This is a beautifully written story of 2 siblings-Coleman and June, who are separated during the post slavery world of 1864. Although freed, they say with their owners out of comfort and familiarity. June would like to get away from Mr. Harper, while Coleman is content to work for Mrs. Harper and spend time with his dog Oliver. When Mr. Harper takes June with him to Mexico, fleeing the Union Soldiers, Coleman is bereft. He is then summoned by Mr. Harpers man, to help find June, who had run off with her Indian boyfriend.

The action scenes are written expertly. As the ship sinks that they sail on to Mexico, flames rising from the bow, you are reminded of the Titantic. Once Cameron arrives, he struggles to adapt to this new changing world. June, however, is drawn to her freedom, and is excited to escape the claws of Mr. Harper. They will both eventually converge but the journey there is the best part of the story. The terrain, the danger, the heat, it's as if you feel the sand of the desert in your pores. The hardship, the abuse, and the exhaustion they suffer is a testament to their will to survive, and reunite with each other.

I never read this author's first book but now am inspired to do so. An amazing story!

Thank you to Net Galley, I received an advanced reader’s edition of Amity through their site.
This story about a brother and sister, once enslaved, later separated, navigating through the desert of Mexico, hoping to reunite with each other. June and Coleman. June is traveling with the patriarch of the Harper family that once owned the siblings, Coleman is with the matriarch of the family, Mrs. Harper, her daughter, and the family dog, Oliver. Coleman and the Harper ladies are traveling to Mexico to reunite as a group, after the family patriarch sent for them. June and Coleman’s separate journeys are similar as they encounter rough terrain, questionable characters, and persons who assist in helping them along the way.
Coleman’s story includes his having become a self-taught young man who has a closeness with Oliver, the dog. June’s point of view at times is centered on what her role was as a big sister trying to look out for Coleman, which repeats itself in a way during her journey in Mexico. Her story’s pace is different, but rooted in her how her character is introduced and how she navigates within the community she is with in Mexico.
Nathan Harris is a vivid storyteller and I enjoyed this read. I’m looking forward to what he pens next.

📖⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the E-ARC of this book. It was a wonderful Camp NetGalley read.

From the Author of The Sweetness of Water comes this beautifully put together work of historical fiction.

It’s 1866 in Louisiana. Though the Civil War is over and enslaved people have technically been emancipated from their enslavers, we know that it was not so simple. And neither were the lives of brother and sister, Coleman and June. When June is taken to Mexico by Mr. Harper with promises of a land of milk and honey, she has little choice but to do as she is told and Coleman is left behind to see to the rest of the family. After he receives a letter from Mr. Harper requesting Coleman’s presence in Mexico, he has no other option than to go and hopefully reunite with his sister. Tragedy after tragedy, Coleman is now fighting for both his life and the life of Mr. Harper’s daughter, Florence, as they make their way through the Mexican desert. They have no idea what they’re in for as they battle thirst, hunger, and thieves.
This book transported me right alongside Coleman and Florence as they fought for their lives on the dusty and suffocating frontier. Nathan Harris is an extremely talented young writer, and the research he puts into his novels is second to none. I highly recommend this book and you’ll have a hard time putting it down!

I picked this as my Camp NetGalley read because I had heard a great thing about Harris’s debut The Sweetness of Water and because I am a sucker for historical fiction in atypical settings. Set between 1864 and 1866, Amity follows the lives of a pair of siblings who wants freed continue to work for the family that had held them as slaves. There’s a bit of a dual timeline situation because we follow Coleman in 1866 after he gets a letter from the man of the household who had taken Coleman’s sister and gone to Mexico, leaving Coleman with the wife and daughter of the house. We also get interludes from the sister’s perspective as they make the trip to Mexico.

I think what worked for me is the setting. Our characters are a white Louisiana family and their now freed slaves, and we got to see a bit of what society was like as the Civil War was ending. We also get to see an interesting take on the Mexican border at the time and how that plays into the era’s race relation relations. That setting and that time period are all just so interesting to me that I enjoyed spending a couple hours in that world.

Where I struggled, I think was in the pacing, and honestly, I think it might’ve been a me thing. I found myself much more interested in June’s story than in Coleman’s, and it got to the point that the longer we were following Coleman the more I didn’t like him. The ending is supposed to make it seem like he was changed so dramatically by his journey, but I felt like we skipped through a lot of his reckoning with what was happening to him. As we followed his story, it was this traumatic event and then there was a time skip and then it was this traumatic event so yes, he should have been changed by the journey, but it didn’t feel like he was. I also feel like for a book named after town. We really didn’t spend any time in that town.

