The Girl in the Water
A novel by Joseph Howse, published by
Nummist Media (2022)
The Girl in the Water is the story of a multiethnic
group of young friends, coming of age in Estonia and Ukraine in the last days
of the Soviet Union. Their lives are shaped by an Afghan war, the Chernobyl
disaster, and the collapse and legacy of a suffocating society.
“Where can I order it?”
Read All About It
The novel has garnered praise as both a lifelike family drama and a literary
statement in the tradition of the Russian classics.
🇺🇸 The Girl in the Water has won the 2023 Independent Press Award for Literary Fiction. The judging committee, consisting of US book industry experts, scored it as the best work of literary fiction among entries from small and mid-sized publishers around the world.
Gabby Olczak, organizer of the Independent Press Award and host of The Gab Talks, has featured the novel in an interview with Joseph Howse.
🇺🇸 The Girl in the Water has won the 2023 IPPY Awards Bronze Medal for Best Regional Ebook (Fiction). This “Regional” category is for stories that convey a deep sense of a real-world place. Judges included editors, designers, reviewers, booksellers, and librarians who are experts on the North American market.
🇺🇸 The Girl in the Water has been commended as a Distinguished Favorite in the 2023 NYC Big Book Award for Literary Fiction. The judging committee, consisting of US book industry experts, rated it as an outstanding work of literary fiction among entries from small, mid-sized, and large publishers around the world.
🇺🇸 The Girl in the Water is a finalist in the 2022 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards for Multicultural Fiction. Finalists were picked by the editors of Foreword Reviews magazine.
🇺🇸 The Girl in the Water is a finalist in the 17th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards for New Fiction. Judges included publishers, editors, authors, and book designers. They selected finalists on the basis of superior writing and design, among entries from small and mid-sized publishers around the world.
🇿🇦 Lebo Serache, host of SABC Morning Live, has welcomed the novel’s South African launch in an interview with Joseph Howse.
🇨🇦 Allison Lawlor, “The Book Shelf” columnist for The Chronicle Herald and the SaltWire Network, has featured the novel in an interview with Joseph Howse.
🇳🇿 ★★★★½ “a captivating story that sheds light on the complexities of human nature in times of great change … A must-read for anyone interested in the impact of historical events and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.” —Benji Allen, Waikato Independent
🇺🇸 ★★★★½ “Joseph Howse evokes the literary styles of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky … Howse’s novel feels Russian, from its ornate structure to its social commentary to its wry humor. The author has composed a book like Tchaikovsky would a symphony; tight, disciplined, yet bubbling with unspoken passion and near-magical allegory.” —Rob Errera, IndieReader
IndieReader has also featured the novel in its “Best Reviewed Books of the Month” (December 2022) and in an interview with Joseph Howse.
🇿🇦 Caxton Network News has featured the novel in its “pick of new titles” (July 2023), syndicated to newspapers and magazines across South Africa.
🇳🇿 “[The characters’] caring for one another and the people around them in need was quite lovely. Those values of family and support remain strong even in quite a bleak time.” —Nicky Walker, Radio New Zealand Nine To Noon
🇳🇿 “Howse’s prose is wonderfully written. Through the narrative he is able to create realism in the descriptions and authentic moments between people. … Centering on the dialogue, Howse uses language well and is able to present the vocabulary of each of the characters with a sense of authenticity. … [The novel] demonstrates more than just the vivid description of a time in our world’s history where oppressed people overcame incredible obstacles. It also celebrates life, and all that is to be gained through the experiences of togetherness and connection.” —Chris Reed, NZ Booklovers
🇿🇦 “I am sure it will be well received by young adults. … We read to understand, to try to get under the skin of others, and The Girl in the Water does help one find touch points, connections, and a greater empathy for ordinary people, like Nadia. Where are those girls now, girls who, like me, were 16, 17, in 1986? Are they refugees, soldiers, and are they even alive?” —Vanessa Levenstein, Fine Music Radio Book Choice
🇺🇸 “A resilient coming-of-age story … The author includes emotional, compelling scenes with every character, as each one has been dealt a vastly different hand of cards. … It feels very down-to-Earth and includes necessary comical moments throughout. I did not know much about the events or places in this book before, but after finishing it and doing a little extra curiosity research, I’m thankful to have learned something new in such an engaging way.” —Audrey Davis, Independent Book Review
🇬🇧 “A coming of age narrative held against the backdrop of the last days of the Soviet Union … This setting and context of the book feels authentic and it is clear that a lot of research has been carried out in order to add dimension to the story. The sense of change in the setting reflects the coming-of-age themes in the characters’ narratives. … I think that this book would appeal to those interested in character driven family dramas and relationship stories, and may appeal to those interested in modern Eastern European history.” —LoveReading Ambassador
🇺🇸 “Of special appeal to fans of coming-of-age and family life novels, laced with humor, memorable characters, and an inherently interesting, narrative driven, storyline, ‘The Girl in the Water’ is unreservedly recommended as an addition to personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.” —Midwest Book Review
“Somehow it feels like the last summer on Earth. … There are wrynecks and Geiger counters, speaking to the mute and masked masses of mankind.” —Joseph Howse, The Girl in the Water
Order It
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Discuss It
Any good story can be read in multiple ways, in part because readers bring their own experiences and book-learning from beyond the pages in hand. Thus, it is the author’s hope that no two conversations about this novel will be the same. Even so, reading groups may wish to download our book club guide to find some possible starting points for their discussions.
Stay Tuned
For more news and images about this novel and future works, follow Joseph online:
Ask About Publicity
🇳🇿 New Zealand media and event planners should enquire with
Fantail Communications, our publicist
in Auckland.
🇿🇦 South African media and event planners should enquire with
JDoubleD Publicity, our publicist in
Johannesburg.
For all other publicity enquiries, please
email Joseph Howse.
Ask About Rights
Publishers who may wish to translate The Girl in the Water should
enquire with DropCap,
our foreign rights literary agent.
For all other rights enquiries, please
email Joseph Howse.