Book Review – The Solace of Water

The Solace of Water by Elizabeth Byler Younts

This book.
It is heart-rending and pain-filled, difficult to read, impossible to lay it down.
It is so achingly real.
It’s set in the 1950s, but it is just as relevant for our world today.
Two women form an unlikely friendship. Emma the Amish woman, and Delilah, a Negro woman.
Their pain, their secrets, draw them together.
And then there’s Sparrow.
I couldn’t stand to read of her pain.
All of it is so beautifully portrayed.
This story shows a side of the Amish that is a bit more uncommon, and not as widely known. But it is sadly, all too realistic.

Grief. Racism. Alcoholism. Self-harming, thoughts of suicide. These are only some of the issues touched on in this book. Through it all, one point is made so very clear–
We all need Jesus. He is the only One who can deliver us from our past.

This book is not written for younger readers. There are some intense scenes, issues, and I found it painful to read, and yet, at the same time, healing to see how these characters grew.

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

From the back cover:

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 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.

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.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Elizabeth Byler Younts

Elizabeth Byler Younts gained a worldwide audience through her first book Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl and is a RITA nominated writer. She is also the author of The Promise of Sunrise series. She has consulted on Amish lifestyle and the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect two award-winning television shows. Elizabeth lives in Central Pennsylvania with her husband, two daughters, and a cockapoo named Fable.