For Adults
Under Water by Tara Menon is the next book to be featured this season on the Sara Cox Radio 2 Book Club—a stunning and deeply moving debut of grief, loss and female friendship, set against the backdrop of two cataclysmic natural events.
You can listen to the live interview with Tara on BBC Sounds from 31 March.
We have the chance for you to win a set of 10 copies of this novel for your book club. To apply, click on the survey link below. UK residents only, deadline for entries 15 April 2026.
Not yet a member of Book Club Hub? Sign up now.
Under Water
When five-year-old Marissa loses her mother, she is taken by her father to live on a small Thai island in the Andaman Sea. There, she forms a deep friendship with Arielle and together they explore the fragile wonders of its forests, reefs and beaches. Holding their breath for minutes at a time, they learn to dive into the deep, as effortlessly synchronized as the manta rays they come to know by name.
Then, on Boxing Day 2004, when the Indian Ocean tsunami makes landfall, they are swept up and separated.
Eight years later, Marissa is living in New York. She spends her days wandering through the city and her nights seeking solace in the beds of strangers. As the city prepares for Hurricane Sandy to make landfall, Marissa reflects on her past. Can she learn to sustain herself in a precarious world – or will she succumb to her demons?
How to apply
To apply, fill in this survey by 15 April.
