The Water Keeper Discussion Page

By now you have realized that I wasn’t joking when I said that author Charles Martin was known for his action-packed story lines featuring complex relationships! The Water Keeper opens with a bang and doesn’t stop. In just the prologue we’re introduced to our main character Murphy, someone named Fingers who has been violently and fatally injured aboard a yacht about to blow up, and someone named Marie who has been apparently swept away in the ocean—possibly by choice. It certainly seems that Murphy was expecting a scene of chaos and went right to work rescuing the young women locked in a flooded room on the yacht. Interesting that Fingers was hand signaling to Murphy regarding the Bible verse Psalm 78-70, which in turn Murphy understood as Fingers communicating about their relationship. You can see that particular verse as it appears in the different versions of the Bible at the website Bible Hub. What do you think the verse indicates about the relationship between the two? Do we know enough about Fingers and Murphy’s relationship at this early stage to clearly understand? This final interaction between the two men is intriguing to me and makes me want to know more about both of them and whatever their line of work might be.

Here at the beginning, Fingers mentions the concept that the needs of the one outweigh those of the 99, something Murphy reflects on again while getting ready to set out on his journey to take care of Finger’s remains.  Murphy says that it had taken him years to understand what Fingers meant. I’m slightly confused as well; what do you think Fingers means by this concept? I’m more familiar with this concept as stated in the reverse: that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or one. In popular culture this concept is often mentioned in relation to the Star Trek series. STAR TREK SPOILER ALERT: The extremely logical character of Spock shares the version I’m familiar with in the famous death scene from the movie Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan as he sacrifices himself to save the crew of the starship Enterprise. You can view that scene from MovieClips here:

We’ve also learned about the loss of another obviously important person in Murphy’s life—Marie, a woman who appears to have possibly been his wife? Marie and Murphy met at a very young age and it seems like the relationship had gone through some serious difficulties and Marie possibly committed suicide. I’m looking forward to discovering more about Marie, and why Murphy shares in his grief that nothing she ever did to him made him love her less. Can you understand or have empathy with this feeling of Murphy’s?

In this section of reading we are also introduced to the young woman, Angel, and, in an extremely dramatic fashion, her mother, Summer. How do you feel about that coincidence of Murphy meeting both the mother and the daughter within a short period of time? Summer has experienced an extremely tough life as well, hasn’t she? And it seems daughter Angel is in serious danger. I find myself pulling for Summer so far—I like her personality and perseverance. What are your feelings about Summer at this point in the story? How did you feel about Murphy’s “tough love” approach to swim lessons? I enjoyed Summer’s dancing lesson for Murphy; thought she was giving as good as she got. I have some misgivings about Summer’s “island of the misfit toys” sense of herself and that her favorite writer David Bishop’s “fairy tale” novels give her hope for finding someone to connect with despite her thinking of herself as damaged. I was glad Murphy dismissed that as sounding like  “…pulp fiction”. I took Murphy to mean that Summer wasn’t damaged goods and would have opportunity to connect with someone positively if she was motivated. Do you agree with my interpretation? If not, what do you think Murphy meant? I currently have a secret theory about this author, David Bishop, that Summer is enthralled with but I’m not going to share it this week. I want to see what your thoughts are about this mystery mega-selling writer who plows all his profits back into doing good deeds. What do you think about David Bishop?

I found Summer’s statement that “Books medicated my reality” very compelling. For me personally, books and reading are my escapism from the stress and realities of everyday living. There are many ways of dealing with stress; exercise, meditation, getting enough sleep--this list goes on and on. Reading is my cure for stress relief and I always have a book going—the minute I end one I start another. Does reading work like that for you? Does something else? Were you surprised that Summer has been maintaining her most recent sobriety by reading?

The next couple of characters we have met in this section are Tabby/Gunner, the abandoned white Lab, and his missing owner, Clay, who Gunner tracks down again. How do you feel about this coincidence? As a longtime dog owner, I’m enjoying Gunner’s story and his loyalty. I’m sort of unhappy with Clay that he would have taken the chance of someone reliable, not to mention loving, finding and taking Gunner home when Clay was hospitalized, but I guess Clay felt he had no other options. What are you feelings about Clay and his situation?

