The Solace of Water by Elizabeth Byler Younts

What first drove me to this book was the cover. It was beautiful and relaxing and had a curious title. I wanted to know what water had to do with a story! That led me to reading the back of the book to get a synopsis of the story. I was immediately interested and couldn't wait to receive it!

This book did not disappoint. The story matched its beautiful cover. I was hooked on this story from page 1 and found myself sneaking away for a few minutes throughout my day just so I could read another chapter. I loved that the chapters were short because it made justifying "I'll just read to the next chapter" a lot more doable with a busy schedule.

This story was a beautiful telling of two unlikely people becoming friends. Your heart is broken at the beginning as Delilah has to leave her son's grave when they move to a new place. Her husband is hoping for healing but Delilah just doesn't think that's even a possibility. Not to mention, she is holding a lot of anger in and it's all directed at the one she thinks is responsible. Your heart can't help but break over the loss and the relationships damaged.

Then we follow Emma, who is Amish. Her family has known deep loss, too. Her family has also learned to keep deep secrets and her family isn't exactly all that everyone thinks it is. She's left in a marriage where she's left with what seems like little choice.

The way these stories come together is beautiful. It focuses on the 1950s and the division between the white, black, and the Amish communities. I really have never thought about the Amish communities being a part of this division during this time, so that was interesting.

With all of the secrets each family is holding near to their heart, they have to learn to trust. Whom will they trust? Can they learn to forgive or is reconciliation impossible? Will relationships be mended or destroyed?

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I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.