We Are Water is grand in scope. Lamb tells the story of the Oh family the only way you can: through history. The story alternates narrators, giving the reader a broader perspective. The characters tell us about their childhoods -- the Japanese immigrant grandfather, the mother who died in a flood in 1963, the unknown man whose art inspires in the present -- all of this gives context. The stories intertwine in surprising ways.
There are some things to criticize here. Sometimes Lamb gets overly detailed and repetitive; this novel was over six hundred pages and could have withstood a few killed darlings. Also, I would have preferred fewer graphic descriptions from the pedophile and a less over-the-top dramatic climax.
For me, the joy of fiction is always the characters and Lamb is an expert at creating full and complicated characters you fall in love with. I recommend this book.
