Bywater: A Novel
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Manco, Matthew
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Abstract
<i>Bywater</i> explores what a generation leaves behind: inheritance, family, survivor’s guilt, environmental and class equality. Narrated by Rory, <i>Bywater</i> is a vivid rendering of life in New Orleans, from the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina through the painful but triumphant first Mardi Gras. The novel tries to capture the urgency and unease felt across the city and the region as it tried to heal and rebuild. The McManus children have been born across the spectrum of Harry’s fortunes. The elder siblings remember struggling as their father tried to survive and build his business, while the youngest, Walker, has only known the comfort and access granted by his father’s wealth and connections. Rory has only been able to watch from the outside while his siblings experienced a side of New Orleans he could only dream about. Anchored by a sense of place, <i>Bywater</i> attempts to convey the sensorial power of New Orleans and the enduring importance of family.