Finally, as if there wasn’t enough action already, we are introduced to Ellie, a teenage stowaway who believes she could be Murphy’s daughter. A situation that Murphy seems honestly bewildered by. I’m looking forward to seeing where this storyline goes; are you?

In this section we are also introduced to what I feel is the main focus of this book—human trafficking. Did you have much awareness about human trafficking before reading this story? I would rate my own awareness about the subject as basic, primarily because the Library receives brochures regularly from the Lakeshore Human Trafficking Task Force (LHTTF) here in Muskegon County and I have looked at them. If interested, you can learn more at the LHTTF website. I’ve also come across local new stories about human trafficking cases in Muskegon County over the last couple of years. Are you surprised to learn that a task force exists or that cases have been uncovered here in Muskegon County? What are your feelings about by the lengths traffickers will go to recruit and hold on to their victims? I never thought about a situation like Summer’s, where her drug suppliers connected with her in order to get access to her young daughter.

This section of reading ended with a lot of questions for me. Who is the mystery person Murphy connects with via phone for intelligence and support in his search for Angel? How are Murphy and the mystery person able to make things happen—like Clay getting whisked away at the hospital for treatment with no questions asked? Do you understand Summer being overcome with emotion, despite the fact that the body at the hospital morgue was not her daughter Angel? Why was Ellie abandoned as an infant?

I hope you will check back next week as we read through chapters 19-36 and hopefully get some answers! Before you go, I wanted to share that I laughed at Summer’s disbelief during her and Murphy’s  evening of dance lessons that Murphy hadn’t heard of the movie Dirty Dancing! It’s one of my faves as well, and if you haven’t seen it or want to watch it again, it is available on DVD to checkout at your favorite MADL branch. Visit MADL’s online catalog to request a copy. Fans of the film or first time watchers might enjoy the official 1987 movie trailer available here:

I’m looking forward to hearing from you in the comments section!

The storylines just keep getting more and more involved as we move through this book, and the action never stops! Fascinating to discover that apparently at some point in his life Murphy was also a priest. We also delve once more into the “needs of the one” philosophy as we discover the tattooed names listed on Murphy’s back of the people he’s saved or lost, along with the scars that occurred in his quests to find them. Plus the tattoo of the word appollumi, which according to Murphy, means “’that which was lost’. Or ‘to perish…die’”. You can view other interpretations of the term on the Biblehub website.  What does it tell you about Murphy that he has all these tattoos? Do you think having this permanent record of his successes and failures is a healthy way for Murphy to handle his ‘work’?

Something that has stood out to me while reading this book is the level of physical violence. Almost everyone involved in the story experiences some sort of violence—whether accidental or intentional, and Murphy more than anyone, of course. Violence is often part of the narrative of a suspenseful action thriller. How do you feel author Charles Martin handles this aspect of The Water Keeper? Are the descriptions of the book’s violent scenes too detailed, too lacking or just right for you as a reader?

Have you been feeling at times throughout the story that you are getting lessons in how to pilot a Boson Whaler Dauntless through the ICW in Florida? All the talk about no wake zones, bringing the boat on plane, water safety tips and detailed specifications about the Dauntless model sometimes feel slightly distracting to me. However the descriptions of Murphy driving across rough seas and attempting water rescues have been very exciting! Just to distract you slightly more, you can see an overview of the Dauntless model that Murphy prefers, along with some great photographs on the Boston Whaler boat manufacturers’ website.

In this section of the book we also dive deeper into the disturbing world of human trafficking. It was upsetting that Murphy had fallen for the bait of the “forgotten” cell phone at the site of the swamp party in the Everglades. Did you feel some anxiety now that the human traffickers Murphy has been hunting know he is out to find Angel? Was your anxiety for Murphy…or for Angel? I found it interesting when Murphy mentioned that south Florida is a launching point for traffickers. Looking at the National Human Trafficking Hotline website, I did discover that in 2019 Florida reported 896 human trafficking cases, while for the same year Michigan reported 364 cases. If this story has raised your interest in learning more about how human trafficking operates, there is an award-winning documentary released in 2011 titled Trafficked: The Reckoning available through MADL’s Kanopy streaming resource. In this documentary a former police officer who worked in an anti-trafficking operation goes back and traces how all the pieces of the puzzle come together to result in a young Vietnamese girl ending up being trafficked in Australia in 1995. The officer had been told to drop the case at the time.

