The Cenote

Wow! This book is incredible! The story is set in an ancient time. An island girl is chosen as the bride of another tribe from the mainland. She is upset and angry because she is in love with another—a man who left her with his seed and a secret she will be banished for if it is revealed. Her mom knows the only way to escape her shame is to marry…and quickly. But her new husband is shorter than her, weak looking, ugly. But he is kind. Sandpiper starts her new life as Lark’s wife, but her new tribe is very different from her own. She learns that they get their only water from a cenote through a filtering system her husband created. But the cenote also holds secrets, as men keep turning up dead in it, with their heads left hollow. This story takes Sandpiper and Lark through many challenges as they learn forgiveness and what love really entails. The symbolism in this book is powerful, how the cenote represents pornography with all its enticing power and ugliness. This author has a beautiful gift of storytelling and teaching, without the reader ever realizing they are learning great truths. You experience her message, feel it to your core, and finish reading the book with a feeling of awe and inspiration to live better reach for greater heights, and help others. I can’t say enough good about this book. Read it!

I recently read the Cenote. It is a story of the deepest kind of love with cartoonish almost laughable characters set up to help better illustrate the author's points. Her very timely message is best encapsulated in the closing words, "...the deepest, most powerful love stories did not happen before the wedding but after. Perhaps we do not hear those stories because they are far more sacred and only meant for two hearts."The writing is average, difficulty of reading about at a middle school level. As mentioned, some of the characters and situations are a bit forced and contrived. Occasional subtleties are overstated. However, beneath all of this there is a tremendous amount of depth and wisdom and bursts of refreshing humor...This story is first and foremost a parable. It should be appreciated as such. Reading this, I enjoyed the message(s) but also saw writing skills that have not yet caught up with the author's underlying wisdom and life experiences, where I believe her true strength as a writer resides. Thus the four stars.I look forward to seeing how the author's writing evolves over time.

I'm a picky reader and do not always finish books--I have to trust the author to carry me somewhere interesting. Despite some moments of self-indulgent writing, I found Dyreng's storytelling skills impressive enough to compel me to the end. I enjoyed the evolution of her two key characters who face the challenge of navigating a seemingly random and mismatched marriage. Themes of family fidelity, compassion, and forgiveness arise naturally from the unfolding events and give the book an allegorical and moral grounding that rang true for me. The Cenote is an intriguing mix of a modern story set in a Meso-American setting with the "once upon a time" tone of a fairy tale. It includes a fabulous "legend" that ties the plot together.This book could be a useful tool for facilitating conversations about the effects of pornographic addiction on marriage and social life. The presence of the fictional "cenote" as a site of desire and secrecy and its power to shape those within its reach could be used as a metaphor for those seeking healing and strength to make personal changes.

This is the best book I've read in a long time. I ate it up in less than a day. To be honest it's hard to write this review, where do I start? Though if I had to start somewhere I would start at the fact that this book broadcasts in sometimes painful yet beautiful detail the joys and aches of human nature. It speaks of second chances, of humanity and the depths that it reaches. It tells of sacrifice and loss, of brutal honesty and deception. Of fruitless dreams, of the lies that we cling to despite the truths that surround us with open arms. Where do I start? I'll start with this, this is an amazing book. Read it. Devour it, and at the end, learn from the timeless morals it teaches. Thank you, Chelsea Dyreng.

Wow! This is a must read book! I'm excited to recommend this for my book club as it lends itself to a great discussion on several important topics. I loved the characters in this novel. They feel so real and are very easy to identify with. Chelsea Dyreng has done a wonderful job writing about the emotions and feelings the characters experience as they learn about themselves, their spouses, and their relationships. The setting is perfect for this beautiful love story of forgiveness, service, sacrifice and determination. I would highly recommend this book!

I love a good mystery. This book exceeded my expectations. Just as I thought I had something figured out it took another turn. The characters were well developed. The setting was so detailed, I felt like I had been there before. The author did a great job with all elements of a great book...ie characters, setting, twists and turns, love, and life.I am looking forward to reading more books from this author. I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers.

Chelsea Dyreng's masterful use of metaphor, foreshadowing, and symbolism gives the reader an honest and profound glimpse into the human heart and mind and into the selfless and courageous nature of true love. With beautiful and breathtaking imagery, The Cenote delves into how and why we love, and how that love is the strengthening and purifying element in our lives and families.