The Sweetness of Water
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- Create Date：2021-06-25 11:31:41
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Nathan Harris
- ISBN：1549164074
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Summary
In the spirit of The Known World and The Underground Railroad， a profound debut about the unlikely bond between two freedmen who are brothers and the Georgia farmer whose alliance will alter their lives， and his， foreverIn 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。
Reviews
Star
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This is an excellent book， there are already plenty of reviews so I will just add that I would like to see more George and Isabelle’s in the world。
Victoria Lee
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3，5 stars。
Reena Kainamu
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First time African American novellist。 Set in the aftermath of the abolition of slavery。 Brothers Prentiss and Landry are now freemen and have been living in the forest neighbouring the cotton plantation where they survived the cruel malevolent owner。 Landry by choice is mute as his words take time to unfurl。 He and his brother are two of my favorite characters。 The forest or land owners are free thinkers offering the brothers a daily wage to assist in developing their peanut farm。 The writing i First time African American novellist。 Set in the aftermath of the abolition of slavery。 Brothers Prentiss and Landry are now freemen and have been living in the forest neighbouring the cotton plantation where they survived the cruel malevolent owner。 Landry by choice is mute as his words take time to unfurl。 He and his brother are two of my favorite characters。 The forest or land owners are free thinkers offering the brothers a daily wage to assist in developing their peanut farm。 The writing is engaging detailing the personalities of all on their struggles against general meanness and herd inhumanity。 Joy is the water， the quenching of thirst， diving in the fountain of the plantation owner， Landry knitting socks for the woman owner of the peanut farm。 What happens to Landry bonds them all。 The title of the book is in the text on p。128 - love it when I find this。 It's about joy in the midst of injustices。 。。。more
Sharon Huether
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 In the early days of reconstruction， George and Isabelle Walker welcome two freed brothers， Landry and Prentiss on to their property。 Landry and Prentiss helped George with the farming; lived in the barn and even ate dinner in George and Isabelle's home。After two returning soldiers had a tryst in the woods and their secret is uncovered there is a murder and chaos that takes over， involving the whole community。When Isabelle is the only one left， she has renewed strength and fortitude。 She welcome In the early days of reconstruction， George and Isabelle Walker welcome two freed brothers， Landry and Prentiss on to their property。 Landry and Prentiss helped George with the farming; lived in the barn and even ate dinner in George and Isabelle's home。After two returning soldiers had a tryst in the woods and their secret is uncovered there is a murder and chaos that takes over， involving the whole community。When Isabelle is the only one left， she has renewed strength and fortitude。 She welcomes freed men and women to farm her acreage to make the farm beautiful once again。 After two years they would own their plot of land。The writing is lyrical and has a feeling of peacefulness。Kudos to the author。 this is his debut novel。I won this free book from Goodreads First reads。 。。。more
Sarah Baenen
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This is by far the best book I’ve read so far this year。 I loved the characters， each brimming with resiliency and their own particular flaws。 The pacing of the novel was also just right， with each turn of events making me ever more invested in the characters。 The book reminds us that life is hard yet the will to live and prosper is strong。
Mack Staton
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Beautiful Novel but Whose Story is it？The Sweetness of Water is rich in word power and in-depth characterization， but what begins as a narrative centered upon two newly emancipated brothers， Prentiss and Landry， is overtaken by the Walker Family and the citizens of a small southern town。 This doesn’t minimize the oftentimes brilliance of the novel but questions of gravity， focus and point of view naturally arise from an over emphasis on several side stories that carry more weight than the worthy Beautiful Novel but Whose Story is it？The Sweetness of Water is rich in word power and in-depth characterization， but what begins as a narrative centered upon two newly emancipated brothers， Prentiss and Landry， is overtaken by the Walker Family and the citizens of a small southern town。 This doesn’t minimize the oftentimes brilliance of the novel but questions of gravity， focus and point of view naturally arise from an over emphasis on several side stories that carry more weight than the worthy protagonists。 。。。more
Liz