An interesting concept that appears a few time in this reading section is the importance of love and connection. While feeling Ellie’s anger at the mystery of her birth parents, Murphy considers his theory that the ongoing two important questions from the human race are “who am I?” and more importantly, “whose am I?” Murphy says: “Someone speaks whose we are, and out of that we become who we are. It’s just the way the heart works.” Do you agree with what Murphy says? Later, while talking with the young trafficked woman he rescued at the abandoned mansion and who now feels like her life is over as a result of her horrendous experience, Murphy reminds her “That we were made to want and give love. That no matter how dark the night, midnight will pass”. What do you think Murphy is trying to explain to the young woman? Again, do you agree with Murphy? Have you ever had an experience where you needed such a reminder?

Also in his interaction with the rescued young woman, Murphy mentions that he’s going to send her some books – books that just might pass the time of the day or fill the young woman’s “…hope bucket”. This statement ties into my previously mentioned theory about the author David Bishop very nicely! Then Murphy pretty much proves my theory when he talks about being at the rehabilitation community Freetown, where the residents “…read my books; they just don’t know I wrote them.” When did you realize who David Bishop was? One of the biggest clues for me was the name of Murphy’s boat—Gone Fiction, although it wasn’t until Summer brought up the book series that the name of the boat rang a bell for me. Did you have any other clues that helped you? Speaking of Freetown, or The Town, this is section of the book where we learn about the community established by Murphy and his rescuing compatriots to provide drug addicted, abused women a safe place to recover at apparently no cost. How do you feel about the purpose of this community? Do you think a community like this actually exists?

Just like last week, this section reading had some heart rending moments and once again ended with more questions than answers. We’ve learned that the traffickers wouldn’t have any idea who Murphy might be unless they had some type of high security clearance—so does he work for the government? Is Murphy going to be successful in rescuing Angel—or will she be added to his list of lost names? We scarily lost and then were reunited with Gunner the white Lab. That dog has more lives than a cat, and good thing he’s such a champion swimmer! Gunner’s experiences do make me concerned for what’s in his future—how about you? I shared Ellie’s frustration about learning that “Sister Florence” had shown up many years ago at the Sisters of Mercy convent but hadn’t stayed. With that knowledge, Ellie was ready to get on the private plane Murphy had promised and leave. Can you understand how Ellie feels?

Looking forward to checking in with you next week next week as we finish chapters 37-54 and end the book!  I am enjoying the descriptions of the characters’ travel through the Florida Keys, as the Keys are one of my family’s favorite vacation spots. I got a kick out of Murphy buying Kino sandals for everyone—they are a staple of Key West, and you can check out the store’s website to see the huge variety of styles Kino offers now. Also, I agree with Murphy that the mangroves are a beautiful sight. Here’s a quick video tour through some mangroves provided by Keyaks, a  Florida kayak and eco tour company: 

I’m looking forward to hearing from you in the comments section!

It’s week 4 and we’ve come to the end of The Water Keeper. And wow—was that a slam-bang ending or what! First off, a little housekeeping just to keep things clear — as we now know that David Bishop and Murphy Shepherd are one and the same person, I am going to continue to refer to the character as Murphy. We kick off this final section of reading finally getting the whole story of Murphy and Marie’s wedding—what did you think about that situation? What do you think could possibly have happened between supposed “best man and oldest friend” Roger and Murphy that would possess Roger to start and document an affair with Marie and then wait and share it with the wedding guests during the toasts? I have to say that I feel slightly cheated that we don’t have the backstory on that relationship. After a year of searching for Marie after the wedding disaster and then thinking she was dead, Marie shows up again briefly seven years later only to take her own life for real, apparently. As Murphy backslides into addiction after losing Marie a second time, Colorado tells Murphy that you can choose to never love again or learn to love again. In fact, Colorado goes onto say that “We don’t love because people love us back. We love because we can. Because we were made to. …that the only thing you really control in this life is your love….  “. Do you agree with Colorado’s statement? Has that been your experience with love—that you can control it? How have you seen the theme of love being portrayed throughout this story?

