The Chronology of Water traces the effect of extreme grief on a young woman's developing sexuality. With candour and humility, Yuknavitch chronicles her early experiences as a survivor of childhood abuse at the hands of her father and then the birth, just out of her teens, of a stillborn child. From the shattered parts, she weaves a narrative shining with the healing power of art, beauty, writing, sibling love, romantic attachment - to men and women - and swimming. It is a journey of addiction, self-destruction, and ultimately survival that finally comes together in the shape of love.