The Drowning Woman

The Drowning Woman (2003) is Canadian novelist Robyn Harding’s 12th novel. Harding has written numerous domestic suspense novels that focus on themes such as the complexities of female friendship. A dual point-of-view novel, The Drowning Woman has sections that alternate between the first-person perspectives of Lee Gulliver, a former restaurant owner who is now living in her Toyota Corolla, and Hazel Laval, who is trapped in an abusive marriage to a wealthy and powerful husband. The novel takes place in Seattle and includes diverse settings that show the economic divergences present in the city. The story explores themes related to preconceptions versus experience, the insignificance of class distinctions, the importance of friendship, and the power dynamics within toxic relationships.

This guide refers to the 2023 Grand Central Publishing edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss suicide and suicidal ideation, depression and panic attacks, intimate partner violence and abuse, murder, and death.

Plot Summary

Former chef Lee Gulliver lives in her car in Seattle after the New York City restaurant she owned went bankrupt during COVID-19. One of her investors, a gangster, broke her finger with a meat mallet and threatened to continue doing so on a weekly basis until he was paid.