Our book this month is Sweetness of Water, “a dynamite first novel by young Black genius Nathan Harris.” Sweetness of Water (368 pages) was published in 2021 and was an instant New York Times best seller and an Oprah’s Book Club pick.

Nathan Harris's debut novel explores the aftermath of the American Civil War and the societal shifts that followed. Set in the fictional town of Old Ox, Georgia, the story centers on the lives of Prentiss and Landry, two brothers born into slavery who are now free men. The brothers seek refuge with George Walker and his wife, Isabelle, on their farm, and the Walkers hire them to help heal their grief.