Under Water

by J.L. Powers

When her beloved grandmother dies, 17-year-old Khosi must learn to survive on her own. She has to take care of her little sister Zi, make a living as a traditional healer, and somehow try, despite everything, to finish school. When her beloved Imbali―an urban township in South Africa―flares up in violence, Khosi finds herself at the center of the storm. A taxi war threatens the safety of every person in Imbali, including Khosi’s best friend and boyfriend Little Man. A murdered man is dumped on her doorstep. And accusations of witchcraft swirl around her, despite her every effort to keep her healing practice aboveboard. When Little Man chooses the wrong path, Khosi finds herself caught up in a new romance. But her past just might catch up to her.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2019

About the author

The daughter of a geologist and a journalist, J.L. Powers spent much of her childhood camping and searching for fossils in the American West, and considers herself a true “desert rat.” She grew up on the U.S.-Mexico Border in El Paso, Texas.

She’s taught African history and freshman composition, research and argument, creative writing, and literature at the University of Texas at El Paso, Stanford University, and Skyline College. Jessica is semi-proficient in three languages–Spanish, Portuguese, and Zulu–and now sometimes answers in Zulu when spoken to in Spanish. Though she now lives in California, where she just finished a Master’s Degree in African History at Stanford University, she will always consider El Paso, Texas “home.”


She is the author of one picture book (Colors of the Wind: The Story of Blind Artist and Champion Runner George Mendoza); 3 novels for young adults (Amina; This Thing Called the Future; and The Confessional); editor of two collections of essays (That Mad Game: Growing Up in a Warzone; and Labor Pains and Birth Stories: Essays on Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Becoming a Parent); and author of one non-fiction hiking guide (A Bark in the Park: The 52 Best Places to Hike with Your Dog in the El Paso/Las Cruces region).

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this sequel to This Thing Called the Future, seventeen-year-old Khosi is bereft after her beloved grandmother dies. Not only does she have to take care of her little sister and find a way to pay for their necessities, perhaps relying on her skills as a traditional healer, but she also dreams of finishing school. Her boyfriend, Little Man, has always been a source of support for her, but when he becomes embroiled in a taxi war and makes unhealthy choices, she fears that neither of them will survive. Khosi herself is well drawn, and the author skillfully blends aspects of modern life with traditional ways, showing readers just how quickly someone can come under suspicion and find it impossible to live in their own hometown. The fact that she is pregnant and might see romantic possibilities elsewhere while being compelled to leave her home in South Africa adds to the book's authenticity and drama. I longed to learn what happens next and to read more about Khosi and her next steps. There were parts of this story that stunned me and left me horrified, and it was interesting to see just how quickly someone's life can change or how easy it is to make the wrong choices.

[Dana Berglund · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, written by an American who studied and lived in South Africa, was a look at a young person, forced to become an independent adult and protect her young sister after their grandmother dies and the rest of the family rejects them. Khosi is a sangoma, a person who can speak to the ancestors, and the story blends her reality with the reality that those around her cannot hear the ancestors. There is a lot of local politics and danger involved, and Khosi must figure out where she stands and when to leave. They were good characters, though my heart broke a little. 3.5 stars.

[Ally Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an adult, intriguing subject matter. Kids? Teens? Not sure

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do people in modern day South Africa still believe in witches and magic? Khosi, a sangoma (someone who can hear, and speak with, ancestors) is mourning the loss of her grandmother and trying to take care of her younger sister in the face of her aunt and uncle taking nearly all the family possessions, as is "customary" in their society. When violence erupts, she flees to safety by the coast, feeling called there by the water. Can she make a life there? Will she ever be a part of society, or will she always be considered different due to her gift?

Less magical realism and more an exploration of modern life intersecting with age-old beliefs and customs, Khosi's life will make readers think.