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The Sweetness of Water is a contemporary classic about the Reconstruction period of the southern states after the Civil War。 George is a transplanted northerner in Georgia。 Originally content to sell off his land to make ends meet， after the War， he looks to make his mark on his remaining acres。 To do so， he hires two recently freed men。 As would be expected， this doesn’t go over well with the plantation owners who have lost their slaves or the recently returned Confederate soldiers。 His own son The Sweetness of Water is a contemporary classic about the Reconstruction period of the southern states after the Civil War。 George is a transplanted northerner in Georgia。 Originally content to sell off his land to make ends meet， after the War， he looks to make his mark on his remaining acres。 To do so， he hires two recently freed men。 As would be expected， this doesn’t go over well with the plantation owners who have lost their slaves or the recently returned Confederate soldiers。 His own son， Caleb， was a confederate soldier， but unlike the others， he disgraced himself on the battlefield。 He is also engaged in an illicit love affair which is a subplot of the story。 It’s obvious none of these stories are going to end well and they don’t。 I can see why Oprah picked this for her book club。 The characters are richly drawn， and I was drawn into George’s fight to do the right thing。 But it’s not just George， everyone is so developed that I could see them standing before me。 Parts of the story were so tense， I had to keep putting the book down。 There are multiple themes in the book - equality， prejudice， love in all its various guises。 But above all， the book focuses on finding one’s courage regardless of the repercussions。 Every single one of the main characters is put in that position。 I recommend this for fans of The Water Dancer - the same rich language， the same depth of sorrow。 But this book does end on a small note of hope。 Credit to Harris for writing such a profound book as a debut and at a fairly young age。 My thanks to NetGalley and Little， Brown for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
Ricky Schneider
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A tale of two brothers who are newly freed from slavery after the Emancipation Proclamation， The Sweetness of Water was a lavishly beautiful portrait of a small Southern town and it's colorful inhabitants as they grapple with the uncertainty of Reconstruction while still haunted by their traumatic past。 Adding to the already tenuous state of the town of Old Ox is an illicit affair between two Confederate soldiers hidden within it's midst。 With so many great debut novels lately， the fact that th A tale of two brothers who are newly freed from slavery after the Emancipation Proclamation， The Sweetness of Water was a lavishly beautiful portrait of a small Southern town and it's colorful inhabitants as they grapple with the uncertainty of Reconstruction while still haunted by their traumatic past。 Adding to the already tenuous state of the town of Old Ox is an illicit affair between two Confederate soldiers hidden within it's midst。 With so many great debut novels lately， the fact that this is Nathan Harris' first novel shouldn't be so astounding but it is。 That he can write a sprawling and compelling story so intelligently， beautifully， and confidently at 29 is almost unforgivable。 The deftness of his writing puts the reader immediately at ease and allows them to soak up every nuanced and emotionally charged moment。 Harris manages to spin vividly authentic details into a sentence without any air of pretention while still infusing each page with rich prose to rival even the most seasoned and successful of authors。 He is one to watch and I will pick up anything he puts out。 The small town Southern setting is rich with realism and it's rugged landscape is rendered with graceful reverie and dreamlike serenity。 Being from Georgia myself， I love to get lost in the backwoods of a small town like Old Ox and to get to know the diverse and multidimensional inhabitants that walk its roads and work its fields。 Harris gives us rustic cabins to cozy up in， gorgeous depictions of nature to revel in and opulent mansions to marvel at。 Every detail rings true in his vibrant vision of a historical small Southern town in all its glory and grit。 Harris' characters are equally real and complex。 George Walker is a flawed man but he will steal your heart and rip it out of your chest。 His wife， Isabelle， is a quiet and nuanced supporter who blossoms beautifully over the course of the story。 The two brothers， Landry and Prentiss， are unforgettable and wonderfully textured。 Caleb， the Walkers' son， is frustratingly naïve in that bumbling boyish way but he has redeeming growth throughout the narrative。 Mildred is loyal and loveable。 Clementine is that enigmatic side character that demands her own novel。 There are a few other nasty citizens of Old Ox but they are too dastardly to mention。 Of course， Harris wouldn't let us down by simply creating a propulsive and entertaining story to enjoy without underpinning it with powerful themes and sprinkling in meaty metaphors and classic motifs。 The "creature" that stalks the woods around the Walker's cabin is the most interesting and otherworldly element woven into the story that will mystify and menace the reader with many possible meanings and significance to interpret。 The most prominent motif I noticed was the novel's titular propensity for water。 All of this infuses an already stunning world with depth and heft that give the narrative an added impact that lingers long after the final page。 The ending didn't quite satisfy me but I take it as a great sign when I simply cannot accept that the story is over。 I want， no NEED more。 I doubt there will be a sequel but I'm desperate to continue exploring Old Ox and its compelling characters！ The Sweetness of Water was a perfect Juneteenth read and an unforgettable journey that completely enraptured me and stole my heart。 。。。more
