Fresh Water

One summer. Three generations. A small, family island. Languorous days on the water. Emotional upheaval in the undercurrents. Possible murder. The lies people tell. The secrets they keep... Women of the family and their children descend upon matriarch Alex after the unexpected death in questionable circumstances of her second husband, a man Alex is no longer sure she knew at all. No one but Alex knows his death was questionable. She doesn’t need pity or help with grief but will quietly turn the tables and tackle the issues faced by her daughters, daughter-in-law, and niece. This multi-generational family story takes place over one summer on a small family island located on an inland lake in northern Michigan that has been passed down through the generations. Each woman brings her own secrets and insecurities. Each explores what it is to come into her own in a place where her ancestors did the same. All this under the watchful eyes of the youngsters. The underlying issues posed in the narrative have a backdrop of requisite summer fun in an idyllic setting with swimming, water skiing, sailing, barbecues, a cramped cottage, a restored treehouse, and heart-to-heart talks. The unhurried rhythm of lake life in the summer gives a sense of calm that stretches through the ages, while the underlying issues and the uncovered drama are anything but calm. The scenes cover a swath of everyday living. Contemporary issues of sexuality, domestic violence, women as leaders, and feelings of not being enough hit close to home for the women of the Newberry family. Resilience, found strength as individuals and as a family, and acceptance as cleansing as the fresh water surrounding them, may be the healing they didn’t know they needed.