Just Add Water: A Memoir tells the story of an Italian American woman growing up in the Catholic Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. JesuMarie presents her recollections, framing them with a list of ingredients for Zuppa Maritata, a flavorful Italian soup. One simply adds water to the ingredients to bring the soup to life. In a similar way, JesuMarie finds that adding water, symbolizing a rich and resilient spirituality flowing from the lessons she learned from nuns in grade school, makes the ingredients of her life come together. Just as recipes bring the tastes of regional palettes to life through the choice of specific ingredients, Just Add Water brings the author's childhood to life by immersing itself in her history specific details. She recalls at one point: "I transformed into the Flash, running very fast out the back door, under and through the laundry, pulling some of it down to the cement ground as I ran with superhuman speed. I looked back on the rest of the laundry swinging in the warm breeze as I made my escape around to the convent with the nuns. I could hear the Italian Madman cursing and screaming all our family's dirty laundry out loud for all the neighbors to hear." Just Add Water: A Memoir does not shy away from the uncomfortable details of the author's life, but rather, it immerses them in the waters of spiritual insight, transforming them into a hearty soup.