Erin Michalopoulos
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5+ outstanding novel
Greylor Walston
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Beautifully written。 Didn’t love the storyline itself but the perspective was certainly interesting！ The author is only 30 and this is his debut novel。 Excited to see what lies in the future！
Elyse Walters
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Audiobook…。read by William DeMeritt，who was outstanding！！！ … 12 hours and 8 minutes Magnificent…。 an instant classic！ Really extraordinary！ …Engrossing storytelling ……Heartbreaking cruelty， loss， grief， racial and sexual bigotry…。yet also full of promise， courage， and humanity。 …Many underline themes - with surprise turns throughout。 …Incredible debut！ As the story deepens （after first hooking the reader from the start）， it becomes clear that the lives of the characters are caught in tumultuous Audiobook…。read by William DeMeritt，who was outstanding！！！ … 12 hours and 8 minutes Magnificent…。 an instant classic！ Really extraordinary！ …Engrossing storytelling ……Heartbreaking cruelty， loss， grief， racial and sexual bigotry…。yet also full of promise， courage， and humanity。 …Many underline themes - with surprise turns throughout。 …Incredible debut！ As the story deepens （after first hooking the reader from the start）， it becomes clear that the lives of the characters are caught in tumultuous swirls in very unexpected ways……。truth emerges — and we wonder are secrets best staying hidden or not？ Very powerful！Oprah got it right。。picking this book for her ‘July’ read。 Huge congrats to Nathan Harris。 Hard to believe the author of this complex sophisticated well written novel is only twenty-nine years old。 。。。more
Rebecca
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Fantastic plot but the writing was a little too drawn out。
Susan Stern
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An incredible journey of a bookThe characters in this debut （！） novel are unforgettable and issues of relationships， race， and identity are timeless。Over and over I was struck by the artistry of the author's words。 An incredible journey of a bookThe characters in this debut （！） novel are unforgettable and issues of relationships， race， and identity are timeless。Over and over I was struck by the artistry of the author's words。 。。。more
Poppy Gee
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This is incredible。 Love it。 I haven't quite finished; it's bursting with ideas and thoughts to think about！ Review to come shortly！ This is incredible。 Love it。 I haven't quite finished; it's bursting with ideas and thoughts to think about！ Review to come shortly！ 。。。more
Karen
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This is a heartbreaking but hopeful novel 。。 written so beautifully。。 and this is one that I went into blind。。 and enjoyed it so much， so I’m not going to say much about it。I will say that this author did an outstanding job on character development。I especially loved George and Isabelle Walker。。 the white land owners who employ two brothers who are emancipated slaves to work their land。This is set in a town in Georgia， just as the Civil War is ending and just after the Emancipation。So many topic This is a heartbreaking but hopeful novel 。。 written so beautifully。。 and this is one that I went into blind。。 and enjoyed it so much， so I’m not going to say much about it。I will say that this author did an outstanding job on character development。I especially loved George and Isabelle Walker。。 the white land owners who employ two brothers who are emancipated slaves to work their land。This is set in a town in Georgia， just as the Civil War is ending and just after the Emancipation。So many topics in this book… an emotionally distant marriage， race relations and tension， murder， a gay romance。Just read this！ 😊 。。。more
Madison
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Stunning。
Megan Rose
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Wow。 I cannot believe this is a debut novel。 Everything about this book was so beautifully written and I did not want it to end。 I cannot recommend this book enough。 It's definitely in my top reads of the year！！！ Wow。 I cannot believe this is a debut novel。 Everything about this book was so beautifully written and I did not want it to end。 I cannot recommend this book enough。 It's definitely in my top reads of the year！！！ 。。。more
Karen Faine
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A Must Read！One of the best books I have ever read！ Very nuanced， beautifully written。 It seems impossible that it was written by such a young author。 Absolutely loved it！
Rigoberto Garza
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Great story line！This book gives great insight to a historical time period that is rarely discussed， right after the end of slavery。
Shelley Lamle
