Catherine Over Water: A Novel

by Nancy Schoellkopf

In the heat and smoke of a California autumn, the mother of a kidnapped girl finds unexpected guidance from a chatty young crow she names Veronica, who leads her to abandon her self-imposed isolation and seek hope despite her grief-filled limbo.

When a crow swoops down on a smoky August afternoon and starts speaking with her, mythology professor Catherine Moss assumes someone is playing a joke. Stuck in the anger stage of grief ever since the disappearance of her daughter, Sierra, Catherine does not tolerate tricksters easily. But she does suffer from face blindness, which renders her unable to recognize even familiar people.

Crows excel in facial recognition.

Soon this crow—whom Catherine dubs Veronica—is serving as her support animal, perching on her shoulder to whisper the names of students and colleagues in her ear. She also introduces Catherine to her other human friend, an unhoused young artist named Mari. Together, the two lead Catherine to confront her deepest not that Sierra is dead, but that her daughter may one day return radically changed and emotionally damaged.

Set amid the yellowed skies and swirling ash of a California city during fire season, Catherine Over Water addresses the near-unbearable task of dwelling in limbo.

192 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2026

About the author

Nancy Schoellkopf is a California poet and novelist. Her latest book, Catherine Over Water, published by She Writes Press, has been touted as "a down-to-Earth fable for our times."

Nancy is also the author of the Avian Series of Novels--Yellow-Billed Magpie, Red-Tailed Hawk, and Ghost Owl—as well as the short story collection, Rover.

In her books Nancy has created a universe where each soul–orphaned, homeless, autistic, wounded, rich, poor, unremarkable, ageless–is discovered as a luminous gift. She invites the reader to ponder the extraordinary treasures hidden in the ordinary events of daily life.

Based in Sacramento, Nancy spent over 30 years teaching special education classes in urban school districts. A full-time writer now, she enjoys lavishing attention on her cats, her garden, and her intriguing circle of family and friends.

Reviews

[Victoria Gilder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Catherine Over Water to be an unusual and deeply affecting exploration of grief, uncertainty, and the unexpected ways we can find our way back to hope.

Catherine's struggle after her daughter's disappearance immediately drew me in, particularly because her face blindness adds another layer to her already profound isolation. I was fascinated by Veronica, the remarkably perceptive crow who becomes an unexpected companion and guide, and I loved how her presence gradually opens a door for Catherine to reconnect with the world around her.

Mari adds another meaningful dimension to Catherine's journey, and together their relationships create a moving exploration of connection when life feels suspended between loss and hope.

The smoky California setting beautifully complements the story's atmosphere, creating a sense of unease that mirrors Catherine's emotional state.

A thoughtful, atmospheric, and wonderfully unconventional novel about grief, connection, and finding reasons to hope even when there are no easy answers.

[kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catherine has lost her daughter, Sienna. She has no clue if Sienna ran away, was kidnapped, and if she is dead or alive. She has had a hard time coping and she is all by herself as she is also a divorced woman. For some time, she has stopped working and she hasn’t let anyone in her house ever since her daughter’s disappearance. One day, by the bookstore, Catherine meets a crow, whom she names Veronica and is able to communicate with. Catherine has prosopagnosia (aka face blindness), but Veronica has the exact opposite situation. She can remember faces and facts about that particular person. Veronica helps Catherine navigate her facial blindness and more.

Will Catherine ever open up again and let people in? What happened to Sienna?

My thoughts:
This was a very interesting book. I really loved the characters and even though it didn’t have a drastic climax (imo), I loved how Catherine and Veronica grew with each other.

[Jacqueline Rackard · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

How could you not fall in love with a book that includes a sentient crow named Veronica that helps through the loss of your child? Catherine's life has slowly unraveled and ever since her daughter went missing 5 years ago, she has slowly cobbled together a life filled with order and disconnection. Now, faced with a new friend, Veronica the young crow, Catherine will gradually learn to see things differently and to face the world with courage and joy. A beautiful, magical book with some interesting side characters and a hopeful ending. Thank you to Goodreads for this copy of the novel as I was a giveaway winner.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful Read

This was a delightful read full of surprises and thoughtful questions and reflections about our current cultural dilemmas and two friends of a very unlikely pairing. Set in the rich Central Valley of California it is a journey of one woman’s grief and enlightenment nurtured by her adventures with a surprising friend.

[Janice Stern · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I’m not usually a fan of magical realism but this novel uses it in the most intriguing way. To me the crow represents Catherine’s guide across the stages of grief for her daughter, from anger to acceptance, introducing her to neighbors, her unhoused friend, and others, always with drops of deep knowledge about her life. A fabulous bird and a great novel!

[Christopher Berger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly conceived and written, this is a fantastic book that was worth reading from beginning to end, esp regarding the difficult life journey of the main character, Catherine. And there’s a crow! (I love crows!)

[Ruthann McFadden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story