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The House of Deep Water cover art

The House of Deep Water

Written by: Jeni McFarland
Narrated by: Allyson Johnson, Adenrele Ojo, Jonathan McClain, Andrew Eiden
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Publisher's Summary

Perfect for fans of The Mothers and Olive Kitteridge, in this stunning and perceptive debut novel three women learn what it means to come home - and to make peace with the family, love affairs, and memories they'd once left behind.

"Here are voices from the heartland rendered real, raw, and aching.... Reminiscent of Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere, this novel announces Jeni McFarland as a writer of our generation." (Aja Gabel, author of The Ensemble)

River Bend, Michigan, is the kind of small town most can't imagine leaving, but three women couldn't wait to escape. When each must return - Linda Williams, never sure what she wants; her mother, Paula, always too sure; and Beth DeWitt, one of River Bend's only black daughters, now a mother of two who'd planned to raise her own children anywhere else - their paths collide under Beth's father's roof. As one town struggles to contain all of their love affairs and secrets, a local scandal forces Beth to confront her own devastating past. 

Filled with the voices of mothers and daughters, husbands, lovers, and fathers, The House of Deep Water explores motherhood, trauma, love, loss, and new beginnings found in a most unlikely place: home.

©2020 Jeni McFarland (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

One of PopSugar's 25 Best New Books Coming Out in April 2020

One of BookRiot's 10 Books to Read If You Like Little Fires Everywhere

"Jeni McFarland writes nuanced, layered relationships in her absorbing debut about three women who return to the small town of their childhoods and grapple with family, race, class and the expectations of womanhood." (Ms. Magazine)   

"Just like life, McFarland's debut is big, messy, and complicated while also being a completely engrossing portrait of her characters and their hometown. She deftly weaves in issues of race and consent. Perfect for those who like books about family dysfunction." (Booklist

"[A] fine debut.... Handled with realistic nuance. McFarland's layered tale will appeal to readers who liked Tayari Jones' An American Marriage." (Publishers Weekly)

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