Still Waters is a story of two inter-generational women who, at first glance, have little in common, but in fact share a surprising connection from their past trauma.

Set in Singapore from the late 1960s to the 2000s, this story begins with the protagonist, Mercy Ann Williams, a 40-year-old teacher who lives alone in an old bungalow. One day, a family of four with two teen-aged daughters moves in next door. Mercy’s curiosity about the family escalates into a protective obsession with the couple’s 10-year-old daughter, Anna, who bears the brunt of her mother’s frustrations. When the family suddenly leaves in the middle of the night, Mercy is beset with guilt and fear for Anna’s life. Things come to a head when the two women meet many years later.

In Still Waters by Anita Othman, follow these two women as they deal with their circumstances differently, changing the courses of their lives as a result.