The Sweetness of Water
First edition cover
AuthorNathan Harris
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
PublisherLittle, Brown and Company
Publication date
June 15, 2021
Media typePrint (hardcover), e-book, audio
Pages368
ISBN978-0-316-46127-6 (First edition hardcover)
OCLC1255181762
813/.6
LC ClassPS3608.A7832635 S94 2021

The Sweetness of Water is the debut novel by American novelist Nathan Harris. It was published by Little, Brown and Company on June 15, 2021. It won the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and was longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize.

Summary

The Sweetness of Water is set in the fictional town of Old Ox, Georgia, during the final period of the Civil War. The story follows two Black brothers, Prentiss and Landry, freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, as they try to make money for their trek north to reunite with their mother. The novel also features a parallel narrative following the taboo romance between two gay male Confederate soldiers.[1][2]

Background

After graduating from the University of Oregon, Nathan Harris moved to San Francisco. He worked a number of jobs, including food delivery for Postmates and legal assistant work for his mother who is an attorney.[3] Between 2013 and 2015, Harris worked on writing a novel in the mornings and evenings between his afternoon work. Harris finished the novel while as a fellow at the Michener Center for Writers. During his third year of the program, Harris secured a literary agent, Emily Forland at Brandt & Hochman, who sent his manuscript to editors in June 2019.[4] His debut novel, The Sweetness of Water, was published by Little, Brown and Company on June 15, 2021.[5] It was simultaneously published by Tinder Press in the United Kingdom.[6]

Reception

The novel was an overnight sensation.[2] It received positive reviews from critics[3] and was selected by Oprah Winfrey as part of Oprah's Book Club on June 15, 2021.[7][8] It was also chosen by Barack Obama as part of his 2021 summer reading list.[9] The novel became a bestseller[2] and was awarded the 2021 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.[10] It was also shortlisted for the 2022 Dylan Thomas Prize,[11] and longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize[12] and the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.[13] It was a finalist in the second selection for the 2022 Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine.[14][15]

References

  1. ↑ Peña, Daniel (June 15, 2021). "Set After the Civil War, 'The Sweetness of Water' Is Eerily Relevant". Texas Monthly. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Houston, Henry (July 22, 2021). "The Sweetness of Success". Eugene Weekly. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Zavala, Joe (June 21, 2021). "Oprah power". Mail Tribune. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ Ermelino, Louisa (March 12, 2021). "What Does Freedom Mean? A Debut Novel Is Asking". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  5. ↑ "The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris". Little, Brown and Company. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  6. ↑ Ermelino, Louisa (April 15, 2021). "Filling in the Past: On Nathan Harris's 'The Sweetness of Water'". The Millions. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  7. ↑ Italie, Hillel (June 15, 2021). "Winfrey's new book pick is novel 'The Sweetness of Water'". Associated Press. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  8. ↑ Broadway, Danielle (June 15, 2021). "Oprah Winfrey picks Emancipation-era novel 'The Sweetness of Water' for book club". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  9. ↑ Kranc, Lauren (July 9, 2021). "Barack Obama Has Shared His Annual Summer Reading List". Esquire. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  10. ↑ Johnson, Chevel (January 25, 2022). "Author Nathan Harris earns Gaines Award for debut novel". Associated Press. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  11. ↑ Newman, Catrin (March 31, 2022). "Under-represented voices dominate the 2022 Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize shortlist". Swansea University. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Booker Prize 2021: Former winner Kazuo Ishiguro makes longlist". BBC News. July 27, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  13. ↑ "2022 Winners". American Library Association. 17 October 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  14. ↑ Tiniscopa, Adriano (November 8, 2022). "Anthony Doerr, Grand prix de littérature américaine". Libres Hebdo (in French). Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  15. ↑ Tiniscopa, Adriano (October 17, 2022). "La seconde sélection du Grand prix de Littérature américaine 2022". Libres Hebdo (in French). Retrieved June 16, 2023.
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