I'm the Undertow: A Novel

A haunting and tender debut about guilt, grief, and the unexpected places we go to find redemption.

When thirty-year-old Conner Robbins hits and kills a cyclist, no one blames him—a freak accident, they say. But he can’t stop blaming himself. Conner is consumed by guilt, and begins to shut himself off from the people who care about him, risking his closest relationships and a career he no longer feels he deserves.

In the weeks following the accident, Conner finds an unexpected sense of solace in an unlikely place: a budding friendship with Lauren, the mother of the young man he killed. But as their connection deepens, they begin to neglect the people and responsibilities in their own lives. Now, both Conner and Lauren must confront the truth about their relationship: is it a path toward healing, or are they simply prolonging the pain?

Tender, intimate, and emotionally resonant, I'm the Undertow is a stunning debut about guilt, grace, and the complicated ways we try to move forward after loss.