Super Short Summary

Set in 1871 New York, E.L. Doctorow's novel The Waterworks follows freelance journalist Martin Pemberton, who, after being disinherited by his allegedly deceased father, glimpses him alive and uncovers a sinister plot by pseudo-scientists and mystics to extend lifespans, challenging medical ethics and revealing societal inequalities. The story is narrated by McIlvaine, Martin’s editor, in retrospect from the early 1900s.