A glimpse into the turbulent 1950s. Two grieving women and a heartbroken child. And unlikely friendships that rise above religion, race, and custom with the power to transform souls from the inside out.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 … 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 hurts 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.
“Younts has set herself apart with this exquisite story of friendship and redemption . . . I’ll be talking about this book for years to come.” —Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress
more
I stayed up all night reading The Solace of Water. Elizabeth Byler Younts’ characters were intriguing and their stories were realistic and compelling.
I’m not sure there are words adequate enough to describe just how amazing The Solace of Water is. This story is an intense experience. I feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest and stomped on. As someone currently experiencing deep grief, I have to say that Ms. Younts does a phenomenal job of capturing what it feels like to be in grief’s ugly grip. By reading this wonderful novel I was able to cry tears I haven’t yet allowed myself to purge. The Solace of Water has been a real blessing for me in that sense.
The Solace of Water deals with pain. BIG pain. The pain of losing someone dear. Someone whose death leaves a crater-sized hole in the middle of your chest. At the start of The Solace of Water it’s 1956 in Pennsylvania. Even though it’s the North, whites and African Americans stick to their own kind. But pain…pain doesn’t understand color divides. Pain just hurts hard. Out of pain comes a deep friendship between Emma, an Amish woman, and Delilah, an African American mother and pastor’s wife. I love the relationship that fosters between the two women. It’s not really a relationship they want or seek, but it’s one that happens because God puts them in each other’s paths time and time again. At one point, Emma realizes that pain, no matter how it happens, speaks the same language. Pain bonds people. I can attest to what Emma means.
The last 17 months have been excruciating to say the least. I have helped (in my small way) my best friend as she struggles through and fights a very rare form of cancer. Last March, my family was evicted from our rental so the landlord could sell his house. I’ve gone through the stress — and joy — of finding and buying my first house. My dear brother, Tim, died in a freak accident. And, since May, I have been battling a very awful lady who has brought nothing but struggle and turmoil to my family. I’m short tempered, exhausted, and overwhelmed. I just want the bad to take a pause so I can catch my breath and get my brain straight. Every time I turn around, the pain seems to get bigger and bigger. I get what Emma means when she implies that pain bonds people. Through this rough stuff, my husband and my best friend, Lara, have had my back. Their shared pain as we deal with cancer treatments, funerals, and frustrations over other peoples’ meanness has allowed us to bond and help one another get through it all. It’s very odd to say, but our pain has created a sense of community. I am not alone as I deal with all these issues, and neither are my husband and Lara. This is actually quite a comforting realization.
The Solace of Water is a stunning novel. The characters are phenomenally written. Their behaviors and reactions to the pain they each feel is so lifelike. The plot of this story is highly engaging and fast paced. I truly could not put this book down, and when I had to I did whatever I needed to do quickly so I could pick this book back up. The issues within this story are varied and complex. Ms. Younts tackles a lot in this novel, it’s almost overwhelming. But she does so with such grace and aplomb. I don’t feel like any one topic is dealt with hastily or stereotypically. This is a novel that gets readers thinking — about life and death, about God and His ways, about the past and our current experiences, about trauma, grief, and PTSD, about addictions, and about the lies we tell ourselves. The Solace of Water is a novel that will stick with me for forever. I highly recommend this poignant story. Be warned though, grab LOTS of tissue before beginning this book. You are going to need it.
I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the author via NetGalley through TLC Book Tours. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This is a beautiful story of faith and unexpected friendship. The writing is superb. I was riveted from the first sentence. Highly recommend this book!
Oh my heavenly days. This book. If you can get the audio version, do it. If not, get it in any format you can. The writing itself deserves multiple awards, and I hope to be able to congratulate Younts on winning those at some point. The voices of each character, the setting, the subjects (hefty subject matter, people!)… all of these combine into an unforgettable story I will not forget. There were times when this book was so painful I had to take it in small doses or just drop everything to hurry through to the end. But it’s worth it, and the ending does satisfy. This was my first time reading Elizabeth Byler Younts, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.
This beautifully-written story explores the depths of friendship, mother-daughter relationships, grief, and forgiveness. Some of the topics, including racism, alcoholism, and self-harm, are challenging to read and consider, but Elizabeth Byler Younts handled them with honesty and sensitivity. I listened to the audio version, and the narrator did a excellent job with the voices of the various characters. This is a powerful story with deep meaning that will keep you thinking about the characters long after you turn the last page.
When I first started this book I was afraid that the dialect in some chapters and the Pennsylvania Dutch in others was going to make this one slow read, but I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t slow me down at all. If you think that you are the only one who has secrets or shows a facade to people while inside you’re dying of guilt, then this books will remind you of just how wrong you are about that. Everyone has something that they don’t want the average person to know about themselves or their situation. I highly recommend this book. It is such a good read. It reinforces the idea of forgiving others but even more the idea of forgiving yourself which is sometimes the hardest person to forgive.
A powerful water motif unites this tale of three women who have allowed shame, guilt & grief to steal their hope, joy, forgiveness—in fact, everything that makes life worth living.
“No one liked to talk about why we wanted to walk away from our lives. No one wanted to talk about why we drew invisible lines around our hearts and expected everyone to stay far away.”
“It was like lamenting over thirst while the solace of water was close at hand. But I’d remained empty, and instead of taking a long drink of healing and offering forgiveness, I’d poured the water onto the earth . . . Could water even satisfy my thirst anymore?”
It’s heavy reading at times, but the pain crescendos into a satisfying, redemptive ending. Sure to resonate with many women. Definitely a book I’ll recommend.
I was riveted by this beautifully told tale of brokenness and healing, and finding friendship in unexpected places. I felt transported to the time period, and all the scenes were completely believable, and the characters relatable. Beautiful prose. This was my first read from this author, and it definitely won’t be my last. Elizabeth Byler Younts has a strong, authentic voice, and writes a story that commands attention.
A compelling and sometimes difficult read. This story dives into some deep, dark issues like alcoholism, loss of a child, self-harm, and racism, but Elizabeth Byler Younts handles them with sensitivity and grace. The story has three main characters and parts are written from each persons point of view. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like that, but I think it helps you to understand each of the three characters better and form a bond with them.
The Solace of Water is definitely not an easy read, but it is well worth your time!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
amazing
A unique book that made an impact on me!
didnt care for this one at all
Beautiful writing. Incredible story. Don’t miss this one.
The Solace of Water is not your run-of-the-mill Christian fiction.
It’s set in 1956, in the small town of Sinking Creek, Pennsylvania. The writing is excellent, with strong and original character voices. The story is told in first person from the point of view of three main characters: Emma, Delilah, and Sparrow. Each hides secrets and pain. No, this isn’t an easy read (and there should be a trigger warning for self-harm).
Emma is Amish, and has lived in Sinking Creek her entire life. She gives the outward appearance of being a submissive Amish wife, but she’s hiding secrets—her own, and her husband’s. Delilah and her family have recently moved to Sinking Creek from Montgomery, Alabama, but she finds moving doesn’t take away her troubles. Sparrow is Delilah’s daughter. Sparrow knows Delilah blames her for her brother’s death, and knows there is nothing she can do to change that.
Delilah was a difficult character to empathise with.
Sure, she’s grieving the loss of her four-year-old son, but she’s an adult. She shouldn’t blame her daughter, even if her daughter was supposed to be watching the younger children. This provides plenty of conflict between Delilah and Sparrow, and is the impetus behind both Delilah and Sparrow’s developing relationship with Emma.
Emma has her own secrets.
A drunk for a husband, a rebel for a son, and a marriage fractured by hurt. She’s intrigued by this new family in town who worship in such a different way to her, and she’s puzzled at Delilah’s reluctance to befriend her.
I think Sparrow was my favourite character.
She’s the victim, the character who has had little control over the situation she finds herself in. Now she’s struggling to be in control. She is intrigued by Emma and her son, who treat her as equals. But this is 1950s America and segregation is real, whether the physical signs are there or not.
The Solace of Water is a fascinating exploration of racial differences and prejudice set in the early years of the Civil Rights struggle. It emphasises how we’re often afraid of “different”. It shows how it’s important to understand and work through our differences—especially with other Christians.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
I received a copy of this book from the Fiction Guild, I was not required to give a favorable review. This was a wonderful story of motherhood, overcoming fears of change of situations. A mother with her husband and family move from an area that is very much determined by black & white to her husband home which is in the north. Before she left she buries her little son and is dealing with this as well. Emma is very a big disconnect from her Amish community and these two women had become friends during a time that when each is dealing with anguish and pain. I very much enjoyed this story.
