Forbidden Romance and the American Civil War: A Conversation with Nathan Harris
“It’s an honour to spread awareness of the folks who might have been forgotten throughout America’s history.”
Photo Credit: Laurel Sager
Hello Nathan and thank you for taking the time to talk to us. First of all, could you tell us a little bit about The Sweetness of Water?
In the waning days of the Civil War, brothers Prentiss and Landry—freed by the Emancipation Proclamation—seek refuge on the homestead of George Walker and his wife, Isabelle. The Walkers, wracked by the loss of their only son to the war, hire the brothers to work their farm, hoping through an unexpected friendship to stanch their grief. Prentiss and Landry, meanwhile, plan to save money for the journey north and a chance to reunite with their mother, who was sold away when they were boys. Parallel to their story runs a forbidden romance between two Confederate soldiers. The young men, recently returned from the war to the town of Old Ox, hold their trysts in the woods. But when their secret is discovered, the resulting chaos, including a murder, unleashes convulsive repercussions on the entire community. In the aftermath of so much turmoil, it is Isabelle who emerges as an unlikely leader, proffering a healing vision for the land and for the newly free citizens of Old Ox.
Did you draw on any particular sources as inspiration for your characters and how easy was it to navigate their world and their experiences?
Some historians had recorded the oral histories of freed slaves, and I enjoyed exploring those archived documents where those reports had been put to paper. But I also made an active decision not to rely on them for anything more than a surface reading of what those men and women went through. I sought to give priority to the story I had imagined. Of course, you want to get the facts right as well. It’s a balancing act, and I assure you it was not an effortless one.
This is your debut novel, can you tell us a bit about your journey to publishing it and what hopes you had when it was finally published?
I had the great luck of being accepted by the Masters of Fine Arts program at the University of Texas at Austin (The Michener Center). It afforded me time, and the opportunity to connect with excellent instructors who helped me become a better writer. Those instructors would give me notes, and I would read them in my head in those instructors’ voices day after day, month after month. Upon the first few round of edits, it was like a steady chorus of criticism, and by the end, the notes had dwindled, and the voices finally fell silent. I knew then it was time to submit it to agents and publishers. And then, everything picked up steam quite quickly.
What was it that drew you to this historical period and what were the challenges and opportunities of looking back on this era?
I had never been exposed to fiction that was set in the days immediately after the American Civil War had ended. Beyond that, I found a deep resonance between the Reconstruction Era and modern times: deep rifts regarding issues of race and class that have simmered to the surface in recent years... I wanted to explore those topics at a remove, and the setting allowed that.
The book has had a great reception, not least with judging panels, and has notably been included in the recent Dylan Thomas longlist, which is awarded to writers aged 39 or under; how pleased are you to be longlisted, but also as a young author how important are prizes like these that recognise and encourage younger writers?
Never in my wildest dreams did I think my novel would be so warmly received by the reading public, and to have judging panels acknowledge Sweetness is even more surreal. Regarding the importance of prizes —it’s less about the “prize” and more about the encouragement from a group of readers I have such esteem for. Look, writing is lonely work. To have great readers give you a figurative pat on the back, a nod of approval, well that can mean everything. These prizes tell you that you should keep committing to your craft. They tell you you’re doing something right. For a young author, that is everything.
You’re still only 29/30, does age matter as a writer? And what advantages does being a ‘younger’ writer bring?
Junot Díazonce wrote that authors shouldn’t publish a word until they’re 29. That they should spend their twenties fully immersed in the world. It is a sentiment I get, but I do like to think a young writer can both be immersed in the world and be actively sending out dispatches of their lives, their emotions and experiences, as they move through it. I couldn’t live without writing, and I know I’m not the only young author with that sentiment. With that said, I don’t know if there is an advantage, per se. Authors come into their own at vastly different points in their lives. The important thing is to just keep at it.
Given all of the success of the book, what are you most proud of about this novel?
I wanted to write a moving story with memorable characters. My favourite novels have those simple qualities. If I gave even one reader that experience I love so much, of being totally immersed in a story, grappling with complex characters on the page and their every move... then the book is a success by my estimation.
The novel has really gathered worldwide attention, how does it feel knowing that readers in the UK and elsewhere are reading and enjoying the book, but also perhaps getting a better insight into a period and context of American history?
It’s an honour to spread awareness of the folks who might have been forgotten throughout America’s history. Considering the brothers in my novel, who are freedmen, struggling to make their way in a world that had held them in bondage for their entire lives up. I don’t take the responsibility of writing from their perspectives lightly, to say the least. I’m glad, so far, that readers feel like I have done them justice.
And finally, in a nod to your nomination for the Dylan Thomas prize, which celebrates writers under 39, do you have any favourite ‘young’ authors or books that were written by young authors?
My publisher recently sent me An Olive Grove in Ends by Moses McKenzie. That man is talented. Keep an eye out for him.
