The Solace of Water

GIVEAWAY

YOUNTS, ELIZABETH BYLER
THE SOLACE OF WATER

In a time of grief and heartache, an unlikely friendship provides strength and solace.

After leaving her son's grave behind in Montgomery, Alabama, Delilah Evans has little faith that moving to her husband's hometown in Pennsylvania will bring a fresh start. Enveloped by grief and doubt, the last thing Delilah imagines is becoming friends with her reclusive Amish neighbor. Emma Mullet -- yet the secrets that keep Emma isolated from her own community bond her to Delilah in delicate and unexpected ways.

Delilah's eldest daughter, Sparrow, bears the brunt of her mother's pain, never allowed for a moment to forget she is responsible for her brother's death. When tensions at home become unbearable for her, she seeks peace at Emma's house and becomes the daughter Emma has always wanted. Sparrow, however, is hiding secrets of her own -- secrets that could devastate them all.

With the white, black, and Amish communities of Sinking Creek at their most divided, there seems to be little hope for reconciliation. But long buried hurst have their way of surfacing, and Delilah and Emma find themselves facing their own self-deceptions. Together they must learn how to face the future through the healing power of forgiveness.

Eminently relevant to the beauty and struggle in America today, The Solace of Water offers a glimpse into the turbulent 1950s and reminds us that friendship rises above religion, race, and custom -- and has the power to transform a broken heart.

My Review:

An evocative tale of loss and heartache. There aren't many lighthearted moments in The Solace of Water but Younts' writing style is fluid and achingly beautiful. My emotions are all in a jumble now that I've reached the end. Hope was a long time coming but it finally arrives with an outpouring of grace. Such a powerful story.

Three distinct voices in a first person narrative draws the reader into the hearts and minds of Delilah, Sparrow and Emma. An African-American woman, her daughter and their Amish neighbour brought together during the tumultuous times at the start of the Civil Rights Movement. An unlikely friendship sparks from the ashes of grief and despair.

Delilah wears her mantle of bitterness with a hard-headed pride that shreds her relationship with her daughter. Poor Sparrow, so lost and broken, trying to fix her hurt in devastating ways. And Emma, an Amish woman who has been living with so many secrets she's nearly paralyzed with fear. Each woman struggles with the aftermath of grief and the havoc it reigns on their lives and the lives of those they love.

This is a hard read. And a somber one. Sometimes I didn't want to venture into the dark places that plague these three women. It wasn't always comfortable. Sometimes awkward. Upsetting even. But so very true to life as Younts explores issues that are just as pertinent today as they were sixty years ago. And then she shines a light into that murky darkness and turns the ugliness into something beautiful and suddenly there's hope in an unfettered future that only forgiveness and grace can bring.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Solace of Water, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 16  2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!