Under Water

An intense,atmospheric novel about the devastating power of friendshipset against the backdrop of two cataclysmic events. After Marissa loses her mother at sixthe most intimate relationship of her life begins. Her marine biologist fatherdetermined to channel his grief into completing his wifeΓÇÖs researchwhisks her across the globe to Thailand. There she meets Arielleand a fairytale friendship takes hold. During the weekthe girls live at the resort owned by ArielleΓÇÖs parents; on the weekends they join the tight-knit community of researchers on a nearby island. Together the girls discover the fragile wonders of its reefsforestsand beaches. Together they learn to dive into the deepholding their breath for minutes at a timeas effortlessly synchronized as the manta rays they come to know by name. Together they learn to swim their way out of danger. But then comes a wave Arielle canΓÇÖt outpaceleaving Marissa gutted with loss. Years laterMarissa is back in New Yorkadrift and haunted by the memory of her friend. Over the course of two fateful daysas another cataclysm approaches the city and the past comes flooding backshe discovers how to sustain herself in a precarious world.