PRH Sales Spring/Summer 2026 Title Wave Selection
An intense, atmospheric novel about the devastating power of friendship, set against the backdrop of two cataclysmic events. Named a most anticipated book of the year by Time, NPR, Oprah Daily, Kirkus Reviews, Debutiful, and more!
After Marissa loses her mother at six, the most intimate relationship of her life begins. Her marine biologist father, determined to channel his grief into completing his wife’s research, whisks her across the globe to Thailand. There she meets Arielle, and a fairytale friendship takes hold. During the week, the girls live at the resort owned by Arielle’s parents; on the weekends they join the tight-knit community of researchers on a nearby island. Together the girls discover the fragile wonders of its reefs, forests, and beaches. Together they learn to dive into the deep, holding their breath for minutes at a time, as effortlessly synchronized as the manta rays they come to know by name. Together they learn to swim their way out of danger. But then comes a wave Arielle can’t outpace, leaving Marissa gutted with loss.
Years later, Marissa is back in New York, adrift and haunted by the memory of her friend. Over the course of two fateful days, as another cataclysm approaches the city and the past comes flooding back, she discovers how to sustain herself in a precarious world.
“UNDER WATER is a beautiful, heart wrenching gut punch of a novel; a powerful and atmospheric novel, and a gorgeously written exploration of grief and friendship and the awesome and destructive power of nature. Tara Menon reminds us that we are of the world, that we are connected to nature and to our environment, and that we are subject to her and to each other. I can’t stop thinking about this book, and you won’t be able to either.”
— Sara Danver, PRH National Account Manager
Click here to read a Q&A with author Tara Menon.
Click here to watch a short video about the inspiration for UNDER WATER.
AUTHOR TOUR EVENTS
3/19 – NEW YORK CITY
IN OFFICE EVENT – 11AM
Author meet & greet as well as book signing
3/19 – NEW YORK CITY
Yu & Me Books
In conversation with Adam Ross
@yuandmebooks
@adamrosswriter
Event Details
3/21 – MINNEAPOLIS
Milkweed Books at the Open Book Literary Center
In conversation with MC Hyland
@milkweed_books
@mc.hyland
Event Details
3/27 – CAMBRIDGE
Harvard Bookstore
In conversation with Namwali Serpell
@harvardbookstore
Event Details
4/14 – CAMBRIDGE
Harvard University Department of English
In conversation with Teju Cole
@harvardenglish
@_tejucole
5/19 – BROOKLYN
Tables of Contents
@tables.of.contents
Founded in 2013, Title Wave is a dedicated committee of Penguin Random House Sales & Marketing employees whose mission is to identify and amplify books that celebrate our shared passion for reading. Twice a year, the Title Wave Committee reads a collection of titles nominated by each imprint and selects a standout book for the entire PRH sales force to champion.
