The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

Reviewed by August Cosentino

The picture of the post-Civil War South, painted by Nathan Harris in “The Sweetness of Water,”’ is not a pretty one. Rebel soldiers back from fighting a losing cause, Black men and women left homeless after being “freed”—no, Old Ox, Georgia, may not exactly fit your definition of gracious Southern living.

Yet the town is home to a middle-aged couple, George and Isabel Walker, who are devastated by the absence of their son Caleb, who they fear has been killed in battle.

One day while walking his acreage, George comes upon two former slaves, brothers Prentiss and Landry. George has visions of creating a peanut farm on his land and offers the two men the chance to plow the land. Unsurprisingly this decision does not sit well with the aggrieved white citizens.

When Caleb unexpectedly returns from the war alive, he is accompanied by rumors of cowardice and desertion. We also learn of his feelings for an old buddy named August (nice name!)—that may not be entirely platonic.

Both the brothers’ presence and Caleb’s return trigger a story that begins quietly but accelerates quickly into a Gothic horror movie—complete with a murder and a miscarriage of justice. Kindly note: this picture of life in Reconstruction-era South is not a book for those who seek happily after ever. 

However, should you be in the mood for a story that’s elegantly written, and

whose plot twists will have you turning pages a mile a minute, this is your next novel. And on a Sunday where the Northeast is being pelted with rain, a book entitled “The Sweetness of Water” seems more timely than ever.