Set in 1956, a black family relocates from Alabama to Pennsylvania after the death of their son. They move to a rural area next door to an Amish family. It is told from the viewpoints of three female characters: preacher’s wife, Delilah, her daughter, Sparrow, and neighbor, Emma. Delilah blames Sparrow for her role in her brother’s death. Sparrow feels anguish and cannot turn to her mother, so she befriends the neighbor. Emma is harboring her own secrets. The storyline explores racial discrimination and how people bond over painful experiences.

A primary strength of this novel lies in the authentic feel of the main characters. Water is a recurring symbol of both negative and positive forces. Themes include grief, guilt, faith, friendship, and forgiveness. Sensitive readers should be aware that this book contains scenes of self-harm. The story contains a great deal of sadness and suffering, but it also offers a thread of hope.
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I've read a lot of Amish fiction, even some of the mysteries, but this one was very different from any I've read. It's probably because it mixes in the viewpoints of a black mother and daughter in addition to the Amish woman with an alcoholic husband. The writing is very compelling and makes you want to go on reading even though the story is very sad. ( )

This book is a tough one for me to review. It is without a doubt, beautifully written. It has very strong, compelling characters. The plot is rich and full of complicated issues of race, religion, family, love, loyalty, betrayal, death and redemption. It’s literary so you know I have problems with books that happen over my head. Ms. Byler Younts has brought her characters together in an important period in US history and put them in a place that was supposed to be more progressive than the South – but was it?

DeeDee (Delilah), her husband Malachi and their children move from Alabama to Pennsylvania after the drowning death of one of their twin boys. Malachi is from the small Pennsy town and feels that the change of scenery will help his grieving wife. She blames her eldest daughter, Sparrow for the death of young Carver and DeeDee refuses to move forward in her life – she feels she needs to stay wrapped in blanket of grief or it means she is forgetting her little boy.

Sparrow who is just a typical teenager lost track of the toddler for just a moment and the fast moving river took him under. Her mother blames her and persists in thinking she is a murderer rather than considering it was all just a tragic accident.

The town where they move has a population that includes an Amish community. In fact their new house borders an Amish property. DeeDee doesn’t know what to make of the neighbor woman, Emma as she seems very welcoming and she doesn’t follow the normal rules for black/white interactions.

Emma is living a life full of grief herself so she sees a kindred spirit in DeeDee regardless of her color. She continues to develop a friendship with her despite her husband’s strictures against it.

The story is told in alternating chapters in the voices of DeeDee, Sparrow and Emma as they navigate their lives and the relationships they build with one another.

This was a very compelling book dealing with a lot of dark issues; death, grief, miscarriage, alcohol abuse, self abuse, inter-racial relationships, race relations and more. For me it was just a little too dark. I simply could not relate, nor like any of these characters. I personally wanted to shake DeeDee and tell her to get out of herself that she had other children that needed her. She was killing Sparrow inch by inch and didn’t see it. Selfish woman.

It is hard to like a book when you are that disgusted with the main driver of the story. It is only because of Ms. Byler Younts writing that I kept going. I so wanted to know if this woman ever came around. I am not going to tell you if she did. You are going to have to read the book for yourself. I am not going to tell you it’s an easy book to read – it is not. It’s the kind of book that will make you angry at times. I found myself muttering at times and all out raging in my head at others. Mostly at DeeDee’s inability to see what was right in front of her but also at the inhumanity of the white population to the black people in this time period. (Not that it seems all that much better today.)

I am not unhappy I read this book but it took a toll on me. ( )

Elizabeth Byler Younts' novel, The Solace of Water, opens with Delilah at the grave of her son, suffering an unbearable grief. Her preacher husband Malachi softly approaches her as she is filling her empty purse with dirt from his grave, which she will bring with her to their new home in Sinking Creek in Pennsylvania Amish country.

Delilah blames her fourteen-year-old daughter Sparrow for her son's death, and although we know don't the exact circumstances, we know that Sparrow blames herself as well. Delilah has turned her back on Sparrow, and refuses to offer comfort to her daughter.

Emma is an Amish woman, married to John, a respected deacon in their church. Emma is sad as well. She lost a baby girl to a miscarriage years ago, and her grief is still fresh. Her husband John is an alcoholic, a secret that Emma keeps from the congregation for fear that they will be shunned by their closeknit community.

Emma also has a secret of her own that she is carrying, one that troubles her daily.

While walking in the woods near her home, Emma finds young George, the twin brother to the son Delilah lost. Sparrow turns to Emma for the kindness that her mother can't seem to give her, and she becomes involved with Emma's son Johnny.

Delilah's family left the overt racism of Montgomery, Alabama in 1957 for the more covert racism of the North. While the children notice that there aren't any 'Whites Only' signs anywhere, they still need to learn where they are welcome and where they are not.

Malachi gets a job working in the only white grocery store where blacks are allowed to shop, although they have a separate produce section and shopping carts.

The Amish community does not discriminate against the black members of the community, but they stick to themselves, preferring not to socialize with anyone who isn't Amish. Emma breaks that tradition because she likes Sparrow, and teaches her how to do laundry and sew.

When Sparrow finds Emma in a bad state, she runs to her mother for help, and Delilah discovers that Sparrow has been spending time with Emma. She helps Emma and they become friends, finding that they have a shared sense of grief that no one else understands.

The title of the book comes from this line: "It was like lamenting over thirst while the solace of water was close at hand". Emma says that "no one wanted to talk about why we drew invisible lines around our hearts and expected everyone to stay away."

There is one incredibly tense scene that could have been from "The Real Housewives of Sinking Creek" where Delilah confronts Emma about the secrets she has been keeping, unaware that her own daughter has secrets of her own that could endanger her life.

The Solace of Water tackles so many themes- racism, grief, friendship, forgiveness, secrets, religion- that it would make a wonderful book club pick. There is a lot to discuss here.

Younts is a wonderful writer, she has several turns of phrase that made me stop and reflect. She tells the story through the words of Delilah, Emma and Sparrow and each woman speaks with a distinct voice. She also gives the reader a look into the Amish culture, something I was not overly familiar with. I recommend The Solace of Water for those who like a serious story. ( )

This book broke my heart on every page but then ended up with a wonderful uplifting message that totally erased all of my sadness. The main characters are wonderfully written and so real that the reader can feel their pain and heartbreak over the sorrow that they both live with.

The time is the early 1950s and the place is a small town in Pennsylvania. Delilah Evans, her husband and children move from Montgomery, AL to Stinking Creek PA where her husband grew up so that he can pastor a church there. Delilah (DeeDee) is still struggling with the loss of one of her children and is unable to handle life due to the loss. She blames her oldest daughter for her son's death and is unable to mother her as she should be doing. The Evans family share woods with an Amish family who also have problems. Emma feels cut off from the Amish community due to problems with her husband and son. As unlikely as it seems. Emma and DeeDee become friends despite their differences. As their secrets come to light, will they be able to maintain a friendship despite their differences?

This is a powerful well written novel about family and friendships, love and forgiveness not only of others but also of yourself.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own. ( )