The Water Keeper

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, sexual violence, child sexual abuse, child abuse, and physical abuse.

Many of the characters in the novel have experienced trauma and seek ways of healing. Murph, Summer, and Ellie all experience extreme grief, regret, and heartache, which leaves them feeling vulnerable and frightened of emotional intimacy. However, through their connections with one another, they experience the healing power of love.

The romance between Murph and Summer conveys the role that romantic love plays in healing. They share their histories and get to know each other. Although it is clear that Murph is physically attracted to Summer, he remains wary of taking a chance on a relationship after what happened with Marie. As he grows closer to Summer, he begins to question whether he is capable of loving again. At the end of the novel, the two finally pursue their romantic feelings, with both insisting that the other’s past traumas do not impact how they feel. As Murph looks in on Summer in the novel’s final moments, he sees that she is finally happy and beginning to heal from what she has been through. Similarly, Murph commits to letting Summer be the “keeper” of his heart, finally moving past his heartbreak over Marie’s death.