。

Kim McGee ，

This sweeping historical novel focuses on the many ways we thirst。 It can be a physical thirst for water and the many implications when it is given or taken away。 There is also the thirst for acceptance and love which is seen in the love that the agent sent to set up a Japanese American internment camp has for the rancher's daughter or the acceptance of those families being rounded up for the camp having that acceptance from their new country taken away。 The story is centered around the setting This sweeping historical novel focuses on the many ways we thirst。 It can be a physical thirst for water and the many implications when it is given or taken away。 There is also the thirst for acceptance and love which is seen in the love that the agent sent to set up a Japanese American internment camp has for the rancher's daughter or the acceptance of those families being rounded up for the camp having that acceptance from their new country taken away。 The story is centered around the setting up of an internment camp and how it affects the community around it and the ranching family fighting for extinction should they lose water rights。 The sentences are written in short bursts that help the reader reach into each character as well as expertly setting the stage。 Even though this is a novel of America and the impact of WWII it is also a love story， a family drama and people fighting both nature and men just to survive。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more

Nancy ，

So good。 Had an ARC of this one。 One of the best character and place books I have read。

Nolan Mancl ，

This book is difficult to categorize because it does so many things。 Set during one of the most shameful times in US history， Marianne Wiggins explores the impact of war on the environment/agriculture， the dimensions of grief， existential questions， and critiques racism and racist logic。 Written with linguistic mastery， this beautiful novel is sure to become an American classic。

David V。 ，

Received as an ARC via my employer Barnes & Noble。 Started 6-23-22。 Finished 6-28-22。 Wonderful， excellent， beautifully written，poetic， fascinating。 Should win many awards。 I want to know what happens to the remaining characters。 Long book （500+ pages） but ， oh， so worth it。 I was a bit daunted at first when I saw its length， but it moved at a much quicker pace than I imagined at first。The afterword about the author's health is in a way part of the story。 Ms。 Wiggins has written a masterpiece！！！ Received as an ARC via my employer Barnes & Noble。 Started 6-23-22。 Finished 6-28-22。 Wonderful， excellent， beautifully written，poetic， fascinating。 Should win many awards。 I want to know what happens to the remaining characters。 Long book （500+ pages） but ， oh， so worth it。 I was a bit daunted at first when I saw its length， but it moved at a much quicker pace than I imagined at first。The afterword about the author's health is in a way part of the story。 Ms。 Wiggins has written a masterpiece！！！ 。。。more

Tammy ，

This is the saga of the Rhodes family: historical in scope， multi-layered in narrative， and with characters that are richly drawn。 Water rights， Japanese internment camps， love， loss， food， and music provide the skeleton of this exquisite and graceful novel。 Another must-read。

Wisegirl Wiser ，

"You can't save what you do not love。" Tragedy and ethical irony claw at the hearts of Mary Higgins' larger than life characters in this epic literary masterpiece about finding love and family in all the wrong places。 Rockwell Rhodes receives his wealth from his industrialist father， whom he hates for stealing minerals out of the ground for his fame and， of course， for the literal mine of fortune that is now "Rocky's" inheritance。 Rocky escapes the big city and creates an idyllic life on his Cal "You can't save what you do not love。" Tragedy and ethical irony claw at the hearts of Mary Higgins' larger than life characters in this epic literary masterpiece about finding love and family in all the wrong places。 Rockwell Rhodes receives his wealth from his industrialist father， whom he hates for stealing minerals out of the ground for his fame and， of course， for the literal mine of fortune that is now "Rocky's" inheritance。 Rocky escapes the big city and creates an idyllic life on his California ranch with the love of his life and two beautiful children， until the water below his land is 'mined' right out from under him by the LA Water company。 Rocky's wife Lou took a gamble when she followed him， a stranger who spied her from across the Chicago train station they were both passing through。 He stole her heart by building the mansion with a bell tower he had promised， and he did it with his own bare hands！ "And what if love does not save you？" In the end her luck ran out when， in spite of being a doctor AND a chef level garden to table master creator of healthy and delectable food， she was struck down by sickness and tragically expired due to ill informed treatment。 The wild child of the twins was Stryker， but he ends up a hero in an infamous national incident of war。 Sunny， stubborn but sweet， seeks and recreates the love of her absent mother in the mysteries of food she must unlock from French language books with unknown ingredients。 She ironically finds love with a Jewish lawyer and war officer， in WWII， tasked with creating the prison-home for Japanese-American citizens on the plot next door; he knows his assignment is both illegal and immoral and he wants out。 It is hard to see the beauty in Rocky's 6'4" twin sister， who left NYC to help raise her brother's children， until you see her play the harp or travel with her as the puppet master of culture in the big apple and Europe。 About the properties of thirst and water: sometimes it will swallow the ones you love， and the only part of them you can save is their essence， hidden in the memories。 If you are as good as Higgin's characters， your love can recreate that essence from thin air， even when there are no real memories… The literary experience of this four digit length novel is as delectable as the cuisine and the stories of love that are artfully woven throughout its masterful language。 You will masticate the darkly humorous turns of phrase and savor the empty places in the sinuous themes of this steadily erudite experience， and you will never want it to end！ The afterward is the true story of the author's cruel health incident。 The way her daughter and friends-village helped her rally to finish this beautiful story is an inspiration。Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC。 My favorite ever。 。。。more

