The following people generously donated to this novel's crowd funding campaign. Their support is greatly appreciated and has made the publication of Beyond the Shallow Bank possible. Thank you all.
John Blyth • Bruce & Anna Ellis • Linda Levy Fisk • Dale Kerr • Forsythe • William Grant • Dale Kerr • Heritage Lady • Veronica Leonard • Kathe Lieber • Ben Lorincz • Ellen Michelson • donalee Moulton • Eric Ian Patrick • Martha Vowles
Margaret is an engaging protagonist.
“Wimsett’s novel is quickly paced without the events of the story feeling rushed.”
— Publisher Weekly’s Booklife Prize
I read it in two large gulps
“The book presents a complex picture of Margaret Talbot, an early twentieth century artist. The death of her child at birth has rocked her marriage, and apparently turned her husband away from her. Margaret has ambitions beyond the illustrations she makes for her husband's journalism. She wishes to become a painter in the 19th century mold of her teacher, Robert Henri. Above all she wants to control her own life and to be free of the constraints that locked women of her time into conventional subservience.
“The wonderful romantic plot of the book with its magical twist and turns gives substance and resonance to Margaret's multiple dilemmas. She is tempted by a love affair with a young man of artistic talent, which exposes to her at the same time her own desperate ambition to become a "real" artist. But she also comes to recognize in herself the power that she really has, to cease lying to herself, to overcome the ancient accusation of witchcraft against powerful women, to make the choices she really needs to make.
“Beyond the Shallow Bank contains descriptive passages of the sea which are wonderfully poetic. The writing in this book has both depth and psychological complexity, as well as humor, in the interactions of its large cast of village characters. Perhaps best of all, for the lifelong reader, it is a book to sink into, put down reluctantly, and wonder about long afterwards.”
— Susan Haley
Author of Petitot and A Nest of Singing Birds
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magnificent
“What can I say about this book? It combines, love, art, historical fiction, and fantasy all in one, and does it WELL! The journey Margaret and John are enduring as they find their way back to each other is so powerful. Such a moving story and I highly recommend!”
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written
“The writing style is smooth and you quickly find yourself immersed in a story that will make you laugh and cry. Highly recommend.”
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book!
“I hate to say this, but I didn't expect to enjoy it since fantasy and period books aren't my forte, but I decided to give the book a try. And I'm so glad I did. I actually read it in one sitting. The story held my interest throughout. It was well-written. Descriptions were amazing and not at all boring. Margaret is a strong woman, and women will relate to her and feel for her, as back then, of course, women didn't have as many rights as they do today. The reader really gets a sense of the time-period.”
5.0 out of 5 stars
Page-turner with a few twists and turns
“Beginning this book you immediately feel right in the middle of the story.”
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heart warming
“An easy read with lots of twists and turns. Fantasy mixed with real life situations. This book makes you think about taking a minute to look at things differently in your life.”
— Reviews on Amazon
I enjoyed reading Beyond a Shallow Bank
“He started with a lot of questions and slowly gave you answers. The end was difficult to guess as his characters changed. Our heroine kept the pace moving as she changed. His characters felt as though they were real -eventhough it would fall into the fantasy section of the book store. This book does not begin as a fantasy and is revealed only later--I'm not telling the end. It's a well-written book. He took the time to describe what was happening without making the reader feel rushed. It was a good read, one of those books you would pick up on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I'd recommend this book to anyone who reads many genre's. He handles romance, change and fantasy in a balanced manner.”
I recommend this story
“I loved the characters in this book. Their eccentricities felt well founded in the events of their lives. The fantasy aspect of the novel remains rumored and mysterious through most of the novel and has a satisfying resolution.”
— Reviews on Barnes & Noble
Copyright © 2024 by David A. Wimsett.
All rights reserved.
Margaret Talbot has overcome harassment, discrimination, assault, low pay and blocked opportunities to enter the man's world of publishing in 1901. As the novel opens, she faces a failing art career, a failing marriage and the emotional and physical pain of losing a child in stillbirth and nearly dying herself.
