I wrote a long comment on Matthew's postings, but accidentally deleted it.
Basically, I agree with you that there are lots of "water examples" in the book WITB. In the first three pages there are comments on being thirsty, drinks, the cistern, bucket, and water is mentioned four times in the first three pages. The search for the meaning in life seems to be tightly linked with the narrator's observation of nature, the river and liquids, both nourishing forms and poisonous "alcoholic" ones flow in and out of his quest.

Yellow Calf probably offers the narrator (his grandson) bitter coffee as a foreboding or as a flat statement that life is a bitter drink, take it as it comes, without sugar or cream. I also have heard this term used in names of creeks or as in Bitter root, a valley name in Montana or some area out west. The story takes place in Montana where water is valuable to farmers and fishermen alike. Life is harsh and bitter on the prairie, winters are bitter cold.

The two women introduced on page one, part one are special to the main character and to the entire structure of this story. "Coming home.." on page one is mentioned twice. He is coming home "to a mother and an old lady". Women are the source of giving. They give the narrator a place to live, food, a history and they, as females, give life. His father and brother meant a lot to him, but they are both dead. His mother is alive and carries on, she being the caregiver of his grandmother. The story links women to life and they are attractive and both good and evil to the main character. The grandmother, even though she passes away, is reaching out without any dialogue. She never once speaks coherently. She as the grandmother is the lifeblood of the family, however, she is in the winter of her life and now it is up to Teresa to lead the family on. She has found a successful husband and the narrator must work with him.

The book is beautifully written and as you wrote Matt, has "beautiful prose as lush and nourishing" as life itself.

Pop, no, did not notice the name "Fish". I also am puzzled by the old guy, the one who tore up his plane ticket, who promises the narrator money and needs him to help him escape. Why didn't he just keep the plane ticket and fly away if he needed to get away?

I have the problem of trying to comment on your writing. I cannot see how I can read your work at the same time. Cannot remember what you wrote. Pretty much frustrated and ready to console myself as the main character does....