The Sweetness of Water
Deep
Emotional
Intense

The Sweetness of Water A Novel

Nathan Harris2021
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, forever. In the waning days of the Civil War, brothers Prentiss and Landry---freed by the Emancipation Proclamation---seek refuge on the homestead of white farmer 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 to the town of Old Ox from the war, hold their trysts in the woods. But when their secret is discovered, the resulting chaos brings convulsive repercussions for the entire community. 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.
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Katie Allard@ktallard
4 stars
Sep 22, 2022
Honest
Powerful
Contemplative
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1 star
Sep 12, 2022
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2 stars
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4 stars
Feb 27, 2022
Deep
Intense
Emotional
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Nov 15, 2021
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Feb 2, 2024
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May 28, 2024
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Mar 24, 2024
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Feb 7, 2023
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4 stars
Dec 29, 2022
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Jul 9, 2022
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4 stars
Jun 19, 2022
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3 stars
Apr 4, 2022
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4 stars
Mar 26, 2022
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5 stars
Jan 17, 2022
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3 stars
Dec 13, 2021
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3 stars
Sep 30, 2021
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3 stars
Aug 30, 2021