When Fern Oakby is summoned to the quiet village of Witherby, she expects a stubborn botanical nuisance. Instead, she finds a river strangled by unnatural reeds, a mill ground to a halt, and villagers who no longer dare to go near the water. At dusk, the reeds begin to sing…and something beneath the surface stirs.

As Fern and Millie investigate, they uncover an old tragedy, a drowned child, and a grief that has taken root and grown monstrous. The child's tale has been rewritten so many times that the truth has sunk beneath the surface, warping the magic that once flowed through the river.

With Millie's gift for uncovering hidden stories, the two women must confront a sorrow that refuses to rest—because something in the water is waking, and it remembers exactly who was lost.

To save Witherby, Fern and Millie must untangle a twisted tale before it claims another life. If they cannot rewrite the ending, the river will go on taking…and it might drown them all.