28 pages • 56 minutes read
Water By The Spoonful
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Book Brief
62
Play • Fiction
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Early 2000s
2012
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegría Hudes follows Elliot and Yaz Ortiz, who navigate familial bonds, trauma, and recovery. Elliot seeks to decipher a phrase from his Iraq War experience while Yaz supports him. Concurrently, an online community of people in addiction recovery, including Haikumom (Elliot's birth mother), seeks solace and support. Characters struggle with addiction and loss, moving toward healing and new beginnings. Sensitive topics including addiction and grief are addressed.
Emotional
Challenging
Heartwarming
Contemplative
Bittersweet
Reviews & Readership
2,427 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Water By The Spoonful by Quiara Alegría Hudes is praised for its raw, poignant portrayal of addiction, family, and redemption. Critics laud the complex character development and compelling dialogue. However, some find the multiple plotlines occasionally confusing. Overall, it's a thought-provoking, emotionally resonant play that tackles tough themes with grace.
Who Should Read Water By The Spoonful?
Readers who would enjoy Water By The Spoonful by Quiara Alegría Hudes are likely intrigued by layered narratives of family, addiction, and redemption. Fans of August Wilson's Fences and Moisés Kaufman's The Laramie Project will appreciate the play’s depth, emotional resonance, and rich character development.
2,427 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Yazmin Ortiz
Yazmin Ortiz
A twenty-nine-year-old Puerto Rican adjunct music instructor, Elliot’s cousin, who navigates her cultural and family identity while facing personal changes like divorce.
Haikumom/Odessa Ortiz
Haikumom/Odessa Ortiz
A thirty-nine-year-old Puerto Rican woman, working various janitorial jobs, who runs a recovery website as Haikumom and is in recovery for crack cocaine addiction.
Fountainhead/John
Fountainhead/John
A forty-one-year-old white computer programmer and family man who joins an online recovery chat room to address his crack addiction, initially resistant to admitting his dependency.
Chutes&Ladders/Clayton “Buddy” Wilkie
Chutes&Ladders/Clayton “Buddy” Wilkie
A fifty-six-year-old black man from San Diego, who participates regularly in the online recovery chat room as he works to overcome his crack addiction.
Orangutan/Madeleine Mays
Orangutan/Madeleine Mays
A thirty-one-year-old woman, Japanese by birth and adopted by an American family, who travels to Japan seeking her roots while engaging with an online recovery community for her addiction.
A Ghost
A Ghost
An enigmatic figure that appears to Elliot, often repeating a phrase in Arabic, with the same actor also portraying Professor Aman and a Japanese police officer.
62
Play • Fiction
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Early 2000s
2012
Adult
18+ years
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