The Water Women: A Novel

The Water Women follows three generations of women whose lives are shaped by an ancient craft and the upheaval of world wars. In 1930s Sardinia, Allegra and her daughters continue the tradition of the water women—a practice passed down through generations of Jewish mothers and daughters. They weave threads from mollusks into golden cloth and tapestries, a duty and gift to the outside world. By 1942, war reaches their fishing village as Germany occupies Italy. Zaneta, Allegra's daughter, observes unfamiliar boats appearing offshore. As her family becomes isolated from their community, fear and suspicion settle over the island. Zaneta's encounter with a German deserter creates a secret that will affect her for the rest of her life and later haunt her own daughter, Mira. The novel traces how the threads of byssus weaving connect three women across decades of love, war, loss, and hope, binding them through their most difficult times.