The Sweetness of WaterThe Sweetness of Water
What it's about
In a small Georgia town at the end of the Civil War, two brothers, Prentiss and Landry, newly freed from slavery, are hiding in the woods on the land of George Walker, a farmer grieving the son he lost in the war. George hires them to help him farm, with his wife's reluctant support. Meanwhile, a secret love between two returning Confederate soldiers sets the town on edge, and violence follows.
Why it's worth reading
It was longlisted for the Booker Prize and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's a moving debut about unlikely bonds in the aftermath of war.
You'll love it if you liked
The Known World
Cold Mountain
The Underground RailroadGood to know
There's racist violence and a shocking killing midway through.
By the numbers
- Readers62 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics15 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller31 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz19 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is The Sweetness of Water worth reading?
It was longlisted for the Booker Prize and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 69.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Sweetness of Water about?
In a small Georgia town at the end of the Civil War, two brothers, Prentiss and Landry, newly freed from slavery, are hiding in the woods on the land of George Walker, a farmer grieving the son he lost in the war. George hires them to help him farm, with his wife's reluctant support. Meanwhile, a secret love between two returning Confederate soldiers sets the town on edge, and violence follows.
How long does it take to read The Sweetness of Water?
About 10 hours (400 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Sweetness of Water?
If you liked it, try The Known World by Edward P. Jones, Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier or The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.