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17 days and 03:26:04
15 copies available
U.S. only
Underlake
Not yet published
Expected 21 Apr 26Win a free print copy of this book!
17 days and 03:26:04
15 copies available
U.S. only
A richly glittering debut about the interlocked fates of two women, raised worlds apart, who must join forces on an extraordinary journey, diving leagues beneath the water's surface—and straight into the fathomless heart of fear, forgiveness, and love.
Thirteen years ago, Otta escaped the small town of Steels, intent upon becoming a marine biologist. Now she's returned, having failed to achieve her dream, and carrying the guilt of a friend's death during a deep-sea dive. She thinks she may never dive again, but then a stranger appears at her door.
This stranger, May, says that her daughter has run away, and insists that she's under a nearby lake—alive.
Because it turns out the small-town legend of "the underlake" is three decades ago, an entire valley and the town in it was flooded to make way for a dam, but the people in that town refused to leave.
Now, they're still living beneath the lake, self-proclaimed “refugees of a world obsessed with change,” connected—and held apart—by an intricate, airtight system of tubes and sealed buildings. To find May's missing daughter, Otta and May must travel deeper and deeper under the water. Along the way, they'll discover communities that have lived in isolation for decades, fomenting extremes of delusion and nostalgia. As the two women bond in the thrall of their search, they are each forced to confront the layers of fear, control, and uncertainty that drive their quest. Together and alone, they must challenge the laws of love and society—and push their bodies to the mortal limit.
Hypnotic and arresting, Underlake How do we claim our place on the great timeline of history, and who do we erase in the process? It brings a poet's attention to language, gesturing at the evocative and ethereal work of Preeta Samarasan and Marilynne Robinson, while also shrewdly exploring the American obsession with inheritance, property, and race. Finally, Underlake is a powerful meditation on what is possible when women reach through time, space, and memory to relate to one another.
Thirteen years ago, Otta escaped the small town of Steels, intent upon becoming a marine biologist. Now she's returned, having failed to achieve her dream, and carrying the guilt of a friend's death during a deep-sea dive. She thinks she may never dive again, but then a stranger appears at her door.
This stranger, May, says that her daughter has run away, and insists that she's under a nearby lake—alive.
Because it turns out the small-town legend of "the underlake" is three decades ago, an entire valley and the town in it was flooded to make way for a dam, but the people in that town refused to leave.
Now, they're still living beneath the lake, self-proclaimed “refugees of a world obsessed with change,” connected—and held apart—by an intricate, airtight system of tubes and sealed buildings. To find May's missing daughter, Otta and May must travel deeper and deeper under the water. Along the way, they'll discover communities that have lived in isolation for decades, fomenting extremes of delusion and nostalgia. As the two women bond in the thrall of their search, they are each forced to confront the layers of fear, control, and uncertainty that drive their quest. Together and alone, they must challenge the laws of love and society—and push their bodies to the mortal limit.
Hypnotic and arresting, Underlake How do we claim our place on the great timeline of history, and who do we erase in the process? It brings a poet's attention to language, gesturing at the evocative and ethereal work of Preeta Samarasan and Marilynne Robinson, while also shrewdly exploring the American obsession with inheritance, property, and race. Finally, Underlake is a powerful meditation on what is possible when women reach through time, space, and memory to relate to one another.
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 21, 2026
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6211 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 15, 2026
52 book challenge for a book that cost me nothing cuz it’s an ARC: thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read this early :)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Three decades ago a town was flooded to create a lake when a dam was installed, drowning about 200 people who refused to leave their homes. Unfortunately, the lake is unusable in any capacity due to high lead levels in the water, caused by the paint factory that closed instead of unleading their paint. What people don't know is that the people in the flooded town didn't drown, they reinforced their homes and installed pipes for air and moon pools for entering and exiting their homes. For three decades people have been living, or rather surviving, under the water.
Otta is a failed marine biologist turned deep sea welder who returned home after the death of her one and only friend, and she carries the blame of his death. May, a stranger to Otta, comes to her door and begs for help finding her daughter. She claims daughter is lost in the lake... And alive.
Otta and May dive to find May's daughter in the lake and encounter groups of people who have lived in isolation. What this isolation has done to them and how they react to the outsiders searching where they don't belong. For some, they dream of escaping back to the surface, but are unable to due to the depth and pressure they've been living under for so long. For others, the isolation has only intensified their worst qualities and mania.
How far will Otta and May go to find May's daughter? They'll push their bodies to the extreme while dealing with their own fears, traumas, and lack of control in their lives.
Atmospheric, haunting, and damp, this novel keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens next. I flew through this, finishing in just one morning. I needed to know how the story would unfold and had a hard time putting this book down. I would recommend to anyone who likes writing that deals with religious extremism and trauma, the ways parents can let you down, and the effects of isolation on humanity.
Otta is a failed marine biologist turned deep sea welder who returned home after the death of her one and only friend, and she carries the blame of his death. May, a stranger to Otta, comes to her door and begs for help finding her daughter. She claims daughter is lost in the lake... And alive.
Otta and May dive to find May's daughter in the lake and encounter groups of people who have lived in isolation. What this isolation has done to them and how they react to the outsiders searching where they don't belong. For some, they dream of escaping back to the surface, but are unable to due to the depth and pressure they've been living under for so long. For others, the isolation has only intensified their worst qualities and mania.
How far will Otta and May go to find May's daughter? They'll push their bodies to the extreme while dealing with their own fears, traumas, and lack of control in their lives.
Atmospheric, haunting, and damp, this novel keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens next. I flew through this, finishing in just one morning. I needed to know how the story would unfold and had a hard time putting this book down. I would recommend to anyone who likes writing that deals with religious extremism and trauma, the ways parents can let you down, and the effects of isolation on humanity.
February 15, 2026
I have been blown away by this book. The worlds colliding here are nothing short of INSANE. I found myself researching between chapters just because of the sheer amount of underwater diving knowledge and then laid awake at night thinking how I could live underwater. Because this was so out of my realm of normal thinking, it took some time for me to really understand what was going on in some parts, but the author did an incredible job weaving it all together. Aside from the physics/engineering/science components, these characters had me rooting for them in ways I couldn’t believe. A great read for anyone who’s looking to expand their way of thinking, feeling and navigating grief or wanting to explore the beauty of forgiveness and HOPE.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews