by Labmom55 (York, PA): Amity is Nathan Harris’ second book. And while I didn’t love it the way I did The Sweetness of Water, I still strongly recommend it. Taking place in 1866, it follows Coleman and June, a recently freed brother and sister from New Orleans to Mexico. Their former owner left with June on an expedition into Mexico. Coleman stayed behind with the wife and daughter, until a letter came commanding Coleman’s presence in Mexico. The trip to Mexico meets with disaster and Coleman is soon on the run with Florence, the daughter.
The book flips back and forth between their two storylines. Both are still seeking the freedom they were promised by Emancipation. They are fully developed characters and I found each storyline equally engaging. Even the secondary characters are well fleshed out. Each has a story arc that is brought to fruition.
Harris does a fabulous job of setting the scene, whether it be on a riverboat, the Mexican desert or the town of Amity. The story moves at a steady pace, never getting bogged down. There is at least one cringeworthy scene of animal cruelty involving a horse. Luckily, no harm comes to Oliver, the dog. The writing is beautiful and I found myself savoring multiple passages.
My thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown for an advance copy of this book.
