Castle of Water: A Novel

Castle of Water: A Novel

"A unique, inventive exploration of love, loss, and survival." ―Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale "A moving, harrowing, and downright literary novel." ―Michelle Gable, New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment "Brilliant, clever, riveting―pick your adjective, they all apply." ―Thomas Christopher Greene, bestselling author of The Headmaster's Wife Two very different people, one very small island. For Sophie Ducel, her honeymoon in French Polynesia was intended as a celebration of life. The proud owner of a thriving Parisian architecture firm, co-founded with her brilliant new husband, Sophie had much to look forward to―including a visit to the island home of her favorite singer, Jacques Brel. For Barry Bleecker, the same trip was meant to mark a new beginning. Turning away from his dreary existence in Manhattan finance, Barry had set his sights on fine art, seeking creative inspiration on the other side of the world―just like his idol, Paul Gauguin. But when their small plane is downed in the middle of the South Pacific, the sole survivors of the wreck are left with one common goal: to survive. Stranded hundreds of miles from civilization, on an island the size of a large city block, the two castaways must reconcile their differences and learn to draw on one another's strengths if they are to have any hope of making it home. Told in mesmerizing prose, with charm and rhythm entirely its own, Dane Huckelbridge's Castle of Water is more than just a reimagining of the classic castaway story. It is a stirring reflection on love’s restorative potential, as well as a poignant reminder that home―be it a flat in Paris, a New York apartment, or a desolate atoll a world away―is where the heart is. “ Castle of Water is a unique, inventive exploration of love, loss, and survival. The novel's two characters, lost and alone on a Polynesian island, must rely on each other when the world has forgotten all about them. Castle of Water is a compelling portrait of what it means to be rescued--both literally and figuratively―by hope, ingenuity, and love.” ―Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale "Far more complex than any given deserted island tale, Dane Huckelbridge has written a moving, harrowing, and downright literary novel in which even the inevitable comes as a surprise. Castle of Water will lift spirits and break hearts. I did not want this story to end." ―Michelle Gable, New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment "Brilliant, clever, riveting―pick your adjective, they all apply. But do pick up Castle of Water , just be careful when you pick it up. For Huckelbridge has spun a yarn that is sure to cost you sleep while you race to the remarkable end. It's that good." ―Thomas Christopher Greene, bestselling author of The Headmaster's Wife DANE HUCKELBRIDGE was born and raised in the American Midwest. He holds a degree from Princeton University, and his works of fiction and essays have appeared in a variety of journals, including Tin House , Time Magazine , The Wall Street Journal , and The New Republic . Castle of Water is his first novel. Dane currently resides in Paris, France. Castle Of Water By Dane Huckelbridge St. Martin's Press Copyright © 2017 Dane Huckelbridge All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-250-09822-1 CHAPTER 1 The flat is in the tenth arrondissement of Paris, on a derelict street called Château d'Eau. To find it is simple: Just take a right at the arch, go down rue Saint-Denis, steer clear of the dog shit, and you cannot miss it. To find beauty in it, however, is a bit more daunting. The charms of the alley do exist, if one squints past the worn-out tabacs and disheveled filles de joie that ply their trades along its curbs. Fortunately, the man who lives there is accustomed to squinting and proud to call the place his home. He wakes earlier than usual on this particular morning. He does not rise immediately but lies awake for a moment, savoring the stillness of the chill blue hour. Then, at last, he decides to get up. A splash of water on the face, a quick brushing of teeth, a puckering spit, and a satisfied gargle. He smiles at his scarred and bearded reflection — grayer, it seems, with each passing day. Ablutions complete, it's time to get dressed. First he slips on an old moth-hounded sweater, followed by corduroy trousers flecked with white paint. A Harris Tweed jacket is pulled from the closet, the elbows of which are worn down to fuzz. Oh, and shoes — can't forget those. The man puts on argyle socks and scuffed leather brogans and tiptoes out of his bedroom door. He considers briefly leaving a note in the kitchen but doubts he'll be gone long enough to even be missed. He does, however, pause at the end of the hallway, to press his ear to another door and give it a listen. Satisfied with the silence, he leaves the flat, padding delicately down th