The Sweetness of Water (Oprah’s Book Club)

A Novel

By: Nathan Harris

Narrated by: William DeMeritt

Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

In the spirit of The Known World and The Underground Railroad, "a miraculous debut" (Washington Post) and "a towering achievement of imagination" (CBS This Morning) 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 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.

An Instant New York Times bestseller / An Oprah's Book Club Pick

One of President Obama's Favorite Books of 2021

Winner of the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize

Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize

Longlisted for the 2022 Carnegie Medal for Excellence

Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize

A Best Book of the Year: Oprah Daily, NPR, Washington Post, Time, Boston Globe, Smithsonian, Chicago Public Library, BookBrowse, and the Oregonian

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice

A July Indie Next Pick

©2021 Nathan Harris (P)2021 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

"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.... All of this is drawn with gorgeous fidelity to these cautious characters, struggling to remake the world, or at least this little patch of it.... Harris stacks the timbers of this plot deliberately, and the moment a spark alights, the whole structure begins to burn hot.... What’s most impressive about Harris’s novel is how he attends to the lives of these peculiar people while capturing the tectonic tensions at play in the American South.” (Ron Charles, Washington Post)

"Beautiful.... An instant classic.... This book is profound.” (Jenna Bush Hager, Wall Street Journal)

"This debut novel astonished us as much for its wise, lyrical voice as for its dense realization of a fictional small town in the American South at a rarely written-about moment, the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. We were incredibly impressed by the way it probes themes of trans-historical importance - about race, sexuality, violence, and grief - through meticulously-drawn characters and a patient examination of their relationships.” (Booker Prize committee)

A story of tragedy and unending love.

A story of strength, tragedy, endurance and love.
I was pulled in by every word and this narrator was excellent beyond words.
Just magic!

Post Civil War Story

A story of the South post Civil War. Well developed characters and a good story of the plight of freed men trying to find their way. I would've given it 5 stars except that I was wanting more.

Very good story w/ EXCELLENT NARRATION!

A little slow at times and I hoped it would have ended differently however overall, it was a pleasant listen. The narration was so spot on I felt like 3 and 4 different people were doing all the voices. Very good use of a credit!

Not what I expected

After listening to the comments from Oprah and the author, I expected the story to be about former slaves having to deal with their "new freedom". They said this had not been done before. I kept waiting for that but it turned our primarily about the effects on slave owners. The changes in the main characters were also somewhat unbelievable .

Great Book!

Interesting from beginning to end. This story brought tears to my eyes. Written beautifully and the narration was just as good. I highly recommend this book.

Hope was enough

Sometimes, the plot line along with the various relationships felt forced to me. All in all, though, it was an agonizing story of emancipation and the horrors that continue to this day. Thankfully, we can hold onto hope.

Unsatisfied!

I wished for more after finishing book! Felt cheated 😪 a new ending needed 😪

Excellent

A beautiful book beautifully read. I was sorry when it ended. The reader is truly exceptional.

Beautiful Journey

I loved the twists and turns of this novel. It was written so beautifully I actually became immersed in the drama of it and had to remind myself that “it’s a novel”

Amazing story and writing for a first time author

I can now rate The Sweetness Of Water as one of my all time favorite books. The audible selection was so captivating. The narrator did an amazing job conveying the author’s words and story. This novel is well worth reading for anyone who is interested in historical fiction.