Dreaming Water by Gail Tsukiyama

Bestselling author Gail Tsukiyama is known for her poignant, subtle insights into the most complicated of relationships. Dreaming Water is an exploration of two of the richest and most layered human connections that exist: mother and daughter and lifelong friends. Hana is suffering from Werners syndrome, a disease that makes a person age at twice the rate of a healthy individual: at thirty-eight Hana has the appearance of an eighty-year-old. Cate, her mother, is caring for her while struggling with her grief at losing her husband, Max, and with the knowledge that Hanas disease is getting worse by the day. Hana and Cates days are quiet and ordered. Cate escapes to her beloved garden and Hana reads and writes letters. Each find themselves drawn into their pasts, remembering the joyous and challenging events that have shaped them: spending the day at Maxs favorite beach, overcoming their neighbors prejudices that Max is Japanese-American and Cate is Italian-American, and coping with the heartbreak of discovering Hanas disease. One of the great joys of Hanas life has been her relationship with her beautiful, successful best friend Laura. Laura has moved to New York from their hometown in California and has two daughters, Josephine and Camille. She has not been home in years and begs Hana to let her bring her daughters to meet her, feeling that Josephine, in particular, needs to have Hana in her life. Despite Hanas latest refusal, Laura decides to come anyway. When Lauras loud, energetic, and troubled world collides with Hana and Cates daily routine, the story really begins. Dreaming Water is about a mothers courage, a daughters strength, and a friends love. It is about the importance of human dignity and the importance of all the small moments that create a life worth living.

Author: Gail Tsukiyama

Language: English

Binding: Paperback

Pages: 288

Publisher: St. Martins Griffin

Publication Date: 2003-05-01