The Sweetness of Water (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel

In the final days of the Civil War, freed brothers Prentiss and Landry seek shelter on the Georgia farm of George Walker and his wife, Isabelle. The Walkers, grieving the loss of their son to the war, hire the brothers to work their land, hoping friendship will ease their sorrow. Prentiss and Landry work toward saving money for travel north to reunite with their mother, who was sold away during their childhood. Parallel to their story, a forbidden romance develops between two Confederate soldiers who have returned to the town of Old Ox. When their secret is discovered, the resulting violence—including a murder—destabilizes the entire community. In the chaos that follows, Isabelle emerges as an unexpected leader, offering a vision of healing for the land and its newly freed citizens. Set in Reconstruction-era Georgia, the novel depicts an unlikely bond between the brothers and the farmer whose alliance transforms all their lives. The book won the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction, and the Writers' League of Texas Book Award for Fiction. It was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Dylan Thomas Prize, among other honors.