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The Sweetness of Water (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel

The Sweetness of Water (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel

  • Downloads：7126
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-06-16 12:30:55
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Nathan Harris
  • ISBN：154916404X
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Michael Barrett ，

Read first chapter。 Did not keep my interest。

Anctoesend ，

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Katrina ，

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

Lisa ，

Set directly in the time period after the Emancipation Proclamation this story follows farmer George Walker and his family after they meet two recently freed men camping on their land。 This is Harris’s debut novel and the writing is so accomplished that you would think that this was his fourth or fifth novel。 It was a delight to read， and the arc of the story keeps you hooked。 Will George， and Prentiss and Landry， the freed men， be allowed to live comfortably together whilst George’s next door Set directly in the time period after the Emancipation Proclamation this story follows farmer George Walker and his family after they meet two recently freed men camping on their land。 This is Harris’s debut novel and the writing is so accomplished that you would think that this was his fourth or fifth novel。 It was a delight to read， and the arc of the story keeps you hooked。 Will George， and Prentiss and Landry， the freed men， be allowed to live comfortably together whilst George’s next door neighbour is still smarting and claiming that the brothers are still his property？ Can they really live in peace whilst local men are returning from fighting for the confederate army？ The story is told from multiple points of view， my only slight criticism is that I would have liked to have seen more of it being told from the POV of Prentiss。 He is an important character but I felt his POV was minimal compared to that of the George or his wife。 I did have a few tears in my eyes at places and the cruelty that Landry suffers is horrifying。 This book is very deserving of being at least short listed for some awards， and I highly recommend it to everybody。 I can see that Tinder Press are doing a good job at selecting brilliant stories to publish。 Thanks to @tandemcollectiveuk and @headlinebooks for gifting me this proof copy。 。。。more

Clare Mansell ，

I've been yearning for a really meaty book to read for a while and the Sweetness Of Water really delivered。 It's set in a period of time I knew little about， but was quickly drawn to， shortly after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation a small town is learning to move forward into a new future。 Former slaves find themselves with freedom， but no jobs or home and when local farmer George Walker employs two of them， the town is divided。 This is a compelling and twisting tale with characte I've been yearning for a really meaty book to read for a while and the Sweetness Of Water really delivered。 It's set in a period of time I knew little about， but was quickly drawn to， shortly after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation a small town is learning to move forward into a new future。 Former slaves find themselves with freedom， but no jobs or home and when local farmer George Walker employs two of them， the town is divided。 This is a compelling and twisting tale with characters I really rooted for。 I can't believe it's a debut novel because the writing is so well crafted and the story clearly well researched， it's the kind of novel that makes me think I could never write a novel， because I'd never achieve this standard！ Definitely one to add to your reading list before it's made into a film。 。。。more

Nicky Maunder ，

This one has me conflicted。 This slow burner is in the South and covering the affects after the Emancipation Proclamation when all slaves are made free people。 I really loved the character George， how he goes against society’s conventions and ways， and Prentiss and Landry as they struggle to adjust to life as free men and to fit into the same community that does not agree with the Proclamation。 Their journey toward each other was truly unique。There were moments in this story that were really bea This one has me conflicted。 This slow burner is in the South and covering the affects after the Emancipation Proclamation when all slaves are made free people。 I really loved the character George， how he goes against society’s conventions and ways， and Prentiss and Landry as they struggle to adjust to life as free men and to fit into the same community that does not agree with the Proclamation。 Their journey toward each other was truly unique。There were moments in this story that were really beautiful， and in those moments this story would have been an easy 4 star read， but sadly most of the story felt too drawn out。 Harris’ writing style really makes you feel like you’re in the 1860s， and I really enjoyed some of the relationships between the various characters and how Harris explores what it means to be free。 。。。more

Joann 'bartunek' prashek ，

What a wonderful historical fiction read。 Thank you Goodreads for the advanced copy。 I envision the new author writing many more novels I will pickup in a heartbeat。

