Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

The second book in Kopacz’s Daughter of Three Waters trilogy, following Shallow Waters (2021), is a deeply evocative tale that centers on Oya, born in Cuba to the Yoruban Yemaya. The story continues with Oya’s journey through profound grief after losing her stillborn child. As she struggles to wield her supernatural abilities, Oya learns to channel her powers for healing rather than destruction. Kopacz’s storytelling is steeped in historical richness, honoring Black matriarchs like Voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau and real-estate magnate and abolitionist Mary Ellen Pleasant as fierce revolutionaries instead of the often-misunderstood figures portrayed in popular narratives. Kopacz revives threatened traditions and legends, paying homage to the African diaspora and revealing cultural legacies that shaped history. With a cameo by Harriet Tubman, this novel is historically rooted, rich in human emotion, and suffused with magic, perfect for fans of The American Daughters (2024), by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, The Water Dancer (2019), by Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Sadeqa Johnson’s novels. Kopacz masterfully intertwines the mystical and the real, leaving readers eager for the trilogy’s conclusion.