The Waters

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness and pregnancy termination.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Campbell sets The Waters on an isolated island inhabited only by women, creating a distinct matriarchal environment. How effectively does this setting serve the story’s themes, and how does it compare to the isolation in Campbell’s other works, like Once Upon a River?

2. Which elements of the novel’s blend of fairy tale and rural noir did you find most compelling, and why?

3. Among the mother-daughter relationships portrayed (Hermine-Rose Thorn, Rose Thorn-Donkey, Primrose-Rose Thorn), which resonated with you most strongly, and why?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Donkey finds solace and order in mathematics as a counterbalance to the chaos in her world. What systems or practices do you rely on to create structure during uncertain times in your own life?

2. Have you ever possessed a skill that others found simultaneously valuable and threatening, similar to Hermine’s healing abilities?

3. The novel explores the concept of chosen versus biological family through its complex web of relationships. How do you understand family, and what role has family played in your life?

4. When Rose Thorn delays her cancer treatment, she prioritizes agency over immediate medical intervention. Have you ever made a significant decision about your well-being that went against others’ expectations?

5. Do you have any physical marks that hold particular significance for you, similar to Donkey’s snake bite scar or Rose Thorn’s mastectomy?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. In what ways does Campbell’s depiction of life in Whiteheart challenge or reinforce your understanding of rural American communities?

2. The novel portrays abortion as a necessary service that Hermine provides with pride, symbolized by her cowry shell necklace. How does this representation compare to contemporary discourse around reproductive rights?

3. Throughout the novel, men exhibit various relationships with power, from violence to gentleness. What insights does the book offer about masculinity, particularly in rural communities?

Examine technical and thematic elements.

1. Consider how the Massasauga snake functions as both a physical threat and a symbolic twin to Donkey.

2. Mathematics serves as a recurring motif in the story, particularly for Donkey. What might Campbell be suggesting about different ways of knowing through the contrast between mathematical logic and intuitive healing?

3. The revelation of secrets drives many pivotal moments in the plot. What effect do these unveilings have on character relationships and the novel’s themes?

4. What purpose does Campbell’s incorporation of magical realism serve in an otherwise realistic rural setting?

5. Characters in The Waters frequently commune with nature, from Donkey’s ability to understand animals to Hermine’s knowledge of healing plants. What does this connection to the natural world reveal about their worldview?

6. Campbell’s novel draws on rural noir traditions while centering women’s experiences. In what ways does this approach differ from other works in the genre, such as Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone?

Encourage imaginative interaction with the text.

1. If you were to create a healing remedy based on one of the characters in The Waters, what ingredients would you include, and what ailment would it treat?

2. Design your own version of Massasauga Island with specific rules about who could enter and what activities would be permitted or forbidden.

3. Imagine you could add a chapter to the novel from the perspective of a male character who is not given a direct voice, such as Wild Will or Standish. What new insights might this perspective offer about the novel’s events?

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