Maggie Rotter ，

Where to start with this magical book？ Perhaps with the end note written by Marianne Wiggens' daughter explaining the process they went through to support the author in completing the volume after a seriously debilitating stroke。 Or with the style and tone that remind me of another cherished author， Mark Helprin。 The story moves through time and place capturing formative moments for the very interesting characters who are not always likeable but always make you care。 No magical realism - just ma Where to start with this magical book？ Perhaps with the end note written by Marianne Wiggens' daughter explaining the process they went through to support the author in completing the volume after a seriously debilitating stroke。 Or with the style and tone that remind me of another cherished author， Mark Helprin。 The story moves through time and place capturing formative moments for the very interesting characters who are not always likeable but always make you care。 No magical realism - just magical storytelling and character development。 Very enthusiastically recommended。。 。。。more

Susan ，

As a lover of historical fiction， and having grown up in Southern California， I really enjoyed the setting of this book， WWII， Lone Pine， Owens Lake， and the ongoing story of water “theft” to irrigate Los Angeles made this an interesting base for a fascinating story about an unusual family。 I loved the word crafting centered on French culinary arts， as well as the interplay between the characters。 This is my favorite novel written by Marianne Wiggins。

Shirley Freeman ，

Just as thirst has many properties， so does this novel - family saga， love story（ies）， historical fiction， environmental fiction， literary fiction -and I think it's going to be big when it is published in August。 The novel itself is a grand and immersive tale， but the back story of how the novel was finished after the author's massive stroke is also an inspiration。 Water， it's life-giving properties， and it's use and misuse is a major theme， but the lives of Rockwell （Rocky） Rhodes and his famil Just as thirst has many properties， so does this novel - family saga， love story（ies）， historical fiction， environmental fiction， literary fiction -and I think it's going to be big when it is published in August。 The novel itself is a grand and immersive tale， but the back story of how the novel was finished after the author's massive stroke is also an inspiration。 Water， it's life-giving properties， and it's use and misuse is a major theme， but the lives of Rockwell （Rocky） Rhodes and his family， living in the Owens Valley/Desert outside of LA in the early 1940s are the heart of the story。 。。。more

Mary ，

Magnificent！ Beautiful prose， compelling story， magical。

Eva Silverfine ，

As in previous works， Wiggins explores historical events in the context of deeply imagined characters， in part bespeaking that the circumstances of our times can make—or break— who we are， what we become。 Set in the Owens Valley of California as the United States enters WWII， the plot is centered around the “redistribution” of water resources from this rural community （the few） to Los Angeles （the many） and the creation of an internment camp for Japanese Americans。 The story of the latter is tol As in previous works， Wiggins explores historical events in the context of deeply imagined characters， in part bespeaking that the circumstances of our times can make—or break— who we are， what we become。 Set in the Owens Valley of California as the United States enters WWII， the plot is centered around the “redistribution” of water resources from this rural community （the few） to Los Angeles （the many） and the creation of an internment camp for Japanese Americans。 The story of the latter is told from the perspective of the Department of the Interior employee sent to set up the camp rather than that of the internees。It is the story of the characters that absorbs us。 With an irony not lost on him， Rocky， whose inherited wealth is derived from the extraction of natural resources， is battling the behemoth Los Angeles， which has “stolen” his water via its aqueduct。 Having rejected his father’s pursuit of wealth， he headed west， where he built a home for his beloved， now deceased。 Living with him is his sister Cas， who as a manly sized， intelligent， and independent woman has had a lifetime coping with issues of conventional femininity。 Cas arrived to help care for her twin niece and nephew upon the death of their mother。 Sunny， now a young woman， has grown up trying to fill the void that should have been her relationship with her mother。 To that end， in part， she is focused on all things food。 Her brother， Stryker， is known through the other characters and is portrayed as fearless—as well as somewhat reckless。 Into the lives of this somewhat unconventional and eccentric family arrives Schiff， a first-generation， urban， Jewish American lawyer sent from the Department of the Interior to set up the internment camp—an irony not lost on him。 Although a minor theme， the contrast of class here echoes the contrast of citizenship based on ethnicity。Yet， in outlining the plot and main characters of Properties of Water， the most important element of the novel is not addressed， and that is the intelligence and depth with which Marianne Wiggins brings her story to us。 Her insight， her skill in creating a seamless world， her ability to bring us to the cusp of stream of consciousness without getting lost in it， characterizes her work。 And， as with any good book， we feel the loss of the characters and hope for their （fictional） future。Simon and Schuster provided me an ARC of this novel。 。。。more

Irene ，

I received a copy of this book to review from Net Galley。 I was excited to start it because I'd read another novel by this author - Evidence of Things Unseen - that I liked it very much。 I was surprised to find this book a bit uneven， with abrupt transitions within and between chapters， and too long overall，although there were characters and elements of the book I liked quite a lot。 At the conclusion of the novel there was a section written by the author's daughter， explaining that her mother ha I received a copy of this book to review from Net Galley。 I was excited to start it because I'd read another novel by this author - Evidence of Things Unseen - that I liked it very much。 I was surprised to find this book a bit uneven， with abrupt transitions within and between chapters， and too long overall，although there were characters and elements of the book I liked quite a lot。 At the conclusion of the novel there was a section written by the author's daughter， explaining that her mother had a severe stroke while she was writing the novel and was able to complete it only after a lengthy recovery。 That may explain the book's lack of flow， or perhaps that was just my perception of it。 In any case， I do recommend the title as the good outweighs the bad。 。。。more

Susan Sanders ，

ARC from NetgalleyDNF at 10%。 Could not find a thread to connect me to anything enough to keep reading

Jenny Suzanne ，

The poetry of The Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins gave me chills。 This epic and sweeping novel is destined to be an award winner， telling a timeless story of family， greed， and grief。 It imagines how everyday Americans might have resisted the travesty of the internment of Americans of Asian descent during WWII。