As the spouse of a newly-minted Navy submariner, Samantha soon discovers how little she and the other wives are permitted to know about the top secret workings of their husbands' lives while underway. When the Argentine submarine ARA San Juan goes quiet in November 2017, other than the reporting of an underwater "seismic anamoly," a sound consistent with an implosion, Sam and her fellow Navy wives devise ways to keep themselves afloat during the excruciating silence of their husbands' sub. Wide-eyed Sam, at times unsure of her place in a world governed by reactors, warheads, and relentless operational tempo, eventually discovers a truth about the inner strength of women.

Samantha Otto Brown holds a BA in English from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte. Her nonfiction work appears in PANK Magazine and Mizzou's EPIC. She lives with her husband, daughter, and dog in Lawrence, Kansas, and runs a blog, The Page & Print.