We Live in Water Summary
Jess Walter

We Live in Water Overview

We Live in Water is a collection of short stories by Jess Walter. The stories generally follow characters who are facing difficult personal challenges such as poverty, addiction, or illness. The characters often have no clear or immediate means of escaping their circumstances, but they often find solace by pursuing emotional connections with the people around them. The stories largely function as critiques of persistent societal ills, as well as examinations of the value of human relationships. The collection explores themes of father-son relationships, socioeconomic hardship, compassion, altruism, and personal limitations.