The Sweetness of Water
Fiction
Little, Brown and Co.
June 15, 2021
Hardcover
368
Purchased
In the waning days of the Civil War, brothers Prentiss and Landry—freed by the Emancipation Proclamation—seek refuge on the homestead of George Walker and his wife, Isabelle. The Walkers, wracked by the loss of their only son to the war, hire the brothers to work their farm, hoping through an unexpected friendship to stanch their grief. Prentiss and Landry, meanwhile, plan to save money for the journey north and a chance to reunite with their mother, who was sold away when they were boys.
Parallel to their story runs a forbidden romance between two Confederate soldiers. The young men, recently returned from the war to the town of Old Ox, hold their trysts in the woods. But when their secret is discovered, the resulting chaos, including a murder, unleashes convulsive repercussions on the entire community. In the aftermath of so much turmoil, it is Isabelle who emerges as an unlikely leader, proffering a healing vision for the land and for the newly free citizens of Old Ox.
With candor and sympathy, debut novelist Nathan Harris creates an unforgettable cast of characters, depicting Georgia in the violent crucible of Reconstruction. Equal parts beauty and terror, as gripping as it is moving, The Sweetness of Water is an epic whose grandeur locates humanity and love amid the most harrowing circumstances.
This is the latest pick for Oprah's book club. While I was an avid follower of her picks back in the day, I tend to be a bit more selective now since sometimes her choices are a bit too highbrow even for my literary tastes. I chose this one because I've always been interested in slavery stories, and was really hoping I could cleanse myself from the last one I read that I was not a fan of at all (and definitely WAS highbrow writing). This right here was the book that I wish The Prophets had been! There were a couple of different storylines to follow (the recently freed brothers, and the forbidden soldiers love story), but they intersect fairly quickly within the plot. While this book was hopeful in the end, I'm not going to say that this wasn't very sad along the way. The characters were very well written, and the writing was beautiful (not over the top and appearing as if the author was trying too hard to be lyrical). I also loved that the character of Isabelle took control of her world and the situations therein. This tells an excellent story of the Reconstruction time (post Civil War) in the South, when not everyone is on board with freed slaves.
I'm very happy that I picked this book up. It has restored my faith in slavery stories, and Oprah's book club. I wouldn't suggest this as a beach read (unless you like darker toned books for that purpose), but I would highly recommend you pick it up at some point, especially if good character stories from this time period are of interest to you.
