<p><b>LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 BOOKER PRIZE AND SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE</b><br> <b><br> A TIMES BEST PAPERBACK 2022, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 2021, OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK AND BARACK OBAMA SELECTION</b><br> <br> <b>'A fine, lyrical novel, impressive in its complex interweaving of the grand and the intimate, of the personal and political<i>' Observer</i></b><br> <br> Landry and Prentiss are two brothers born into slavery, finally freed as the American Civil War draws to its bitter close. Cast into the world without a penny to their names, their only hope is to find work in a society that still views them with nothing but intolerance.<br> <br> Farmer George Walker and his wife Isabelle are reeling from a loss that has shaken them to their core. After a chance encounter, they agree to employ the brothers on their land, and slowly the tentative bonds of trust begin to blossom between the strangers.<br> <br> But this sanctuary survives on a knife's edge, and it isn't long before a tragedy causes the inhabitants of the nearby town to turn their suspicion onto these new friendships, with devastating consequences.<br> <br> <b>'[A] highly accomplished debut' <i>Sunday Times</i></b><br> <br> <b>Readers have been swept away by <i>The Sweetness of Water</i>:</b><br> <b><br> 'Such a powerful, magnificent book; I urge you to read it. The comparisons with Colson Whitehead are justified' *****</b><br> <b><br> 'A staggering debut and a story that stays with you' *****</b><br> <b><br> 'Thought-provoking and moving . . . a gripping and compelling novel that exposes flaws, mixed emotions and imperfect relationships, and yet it holds on with determination and hope. It fully deserves a 5-star rating' *****</b><br> <b><br> 'Outstanding . . . A book that deserves widespread recognition and a wide audience' *****</b></p>