In her mid-50s, Cara Romero loses her job at the height of the Great Recession. After setting up her sessions with a job counselor, instead of job-hunting or practicing interviews, Cara begins to share the story of her life. Over the subsequent 12 sessions, Cara narrates her love affairs, family struggles, and neighborhood gossip.

WATER is a humorous and delightful read that demonstrates Cara's resilience in the face of loss and estrangement. The story is narrated in an interview style from Cara's perspective, with additional details sprinkled with the paperwork she files through the reemployment program. What struck me the most in WATER is the kindness and compassion Cara shows to those around her despite being down on her luck. Even when faced with challenges, Cara uses her confidence and wisdom to sail through the storms and spreads her passion to her loved ones.

WATER is a short yet thought-provoking book that made me cry, made me laugh, and had me rooting for Cara every step of the way.