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.