“The White Water” by Ellen Khodakivska

Would you go to a place that is rumoured to test your intentions? The place where you cannot hide who you really are?

Six friends in the enchanting novel “The White Water” by Ellen Khodakivska can’t resist. Some of them have reservations about crossing half of the planet, from Wroclaw City in Poland to the wilderness of Australia. The reason why they were offered to go there in the first place is too strange not to have second thoughts. A mysterious lake amidst a mysterious forest that doesn’t tolerate dishonesty. Travelling is not about risking one’s life. It is about the excitement of seeing new places, tasting new food, and enjoying the comforts of hotels.

Yet, for reasons vastly different, the six friends decide to go to the depths of Australian rainforests and see the magical place with their own eyes. Not every one of them believes there is any magic in it. Even so, they all are equally enthusiastic about their trip. They have no idea what is waiting for them.

Surprises begin the moment friends arrive and are met by the guide who is to take them to the White Water. For some, these surprises threaten to spoil the whole experience. For others, they might make the most incredible dreams come true. The only thing is true for every person in the group of six travellers. Their lives will change forever.

I appreciate the author’s trademark manner of saturating a story with undertones of the characters’ feelings and thoughts. Not all of the people in her books are likeable, and “The White Water” is no exception. But they all are relatable, even if they call to mind some nasty person we encountered sometime in our lives.

This book also makes the readers think about universal concepts, such as the struggle of finding one’s place in life, be it literally a place where one chooses to live or a profession. “The White Water” poses questions which I found exciting to try to answer. Is it possible to build a society where everyone would be content and unwilling to hurt others? What is the right way to react to aggression? Do people change in their core and is it possible to help them – or make them – change? Timeless questions – and probably none of them has only one right answer.

“The White Water” is also a gem for those who like travel stories. I cannot say that I’ve ever ardently dreamt of visiting Australia. But now I do wish to go there, if only for a chance to meet a cassowary.