"Over the Big Water" is a unique compilation of local history based on 46 transcribed letters between members of the Underwood family—primarily Harvey Underwood, Louisa Underwood, Ella Underwood, and Arthur Leonard. These letters provide detailed accounts of military conditions in France and Germany, as well as life in Stanly County, a rural North Carolina community. The title derives from a local euphemism for the Atlantic Ocean. The book also incorporates local genealogical records, newspapers, and oral histories to create a comprehensive history of the Underwood family, their extended relatives and neighbors, and the broader communities of Stanly County, North Carolina.