Overall, I think this was a good book, but not my favorite. I own The Sweetness of Water, and I will give it a try, and I do recommend this if it sounds interesting to you.

June and Coleman are siblings...raised as slaves in Louisiana by the Harper family. As the Civil War ends, both siblings should be considered as free persons, but the master of the house Wyatt Harper is not accepting of this fact. He decides to take June (whom he is obsessed with) with him to Mexico and create a fortune through silver mining.

When Muriel Harper and daughter Florence are shown a letter from Wyatt that requests Coleman to come to Mexico to help retrieve June whom is reported as abducted by Indians, the three (plus adorable dog Oliver) begin an odyssey that will take them through the Mexican desert.
Mexico at this time (1865) is a land in turmoil: the French army (currently in control of the government), Juaristas are Mexican rebels that are trying to regain control of their country, and slave traders sent from the US to recapture and return slaves all make the country a very dangerous place.

Both Coleman and June will experience many horrible things as they remain hopeful in reuniting. Will they also find the freedom and security of a home that they can call their own? INCREDIBLE adventure scenes in this book. This is a must read.

Thank you Netgalley/Little Brown and Company for this eARC.

"A gripping story about a brother and sister, emancipated from slavery but still searching for true freedom, and their odyssey across the deserts of Mexico to finally reunite, all while escaping a former master still intent on their bondage."

It is just after the Civil War when Coleman leaves New Orleans with his master's daughter and wife to find his master and sister, June. Although emancipated, they find their harrowing journey proof that they must take their freedom in hopes of being reunited. June's experience is expertly threaded in with Coleman's adventure.

The writing is absolutely exquisite with perfect pacing, and I found this to be a riveting, vital read. What could have been a boring travelogue through the Mexican desert is a captivating and essential addition to emancipation literature. The bond between siblings is quietly revealed and imprinted on your heart as well as the bond between human and animal. The strangers they meet along the way that come to their aid restore your faith in humanity after seeing those who exploit and hurt others for gain. I was captivated from start to finish and will be thinking about Coleman, June, and Florence for a very long time. Nathan Harris is a brilliant voice in literature, and I can't wait to see what he writes next.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Little Brown and Company, and Nathan Harris for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

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This story of struggle and perseverance took me away to a harsh yet beautiful time and place after the turmoil and devastation of the Civil War. 

In Amity, alternating story lines and the memories of separated siblings Coleman and June told of their individual journeys as former slaves living in unfamiliar "freedom." The book seemed a bit jumpy and confusing at times, but more than midway through the story, when a new sense of home and community arrived for June, the confusion eventually settled. The possibility of a reunion of brother and sister kept me swiping toward the well thought out and satisfying conclusion. 

Mr. Harris provided a piece of American and Mexican history in a setting new to me and is a story that will remain with me long after his book has been tucked away on my Kindle. 

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing me the opportunity to read the advanced e-copy of; Amity by Nathan Harris.

Told through dual POVs from siblings June and Coleman. Amity is a beautifully written harrowing tale of these two siblings trying to find their freedom and each other in a post Civil War US and into Mexico. The characters are so well developed. The story is primarily told through Coleman's point of view. He really feels like a growing adult. Trying to find his place within his new "freedom" when he is separated from his sister June. What follows is his journey to find his sister in Mexico. It's treacherous and terrifying. Oliver is such a light moment throughout. I think there were areas where the pacing was a little slow and it was hard to stay engaged. But overall a really good work of historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC!

This book drew me in right away. The characters were so well written and their affectations described so perfectly I could picture them in my mind. I liked that the story was told mainly from Coleman's POV, but we also heard his sister, June's, story in third person. I found myself feeling sympathetic for characters I didn't want to be, especially in the desert scenes. And I loved little Oliver!

Harris did an excellent job of creating a historical account with a ton of accuracy without losing the storytelling touches. I recommend this one. I bet it is great on audio, too. 4.5 stars rounded up.

A book that chose me... and came with a little NetGalley confession.

Confession time: I snagged this from Camp NetGalley partly out a little publishing pettiness. This publisher used to approve me and now I’m stuck in auto-decline purgatory.
Seriously—why??

So when Amity popped up, I snatched it, read it, and now I’m reviewing it and hoping to no longer be a ghost from the past.

Then I realized it was by the same author as The Sweetness of Water, which I still haven’t read (yet), but this one instantly nudged it higher on my TBR. I'm a sucker for slow, carefully written, haunting stories especially those with an atmosphere that soaks into your bones.

