Set in present day California, Dreaming Water is a wrenching portrait of mothers, daughters, and friends. Cate is caring for her daughter Hana who is suffering from Werner's Syndrome, which makes a person age at twice the rate of a healthy individual; at thirty-eight, Hana has the appearance of an eighty year old. As Hana's disease progresses, she and Cate must come to terms with their past and make peace with their future. Their quiet world is turned upside down when Hana's best friend appears with her two energetic daughters after being gone for many years. Gail Tsukiyama is at her best in this poignant, gripping, and beautiful story about love, loss, and friendship.