Susan ，

I have read many books set in antebellum times and during and after the Civil war but this story was very different。It is a story about relationships， trust and deceptions。Two black men - brothers left their former master's property when the war ended as they were now free。 Freedom is one thing but if you have nothing where do you go and what do you do？They were camping in the woods of the next door property。 the owner of that property liked to wander in his woods and ran into the brothers。 The I have read many books set in antebellum times and during and after the Civil war but this story was very different。It is a story about relationships， trust and deceptions。Two black men - brothers left their former master's property when the war ended as they were now free。 Freedom is one thing but if you have nothing where do you go and what do you do？They were camping in the woods of the next door property。 the owner of that property liked to wander in his woods and ran into the brothers。 The owner， George had become a bit disorientated and the brothers guided him home。Meanwhile， George and his wife Isabelle had recently had news that their son Caleb had been killed in the Civil war。 George copes by deciding to plant peanuts in a field and asks the brothers to help him in return for payment and food and sleeping in the barn。 They work together and their relationship becomes close。 Even Isabelle invites them in to eat。This causes upset in the local town， not least with the neighbour who had 'owned ' these brothers。Other relationships cause even more problems and events really take a turn for the worse， The story itself is at times really sad， shocking and emotional but the characters develop and change during the events and become more involved with each other's lives。The characters are well-drawn and come to life during the book。 It isn't an uplifting book by any means and sadly the nastiest people don't suffer the worst which often happens in real life too。It wasn't an easy read， the print is quite small so reading at night I found tricky but mainly it was a story that needed your attention and at times the descriptions of events was quite upsetting。 I will certainly look out for more from this author - this was his debut novel so it will be interesting to see what he writes next。 。。。more

Donna Everhart ，

My review， first published with the New York Journal of Books:https://www。nyjournalofbooks。com/book。。。 My review， first published with the New York Journal of Books:https://www。nyjournalofbooks。com/book。。。 。。。more

Jennifer Schultz ，

Read if you: Want a haunting Reconstruction era story about a community and family upended by war， scandal， and a new reality。The plot is quite detailed and can get a bit too complicated to break down in a short review， but readers who want a unique post-Civil War era novel should definitely consider this。 Definitely looking forward to more stories from Nathan Harris。Many thanks to Litt，e Brown and Company and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review。

MandM ，

Fantastic character development。 You know these people well by the end of the book。

Sarah Goldson ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A profoundly moving story of slave emancipation， love， grief， and hope。 George Walker thinks his son， Caleb， has died in the Civil War and wanders far from his home in the town of Old Ox in his grief。 He comes across brothers Prentiss and Landry， who have been freed by a neighbouring farmer， because of the Emancipation。 George gives the two brothers work on his farm and pays them a fair wage， in an attempt to assuage his grief through distraction， which soon brings him the inevitable unwelcome a A profoundly moving story of slave emancipation， love， grief， and hope。 George Walker thinks his son， Caleb， has died in the Civil War and wanders far from his home in the town of Old Ox in his grief。 He comes across brothers Prentiss and Landry， who have been freed by a neighbouring farmer， because of the Emancipation。 George gives the two brothers work on his farm and pays them a fair wage， in an attempt to assuage his grief through distraction， which soon brings him the inevitable unwelcome attention from local landowners who feel he is denying veterans work whilst paying the brothers。 George’s wife Isabelle comes to see the brothers as part of her own family， when Caleb， their son， returns from the war alive。 Both Caleb and George recognise their own frailties and see themselves as essentially cowards who lack strength of character。 Events soon bring the brothers， Caleb， George and Isabelle close together， and test their strength。 I really identified with Isabelle and the way she has to live with the reality of what happens to her。 In a lot of ways she is the bravest character in the book， as she watches her family get caught up in the fight to build an alliance that is anti-emancipation。 She never loses hope。 This book is really inventive。 Nathan Harris has created a story that is both very modern and absolutely of its time。 It has so many resonances with race issues in modern America， and is utterly profound， moving， and gripping。 George is such a well drawn character: totally believable。 Prentiss and Landry are too; Landry hardly speaks， but when he does， he speaks volumes。 Character is very strong in this book， but the plotting is equally strong。 The Sweetness of Water is such a powerful， magnificent book; I urge you to read it。 The comparisons with Colson Whitehead are justified and I am looking forward to seeing what Harris writes next。 Thanks to Amazon for an advance copy in exchange for an open and honest review。 。。。more

Karen Mace ，

This is a beautifully written， understated story that looks into the complexities of human relationships， 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。It centres around 2 brothers and their relationship with George， a local man who shuns most human contact and finds it difficult to express his emotions。 But the moment he finds these brothers on his land， he seems to connect with them and finds it easier to open up This is a beautifully written， understated story that looks into the complexities of human relationships， 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。It centres around 2 brothers and their relationship with George， a local man who shuns most human contact and finds it difficult to express his emotions。 But the moment he finds these brothers on his land， he seems to connect with them and finds it easier to open up to them than his own wife。His relationship with these 2 brothers angers many of the locals who find it strange and seems to antagonise many。 With his wife on board for his vision for his land， we get to explore a number of relationships and the intricacies that come with them - friends， family， lovers。。 - and it's the exploration of the male side of things that I really enjoyed reading about。 How awkward someone can be with someone so close， yet so open and free with a 'stranger'。 With resistance from the locals to his plans， George and his family find themselves being shunned because of their relationship with the brothers， and what followed is a story that's full of heartbreak， hope， determination and fight。The brothers share an extraordinary bond which makes their scenes even more touching， and makes some of the situations they find themselves in even more heartwrenching as things unfold。 I loved the style of writing throughout， the action builds up slowly which allows you to connect more to each character and giving a number of characters their own voice allowed you to see more of the picture and understand the times。A staggering debut and a story that stays with you。 。。。more

Kayleigh ，

A beautiful story about fear， love and hope。 Set shortly after the American Civil War， we meet themes of slavery， childhood trauma， sexuality and grief。 But also determination， growth and freedom。For me， this was a slow burner and I took a while to get into it， but I'm glad I persevered。 The second half of the book was moving and stayed with me for days。A stunning debut novel from Nathan Harris and I can't wait to read more！ A beautiful story about fear， love and hope。 Set shortly after the American Civil War， we meet themes of slavery， childhood trauma， sexuality and grief。 But also determination， growth and freedom。For me， this was a slow burner and I took a while to get into it， but I'm glad I persevered。 The second half of the book was moving and stayed with me for days。A stunning debut novel from Nathan Harris and I can't wait to read more！ 。。。more

The Cookster ，

Rating: 2。7/5This debut novel from Nathan Harris， set shortly after the conclusion of the American Civil War， left me with mixed feelings。 The writing itself is very impressive and belies the fact that this is the author's first publication。 There is a maturity and deftness of touch that would suggest it had come from the pen of a far more experienced writer。 The descriptive language is incredibly evocative at times and some difficult and emotive subject matter is handled both delicately and ade Rating: 2。7/5This debut novel from Nathan Harris， set shortly after the conclusion of the American Civil War， left me with mixed feelings。 The writing itself is very impressive and belies the fact that this is the author's first publication。 There is a maturity and deftness of touch that would suggest it had come from the pen of a far more experienced writer。 The descriptive language is incredibly evocative at times and some difficult and emotive subject matter is handled both delicately and adeptly。On the downside， I had some issues with the pacing of the novel。 This could， perhaps， be described as a "slow burner， but even making allowance for that approach， I found the first 40% of the book quite heavy going at times。 Yes， the writing was still attractive， but I was crying out for some impetus to move the storyline forward。 The second half of the novel makes for far more engaging reading in that respect。By setting "The Sweetness of Water" in this particular point in history， Nathan Harris is able to home in on some of the major social issues of the day - most notably， though not exclusively， racial prejudice。 The concerning thing is that reading this material more than 150 years later， it is apparent these same social issues are still relevant and are far from being entirely resolved。 。。。more

Elizabeth ，

Wow I just loved this book。 Initially it took a time to get going but this was right， the scene needed to bet set and life isn't drama all the time。 The second part of the book was so moving。 The story is set around the end of the civil war but within this are parallel themes。 I can't believe this is a debut novel。 It is gripping yet sympathetically written， which suits me。 I dont want to give any of the plot away， as this book needs to really unfold as you read on， that is its beauty。 It had me Wow I just loved this book。 Initially it took a time to get going but this was right， the scene needed to bet set and life isn't drama all the time。 The second part of the book was so moving。 The story is set around the end of the civil war but within this are parallel themes。 I can't believe this is a debut novel。 It is gripping yet sympathetically written， which suits me。 I dont want to give any of the plot away， as this book needs to really unfold as you read on， that is its beauty。 It had me engaged to the last page。 At times I did find it harrowing but it was written so sensitively。 I do hope there are more books in the pipeline by this author。 。。。more

Mocha Girl ，

The Sweetness of Water is set in the antebellum South shortly after Lee’s surrender。 The residents of Old Ox are grappling with uncertainty and angst as the familial and financial losses of the Civil War become apparent。 For some， the presence of freedman camps and Union soldiers is unsettling to their core。 However， not all are suffering。 George and Isabelle Walker’s grief dissipates when their son， Caleb， returns home after they were told he was killed in action。 Prentiss and Landry， two emanc The Sweetness of Water is set in the antebellum South shortly after Lee’s surrender。 The residents of Old Ox are grappling with uncertainty and angst as the familial and financial losses of the Civil War become apparent。 For some， the presence of freedman camps and Union soldiers is unsettling to their core。 However， not all are suffering。 George and Isabelle Walker’s grief dissipates when their son， Caleb， returns home after they were told he was killed in action。 Prentiss and Landry， two emancipated brothers from a neighboring plantation， relish their newfound freedom and accept George’s offer to work his property with him for “honest pay” to finance their journey North。 Nonetheless， these are tenuous times。 When a single act of cowardice fueled by bitterness and hatred begets a series of devastating events， it leaves the town and its residents scarred in unimaginable ways。 Harris created a world that showcased humanity at its best and worst。 There were immersive descriptions of the Georgian landscapes including a masterful correlation to the novel’s title。 The emphasis on nature was purposeful as it highlighted the dependence on agriculture （and the manual labor required to work it） for survival as well as the central characters’ reverence for the earth and the elements。 Love and tenderness were expressed within the symbiotic nature of the interpersonal relationships formed between those least expected。 The author flavored the dialogue and inner monologues with nuanced language and phasing evocative of the era。 I thoroughly enjoyed this remarkable and memorable award-worthy debut！ 。。。more

Geoffrey ，

（Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley）Nathan Harris’s The Sweetness of Water takes place shortly after the Civil War in the fictional Georgia town of Old Ox。 There are losses to be mourned， new freedom for many to be cautiously explored， relationships to be renegotiated， and between the white residents， former slaves and occupying Union soldiers， there are tensions aplenty。 That is much as I am willing to divulge without concern of accidentally spoiling any （Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley）Nathan Harris’s The Sweetness of Water takes place shortly after the Civil War in the fictional Georgia town of Old Ox。 There are losses to be mourned， new freedom for many to be cautiously explored， relationships to be renegotiated， and between the white residents， former slaves and occupying Union soldiers， there are tensions aplenty。 That is much as I am willing to divulge without concern of accidentally spoiling any plot。 I will add however that Harris’s first novel is an extremely impressive debut。 It is packed with characters who are all incredibly rich with introspection as they all try to manage themselves in a land both drastically changed but also in many ways still the same。 And what jumped out to me the most was how it’s less a Reconstruction story and much more a story about bonds between the characters - both the new ones that are forged and the old ones that are altered and sometimes completely broken。 The Sweetness of Water is a story full of tragedy， sadness， resilience， hope， and overall an absolutely beautifully written tale。 。。。more

Kate Southey ，

I loved this novel。 A slow burner to start with but once you fall in love with George Walker you are caught， like Isabelle and Clementine and Ezra were。 A man who talked too much， who had some strange ideas and who never conformed to what society expected but a man who inspired a deep loyalty in his friends and family。 This novel is far more than a book about slavery and the post civil war Deep South it is a tapestry of human relationships and emotions。 Harris shows us imperfect marriages， imper I loved this novel。 A slow burner to start with but once you fall in love with George Walker you are caught， like Isabelle and Clementine and Ezra were。 A man who talked too much， who had some strange ideas and who never conformed to what society expected but a man who inspired a deep loyalty in his friends and family。 This novel is far more than a book about slavery and the post civil war Deep South it is a tapestry of human relationships and emotions。 Harris shows us imperfect marriages， imperfect sibling and parental relationships and yet those imperfections are， like the Japanese art of Kintsugi where broken things are fixed with gold to highlight rather than hide the cracks they are joining， beautiful for it。 Prentiss and Landry wrestle with their own demons of childhood trauma and in Landry’s case torture， would Landry’s wordlessness have ceased had his older brother shared with him his dreams of their mother coming and walking him up and the crushing sadness when he woke and realised that she was still gone？ Would Prentiss have found more inner peace if like Landry he had dived in a fountain， learned to love nature and learned to knit？ And what of Caleb raised with all of the adoration and overprotection of being an adored only child of his mother and a semi stranger to his father？ August raised with pride， expectations and an arrogance in his name and station that he dare not forget or veer away from。 What life could Isabelle and George have had with other partners？ How could Isabelle have coped with everything meted out to her without the deep female friendship from Mildred that later became a kind of comradeship on top of their existing friendship。 Isabelle’s growth throughout the novel was authentic and compelling and I was left aching for more when I turned the last page。 Many female characters written by male authors only make it feeling 95% authentic， all of Harris’ characters are the full 100%。 His ability to empathise is clearly one of his major strengths as a writer。 I have made up my own endings to many of the strands in the story， my favourite being Clementine and Elsy finding Prentiss again and I can see Isabelle’s fountain and feel Landry’s approval and pride in it every bit as much as he felt for the socks。 Nathan Harris wins points from me for including knitting， especially my beloved sock knitting。 It is a love language all of its own and it is utterly timeless and without boundary。 Man or woman， black or white， living in the 19th， 21st and any other century stretching back to Ancient Egypt knitting has provided peace and meditation while also providing warmth and conveying love。 Better than any debut novel has a right to be' - says Richard Russo， Pulitzer Prize–winner and New York Times bestsellerI couldn’t agree more and can’t wait to read more of Mr Harris’ work。 。。。more

Rebecca ，

I am brought to mind of Ta Nehesi Coates and Colson Whitehead as I read this well crafted story。 Historically planted， inticrately woven， and beautifully brave and sad。