The Sweetness of Water
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- 175,00 kr
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- 175,00 kr
Publisher Description
**AN OBAMA SUMMER READING CHOICE AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 2021**
'A fine, lyrical novel, impressive in its complex interweaving of the grand and the intimate, of the personal and political' Observer
An extraordinary novel of life after slavery for readers of WASHINGTON BLACK, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and DAYS WITHOUT END.
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. 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.
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. 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 . . .
'[A] highly accomplished debut' Sunday Times
Readers have been swept away by The Sweetness of Water:
'Such a powerful, magnificent book; I urge you to read it. The comparisons with Colson Whitehead are justified' *****
'A staggering debut and a story that stays with you' *****
'Thought-provoking and moving . . . a gripping and compelling novel that exposes flaws, mixed emotions and imperfect relationships, and yet it holds on with determination and hope. It fully deserves a 5-star rating' *****
'Outstanding . . . A book that deserves widespread recognition and a wide audience' *****
(P)2021 Hachette Audio
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
With its unforgettable characters and gripping, immersive plot, Nathan Harris’ debut novel is the kind of book that makes you grateful to be a reader. Set in the fictional Georgia town of Old Ox, the story unfolds in the weeks immediately after the end of the U.S. Civil War, as Union soldiers enforce President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. After formerly enslaved brothers Prentiss and Landry leave the plantation owned by the cruel and vindictive Ted Morton, they wander on to the forested land of Morton’s iconoclastic neighbours, George and Isabelle Walker. The unlikely relationships that develop among these characters set off a chain of events that will dramatically alter each of their lives. The Sweetness of Water is a work of historical fiction that feels vital and fresh. It reminds us that we must all fight against beliefs and systems designed to keep people from being free.