Being there for her family is the most important thing to Jessamine Monet. And her family is complicated. Her twin brother Joel has a secret boyfriend, and her transgender cousin Solange is flourishing, despite the disapproval of Solangeās dying mother. Yet Jessamine
doesnāt mind being caught up in family drama. Being busy keeps the water at bayāthe water of memories, of Katrina, of past trauma.
So when Tennessee Williamsāa rich white boy named after the writerāasks her out, she hesitantly says yes. Heāll be like a library book, she figures, something to read and return. Falling for him is another burden she canāt afford to carry.
Tennessee has always lived his life at the mercy of his momās destructive creativity and his dadās hypermasculine expectations. Jessamineās caring and aloof nature is a surprisingly welcome distraction. While she fights her attraction to him, Tennessee is pulled into her
inner family circle and develops a friendship with Joelās boyfriend, Saint Baptiste. Together Saint and Tennessee bond over the difficulty of loving the emotionally unavailable Monet twins.
As senior year progresses, old traumas and familial pressures rise higher than hurricane waves. Can this group of friends make peace with each other, their families, and most importantly, with themselves?