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3。5Beautiful writing，but slow
Ruth Hulshof
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Must read！A very thoughtful read。 I enjoyed it immensely and it made me give thought to those days and months following the emancipation。 The author's ability to create imagery of the characters， sights， smells and atmosphere of that time was excellent。 Must read！A very thoughtful read。 I enjoyed it immensely and it made me give thought to those days and months following the emancipation。 The author's ability to create imagery of the characters， sights， smells and atmosphere of that time was excellent。 。。。more
Alex Curtis
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“The Sweetness of Water” — the latest Oprah Book Club pick is a masterpiece。 Nathan Harris’s debut novel is remarkable; that he’s only 29 is amazing。 This book was an haunting Reconstruction era story about a community and family upended by war， scandal， and a new reality， especially at the time in America when the Civil War had just ended so many people were dealing with loss and a new way of life。 Especially at the time in America when the Civil War had just ended so many people were dealing w “The Sweetness of Water” — the latest Oprah Book Club pick is a masterpiece。 Nathan Harris’s debut novel is remarkable; that he’s only 29 is amazing。 This book was an haunting Reconstruction era story about a community and family upended by war， scandal， and a new reality， especially at the time in America when the Civil War had just ended so many people were dealing with loss and a new way of life。 Especially at the time in America when the Civil War had just ended so many people were dealing with loss and a new way of life。 。。。more
Shelly Klinger
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Fabulous I loved hearing about the involvement of white people helping freed black men。 And about the bravery of three black people。
MicheleReader
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In the fictional， rural town of Old Ox， Georgia， the Civil War has just ended。 The Emancipation Proclamation has taken effect。 Brothers Prentiss and Landry are free。 But what happens now？ They hide in the forest on the land next to the plantation they were raised in and enslaved in。 Landowner George Walker finds the brothers and offers them work， a play to live and fair wages so they can save enough money to head north。 George and his wife Isabelle have just learned that their son Caleb has died In the fictional， rural town of Old Ox， Georgia， the Civil War has just ended。 The Emancipation Proclamation has taken effect。 Brothers Prentiss and Landry are free。 But what happens now？ They hide in the forest on the land next to the plantation they were raised in and enslaved in。 Landowner George Walker finds the brothers and offers them work， a play to live and fair wages so they can save enough money to head north。 George and his wife Isabelle have just learned that their son Caleb has died in the war。 George seeks new meaning and decides that together with the brothers， they will clear the land and grow peanuts。 The Walkers have to deal with the impact this plan has on their community， which is struggling with the start of Reconstruction and the appearance of Union soldiers throughout the town。 Their neighbors shun the Walkers as they treat the Black brothers with compassion。 When the truth of Caleb’s fate is revealed， everything changes。There is so much to love in The Sweetness of Water， a remarkable debut novel by author Nathan Harris。 Each of the characters are skillfully well-developed and complicated。 The beautiful writing will immerse you into this heartbreaking yet hopeful book。 Even while being transported to the 1860s， the parallels to today’s issues of racism cannot be ignored。 We see how the scars of the past still exist today。 Yet amidst the divide， there are those who rise above and see a better day that lies ahead。I started to pull out some passages that impacted me the most and I realized there were just too many。 The prose is that good。 You’re going to hear a lot about this book and its talented author。 I hope you’ll read The Sweetness of Water。 It is a slow-burn book that requires you devote the time to settle in and appreciate its nuances。 I started to pull out some passages that impacted me the most and I realized there were just too many。 The prose is that good。 You’re going to hear a lot about this book and its talented author。 I hope you’ll read The Sweetness of Water。 It is a slow-burn book that requires you devote the time to settle in and appreciate its nuances。 It is befitting that this book was published the week Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday in the U。S。Review posted on MicheleReader。com。 。。。more
Ro Hart
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An awful time in US history。A small rural town in the south have soldiers returning from the was and black people freed from slavery。 Not a good mix in the town。 None of them are happy， they have all had a traumatic time in recent year。A very personal story of one family and how they cope at this time。Wonderful writing， sadness， happiness， trauma， loss， love and folks without sympathy stirring up the situation。It’s a tough read but well worth the effort。
Zoe
