A long-buried secret. Two women separated by more than 150 years. One discovery that brings the past dangerously close to the present.

During the pandemic lockdown, Iris Pearl makes an impulsive decision: move across the country with her husband, Benny, and renovate a prerevolutionary Pennsylvania homestead. Their marriage has been slowly unraveling, and Iris hopes a fresh start might save it.

Instead, she uncovers something horrifying on the property.

Consumed by the need to understand what happened there, Iris begins tracing the history of the house and the land surrounding it. Her search leads her to Aoife Sprigett, an Irish immigrant who struggled to keep the farm alive while her husband served in the Civil War.

Left behind with few resources and fewer choices, Aoife finds an unexpected ally in Thomas Walker, a freeborn Black laborer working beside her in the fields. As their friendship deepens, the seeds they plant together take root in ways that will echo across generations.

The further Iris digs into Aoife’s story, the more closely it begins to mirror her own hidden past.

Will uncovering the truth finally free Iris and Benny from the ghosts haunting their marriage? Or will the secrets beneath the surface destroy what remains?

Under Water is a dual-timeline historical novel about love, loss, buried truths and the choices that shape families for generations.