Review: The Solace of Water

The Solace of Water by Elizabeth Byler Younts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. This was a very emotional and powerful read. I was very moved.
This book takes place in 1950's Pennsylvania where the division of race was very prevalent and boiling over. Racism was rampant and segregation was the norm. We follow two women and a young girl. The chapters alternate points of view from each. These women form an unlikely friendship and bond.

First we follow Delilah who is an African American preachers wife. When we meet her, she is a broken shell after just having lost one of her children. We also get the point of view of Delilah's oldest daughter Sparrow who is also suffering at the loss of her little brother.
Second we follow Emma who is an Amish wife and mother. Her husband is the deacon of the community and has formed a secret dependency on alcohol which is forbidden except in church. There are also other issues that you learn about throughout the book.

This book just touched my soul. I really felt for each of the characters and despite the deep suffering, there was a chance of hope and redemption. I will say that this was a hard book to get through and it is slow going in the beginning. Also, the book did get a little bit preachy which brought my rating down a bit. However, it didn't take away my enjoyment of the book. Overall, there is a lot of pain but there is also solace in the end.


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