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Evocative， tragic， and incredibly affecting！The Sweetness of Water is a powerful， riveting， emotionally-charged tale that sweeps you away to Georgia at the end of the civil war and takes you into the lives of a handful of people， including a lost father， a grieving mother， a returned soldier with a lot of aggression and a secret he will protect at any cost， two brothers recently enslaved who are slowly adapting to their newfound freedom， and a myriad of other southern people struggling to surviv Evocative， tragic， and incredibly affecting！The Sweetness of Water is a powerful， riveting， emotionally-charged tale that sweeps you away to Georgia at the end of the civil war and takes you into the lives of a handful of people， including a lost father， a grieving mother， a returned soldier with a lot of aggression and a secret he will protect at any cost， two brothers recently enslaved who are slowly adapting to their newfound freedom， and a myriad of other southern people struggling to survive and accept the repercussions， fallout， and new way of life caused by their recent defeat by the Union Army。The prose is sensitive and expressive。 The characters are multi-layered， resilient， and vulnerable。 And the plot， set during the mid-1860s， is a profoundly moving tale about war， familial relationships， heartbreak， loss， guilt， grief， shame， suspicion， secrets， desperation， resilience， hope， courage， resentment， emancipation， unlikely friendships， and forbidden love。Overall， The Sweetness of Water is the perfect blend of historical facts， compelling fiction， and palpable emotion。 It’s a beautifully written， impactful， stunning debut by Harris that does a remarkable job of highlighting the indomitable spirit of humanity to endure， survive， conquer， forgive， and even love under even the harshest of circumstances。Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Madah J
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Beautiful story。
Ron Charles
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“The Sweetness of Water” — the latest Oprah Book Club pick — unfolds in Georgia during the murky twilight of the Civil War。 Union soldiers have marched through the state telling enslaved Black people they’re free， but that freedom exists in the ruins of a White society seething with resentment， determined to maintain its superiority。That this powerful book is Nathan Harris’s debut novel is remarkable; that he’s only 29 is miraculous。 His prose is burnished with an antique patina that evokes the “The Sweetness of Water” — the latest Oprah Book Club pick — unfolds in Georgia during the murky twilight of the Civil War。 Union soldiers have marched through the state telling enslaved Black people they’re free， but that freedom exists in the ruins of a White society seething with resentment， determined to maintain its superiority。That this powerful book is Nathan Harris’s debut novel is remarkable; that he’s only 29 is miraculous。 His prose is burnished with an antique patina that evokes the mid-19th century。 And he explores this liminal moment in our history with extraordinary sensitivity to the range of responses from Black and White Americans contending with a revolutionary ideal of personhood。The story opens in a fugue of mourning。 George Walker is wandering through his 200-acre wood。 A Northerner brought to Georgia decades ago as a child， George never developed any sympathy for the Southern cause。 But the end of the War Between the States brings him no joy。 He’s just received word that his only son， who enlisted with the Confederacy， was killed in the final weeks of battle。 He reportedly died in。 。 。 。 To read the rest of this review， go to The Washington Post:https://www。washingtonpost。com/entert。。。 。。。more
Michael Barrett
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Read first chapter。 Did not keep my interest。
Katrina
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The Sweetness of Water is a hugely moving book。 Arthur and his wife live in an isolated farm waiting to hear from their son who is fighting in the civil war。 Out walking one night， Arthur discovers Landry and Prentiss， two freed slaves。 All these lives are bought together to explore the injustices， secret lives and internal battles experienced by those living in this time period。So much happens in this novel， yet the pace is measured and the novel feels character driven。 I loved the character of The Sweetness of Water is a hugely moving book。 Arthur and his wife live in an isolated farm waiting to hear from their son who is fighting in the civil war。 Out walking one night， Arthur discovers Landry and Prentiss， two freed slaves。 All these lives are bought together to explore the injustices， secret lives and internal battles experienced by those living in this time period。So much happens in this novel， yet the pace is measured and the novel feels character driven。 I loved the character of Arthur and many of the other characters in the book who are all dealing with their own complex issues。 Although the book focuses on dark themes and moments in history there is always a sense of hope running through。I read this book for free thanks to netgalley。com in exchange for a true and fair review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Sweetness of Water
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Sweetness of Water&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft