Debut author, 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. cover blurb)
I really liked this book a lot. Prentiss (strong and smart) and Landry (strong and challenged), now free, go to work on the Walkers' homestead. They are paid, have shelter and food, and save to move north hoping to find their mother who was taken from them as children. Isabelle and George mourn their only son Caleb (reported dead in the Civil War (?) and gain a friendship with these brothers, despite the feelings of the town.
Meanwhile secrets abound, murder and chaos emerge and Isabelle proves to be a strong healing leader with a vision for the land and town of Old Ox.
Water is an underlying theme. Parched land. The sweet taste of water after a day working in the fields. The chance to bathe in a pond, to accidentally happen upon lovers lolling by a creek. Or Landry's fascination with a fountain, and what it means for all of their lives.
Beautiful deep writing and quite a vision of humanity. This new writer is a talent with a delicate touch of humor, sadness, and soul. Sweetness!
Without water, no town or people.
ReplyDeleteexactly or life. He weaves the water theme well.
DeleteIt sounds like a great read, and an enchanting title.
ReplyDeleteIt is enchanting. It's a book, that I had to reluctantly read the last page and then be in awe of this writer's talent.
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