AT THE SCENT OF WATER BY LINDA NICHOLS

AT THE SCENT OF WATER 
by LINDA NICHOLS is one of the loveliest books I have read.  It is beautifully written and has a wonderful theme of forgiveness and redemption.  We see how various characters deal with tragedy, grief, guilt and unforgiveness.  The main characters, Annie Dalton/Truelove and her husband Dr Sam Truelove come from Gilead Springs.  Their families have been close friends and they grew up together, especially as Annie lost her mother very young and spent a lot of time at the Truelove home.  We see the tragedy of the loss of their daughter, Margaret, who drowned in the creek when she was being looked after by Mary Truelove, Sam's mother.  Mary finds it impossible to forgive herself and she is even angry with God for allowing it to happen.  Her old friend Elijah Walker, who has been a medical missionary in Africa for years, helps her to forgive herself and to come back to trusting the Lord again.  There are wonderful Scripture verses throughout and there is a very strong emphasis on the importance of water, especially as the land has been suffering a severe drought for three years.  The same drought is in Annie and Sam's hearts and they are both working hard at keeping their emotions in check.  We get the feeling that the floodgates are about to open any moment!  Annie's father, Carl,  trusts in God and keeps hope alive.  He waters the Balm of Gilead trees which he has planted in his and Annie's gardens.  His wife, Diane, is very down to earth and  very loving, and also walks very closely with the Lord.
When Sam hears of his daughter's drowning, he doesn't rush to Annie's side in the hospital where their little girl is lying, but he carries on with a heart operation on Kelly Bright.  He is a brilliant children's cardiac surgeon and totally dedicated to his work, but he makes a mistake and Kelly ends up a vegetable.  Annie cannot forgive him for operating on another child when they have just lost their daughter.  She is a reporter and had just gone back to work part-time and had asked him to look after Margaret while she was following a story.  He is called away to operate on Kelly as he is the best cardiac surgeon in the hospital, and leaves Margaret with his mother.  Mary is called to the phone and doesn't notice that Margaret is not napping but has gone down to the creek to play, as she loves water.  
Sam and Annie are separated.  Every year on their wedding anniversary he waits for her at a restaurant where they used to go for special occasions.  There is an old lady there who goes there every year with her friends to celebrate her birthday.  She prays for Sam as he looks so sad, and he always goes away devastated when Annie fails to appear.  The last time he goes there, she speaks to him and says she has a word from the Lord for him, that he mustn't give up.  She prays for the woman he is waiting for as well.
Sam used to pray when he operated and to minister to the parents of the children that he operated on.  He was very dedicated to his job and felt the Lord had given him a special gift.  He did his work as unto the Lord.  Since Annie left and Margaret died he is no longer passionate about anything.  He just works and his colleagues are worried about him. 
Annie decides to divorce him as she has no feeling left.  She feels dead inside and also has turned away from the Lord.  She is offered a job at the L. A. Times and decides to move there, far away from everyone and everything she has loved.
I'm not going to tell you the end of the story as I don't want to spoil it for you.  I found it very inspiring and full of so much biblical truth.  The characters are very well portrayed and the language is beautiful.