The best surprise I feel author Charles Martin pulled off in this book is the fact that the prologue, where Marie and Fingers supposedly die in the fiery yacht rescue, is actually from David Bishop’s final book! And those weren’t actually human ashes in the waterproof orange container throughout the real story, but ashes from all of the books Murphy had written and burned. I appreciated this little twist—how about you? I felt that figuring out that Murphy and David were one and the same was fairly obvious early on; but I didn't think that the prologue was not something that was actually happening in the story progression—until we learned that Marie had apparently died earlier. Very tricky in my book! Murphy’s explanation for the manuscript ashes was that he had poured his soul out in the books, trying to give his love away and “…I can’t. Can’t carry her anymore”. What do you think Murphy means by that statement?

In between all the revelations in this last section of reading, we have Murphy using Summer as bait to lure in the traffickers who still had Angel. How did you feel about that idea? I was feeling an unease that continued to increase as Murphy shares the thought that there comes a point in every search where you get thrown off by the lack of success and the need to hurry and do something crazy and stupid. Do you think Murphy made a bad decision is using Summer?

Next we get another huge bombshell in that Marie is still alive in the Sisters of Mercy convent after all, and yes, in fact—Ellie is Marie and Murphy’s daughter! And Marie was the individual who got a publisher to look at Murphy’s writing in the first place when she was sort of shadowing him while he thought she was dead! Now that she is truly dying, Marie wants Murphy to walk her “home”. I have to say that the Marie storyline has gotten a little overly dramatic for me personally. What do you think the author is trying to say in having Marie make this one final and seriously difficult demand of Murphy?

The final rescue of Summer, Angel, and many other trafficked girls was chock full of action and suspense, what with the yacht explosion and the girls locked in a room in a sinking boat! This scene was reminding me of something until finally I thought: this is almost exactly like the prologue. Did you make that comparison at all? The action in this section was a little relentless for me, reminding me of certain types of movie devices where the evil character or the monster keeps coming back again and again! This plot device tends to be a little crazy-making for me personally, but it is effective and certainly makes the action exciting. At first I was thinking that when Murphy finally did get Angel away from the trafficker - who then took off after Ellie - that the situation might be a setup for a sequel for author Martin. However, Clay comes to the rescue of both Ellie and Murphy, which I found incredibly satisfying. Where you surprised by that series of events? And of course, Gunner the dog also helps to save the day and miraculously survive as well, which was personally a little unbelievable for me considering what had happened to the poor dog, but I was happy for that outcome. How about you? Do you think there is a sequel opportunity somewhere for this book?

At the end, everyone eventually ends up back at Freetown. Before Murphy joins them, he goes to back to his small island that is home and to the chapel that he tends. Murphy carves the five names of Angel, Ellie, Marie, Summer and Clay onto the chapel wall, below the words These have walked from broken to not. From slave to free. He then goes back and add two names: David Bishop and Murphy Shepherd. What do you think about that action?  Are all the characters free? More specifically, do you think Murphy is free from his burdens? Why or why not?

What I always like to ask at book club, whether online or in person, is: did you enjoy the book? I have to say that a few of the storylines in The Water Keeper were slightly over the top for me—I personally wasn’t quite able to suspend my disbelief at what was happening to thoroughly engage. However, the action in the story was exhilarating and compelling. If you are interested in learning more about the author, you can visit Charles Martin’s own personal website. There’s also an interesting interview with Martin that was published on March 20, 2018 available at the FamilyFiction website.

Don’t forget, there will also be a live Zoom book group discussion on Tuesday, July 28 at 6:00PM for The Water Keeper. Register on the madl.org calendar to attend this Zoom event. MADL will send you a reminder email as well once you’ve registered. Hope to see you there!

Thanks for joining the MADL Online Book Club for The Water Keeper! Don’t forget to leave a comment to let me know how you enjoyed the book. Mark your calendar for August’s Online Book Club when we will be reading the novel The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments section!