But This Sanctuary Survives on a Knife's Edge, and It Isn't Long Before the Inhabitants of the Nearby Town of Old Ox React With Fury at the Alliances Being Formed Only a Few Miles Away. When the Brothers Begin to Live and Work on George's Farm, the Tentative Bonds of Trust and Union Begin to Blossom Between the Strangers. Forced to Hide Out in the Woods Near Their Former Georgia Plantation, They're Soon Discovered by the Land's Owner, George Walker, a Man Still Reeling From the Loss of His Son in the War. In the Dying Days of the American Civil War, Newly Freed Brothers Landry and Prentiss Find Themselves Cast Into the World Without a Penny to Their Names. The Sweetness of Water is a strong contender for the 2021 Booker Prize and an instant modern classic.For Readers of Washington Black, the Underground Railroad and Days Without End.
The Sweetness of Water is heartbreaking, but it is also full of promise, as Harris highlights the indomitable spirit of love. In order to appreciate Harris’s debut, you need to give it the time that it deserves. However, it should be noted that the novel is a slow-burner. In actual fact, the plot itself is engaging and tense. Harris’s language is beautiful, but not to the extent that it obscures and overshadows the plot. The town of Old Ox and the surrounding woodlands are made vivid by Harris’s rich and lyrical prose. In addition to the characters, the setting is also expertly developed. Even the side characters like Clementine are so complex that they demand their own story. In consequence, the main character is not clear cut as Harris provides a cast of characters, all of whom are equally well-developed. The novel does not only follow Prentiss and Landry but George and his wife Isabelle too.
Much of the brilliance of The Sweetness of Water lies in Harris’s outstanding character development. But, it is not long before the inhabitants of Old Ox catch wind of their arrangement, and chaos ensues. As a result, they begin working for George Walker, who is grieving for his missing son Caleb.
Brothers Landry and Prentiss are newly freed and hoping to earn enough money for their passage North. The Sweetness of Water is an ambitious but well-executed novel set in Georgia during the Reconstruction era (the days following the end of the American civil war). After reading Harris’s debut, it is easy to see why it has been such a hit. Prior to this, Oprah selected the novel for her book club. On 27 July, Nathan Harris’s The Sweetness of Water was announced as being on the Booker Prize longlist.
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