4.5 stars
“It was like lamenting over thirst while the solace of water was close at hand.”
Grieving terribly over the loss of her young son, Delilah Evans agrees to move away from the place where Carver had taken his last breath. The wife of an African American pastor, she goes through the motions of her faith, while aggressively shunning the daughter whose juvenile distractions had, in her mind, caused the death of her son. Arriving in Sinking Creek, Pennsylvania the Evans family finds themselves residing in a small town that includes members of a devout Amish community. As providence often does, the change of location places Delilah and her daughter Sparrow across the woods from another grieving young woman, Emma Mullet, the wife of an Amish deacon.
Emma and John Mullet’s personal secrets are not only destroying their marriage, the deep, dark roots of deception have nearly squeezed out any semblance of hope for their future. When Emma is introduced to her new young neighbor, a bond of friendship begins to form, whose eyes see beyond the color difference of their skin and penetrate to the guilt-ridden closets of their hearts. So much hurt. So much pain. So much loss. Would it all begin and end in the depths, where “water pulls at us . . . drawing us together . . . . wraps coolness around us . . . .plunge into the deep”?
An outstanding expose on grief, its many forms and the kind of relationships that can make a difference.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions stated are entirely my own.
Poignant, heartrending, touching, poetic, healing, these are some words that come to mind after reading The Solace of Water. This is my first read by this author and I was so impressed. The characters and their life experiences stick with you and you want to read more about them instead of closing the book and forgetting them. I wasn’t able to read this quickly as the words were meant to be savored and contemplated. It deals with hurting people and their coping mechanisms to get through the pain. My heart hurt for each of these women, but I was sobbing over Sparrow. I don’t want to say more as my words don’t seem to do this book the merit it deserves. Run to get your copy as you don’t want to miss this keeper.
I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction Guild. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
A heart-wrenchingly somber tale of three women and their lives, the pain of losing a child, the sorrow of the emptiness inside, the secrets of the families, the racial and cultural unrest of the 1950s, and the turmoil of hearts when the darkest, deepest corners of your heart and mind are being exposed to the community surrounding you.
With breathtakingly beautiful prose, the author tells a story that went straight to my heart and shattered it repeatedly with the realistic and raw grief each of the women experience in their lives.
From the hidden alcoholism, self-mutilation, manipulations of mind and body, to the blame, bitterness, and agony, the sense of failure as a woman, mother, wife, sister, daughter, a Christian, a person of the community, every emotion and event tours a new wound to the fragile souls. Each of the three women seemed to burst into dust with their own unique pain until they were able to start to heal, to let the past go, to try to start a fresh, and find a new direction and purpose in their lives.
Each of the ladies gets their turn to tell their side of the story and events unfolding, in the first POV. And through their own eyes and thoughts, the reader gets to live the moments at their side, feeling all the emotions and the despair of their minds.
While I admire and applaud this devastatingly heartbreaking novel, it might have been one of the most difficult books to read with its burdensome lessons and heartfelt messages, even of the survival and strength of women when put them through the worst hardships of life.
These ladies and their destinies have stayed with me, lingered in my mind, and made me wonder how much – if any while watching the recent events – has the society advanced with certain matters over the decades.
While there is nothing light or fluffy about the story, and it definitely cannot be considered escape-reading, this delicate tale about the racial differences, and the mother’s heart and its grief, about lives in turmoil, and the growing pains of a teenager, for an open mind and heart it will give a new perspective, a new understanding, and a new respect, appreciation, and confirmation of the strength of a woman and their heart, mind, and soul. Yes, the story will shatter you, your very core being, if you let it, but it will bring the healing, mending, encouragement, and inspiration before the ladies continue their new lives with their fresh start.
A stunningly affecting and poignant story
~ Five Spoons
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.
Solace Of Water is a hard core heart wrenching story. It is a story of how sin and guilt can drag your Soul down and how redemption through the LORD can free it and your Soul can soar. You have to wade through all the muck and mire of sin and get to the other side to the light of CHRIST and freedom and joy to the Soul. Free from the chains of life & sin. I received a copy of this book from the Publisher and Netgalley; all of the opinions expressed in this review are all my own.
if you would like to read more of my Christian book reviews go to christianlybookreviewers.blogspot.com – I look forward to seeing you there.