What Lit my mood
The haunting quiet tone that lingered over every page
The setting in New Orleans, 1866. The Civil War is over, but formerly enslaved Coleman and June have yet to find the freedom they’ve been promised.
The unforgettable bond and quiet ache for each other between siblings Coleman and June, torn apart when their former master, Mr. Harper fled to Mexico with June. Coleman is left behind in Louisiana to serve Mrs. Harper and her daughter Florence, now on a journey to Mexico after being summoned by Mr Harper.

Where my Mood Flickered
This story asks you to sit in the hush and just feel and at times I did that but the pacing felt off. Just as something would catch my attention, it would slow again, and I’d find my focus would flicker, breaking the spell.

Witchy Mood Meter Rating
🕷️ Almost Aligned -The vibes were there, but my energy was too restless to fully settle into the story’s quiet spell.

My recommendation
Add it to your altar if you crave quiet, poetic prose and aching, character-driven storytelling. So summon it when your energy is calm, and you're ready to sit with sorrow, longing, and the ghosts of history.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and wish to leave my opinion on it. This story is a loving nod of historical fiction taken with painstaking effort for accuracy. Nathan writes all of the gritty details of life during those times without trying to hide it behind rose colored glasses. It was a wonderful, heartbreaking journey to be taken on without glorification of the past. I appreciate all of the detail built into the world and characters. Amity is a story I would recommend everyone read, especially those that say they don’t understand the horrors that followed the Civil War. I rejoiced with the peaceful ending while deeply understanding that was not usually the case.

I am so grateful to the publisher, Little, Brown and Company, and the author, Nathan Harris, for the privilege to read this advanced copy through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. I highly recommend this novel that is well researched and enjoyable to read. The author has a fantastic writing style that captures the reader's attention right from the start. I didn't want to put the book down.

The story is set in Louisiana right after the Civil War. The reader travels with the protagonists, June and Coleman, who are black slaves. Their treatment by their "owners" (Wyatt Harper and his family, Mrs. Harper and Florence are difficult. I loved the relationship of Coleman and Oliver, Florence's terrier, throughout the story. Oliver brings comfort during challenging times.

This is not just another book about slavery. It is a story about the two separate journeys of Coleman and June with hardships, abuse, and survival. While it sounds heavy, there are also times of rewards and joy. There is courage, happiness, love, support, and joy during challenging situations. Character development is outstanding. Amity is a place that brings hope.

The book ends like it begins. I loved it and highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed. Well done, Mr. Harris, and thanks for a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this advanced reader copy of Amity by Nathan Harris. This is the second post civil war historical fiction novel by the author.

Siblings, June and Coleman, were formerly enslaved by the Harper family but continue to work for them as societal laws have left them without other options. Mr. Harper leaves the family estate to seek out mining opportunities in Mexico and takes June with him, much to the dismay of her brother and the remaining Harpers. When Coleman is later summoned to meet them in Mexico, an unbelievable journey to reunite commences.

Amity was a very unique perspective on this post civil war time period also involving the history of the fight for land amongst the French, Mexican and Native American civilians. I very much enjoyed Harris’ use of the inhospitable Mexican desert to create tension and despair in the story as well as the sibling storyline. At times, I had difficulty maintaining the identity of the many male characters, but overall I enjoyed this novel.

If this could be a 3.5 star book, it would! I really wanted to like this book but parts of it fell flat for me. I struggled with the tenses changing between characters a bit, and it felt like the entire book was in service to what happens at the end.. which isn’t terrible, but it felt noticeable to me which I didn’t love. The writing was good and I did like the characters, but overall it didn’t quite hit all the marks.

Amity follows a brother and sister, Coleman and June, who were freed from slavery but are still chasing real freedom and each other across the rough terrain of the post Civil War South and the deserts of Mexico. Separated for years, their paths twist through danger, betrayal, and unlikely alliances as they try to reunite and outrun the people who still want to control them. It’s a powerful, emotional story about family, survival, and what freedom really means when the world keeps trying to take it back. Truly enjoyed taking a step back from fantasy and romance to devour this book

I picked up this book for Camp Netgalley, and I'm really glad I did! The narrative follows Coleman, a former slave who has been separated from his sister June. He remained behind in Lousiana with the family that formerly owned him- Mrs. Harper and Florence, along with the family's dog, Oliver, who is dearly loved by Coleman. There are also interludes from June's perspective as she is brought to Mexico by Mr. Harper on an increasingly perilous journey. I enjoyed that we got both perspectives, as it pulls the tension tighter as the story goes on and the siblings try to find each other.

At times, the prose in Coleman's point of view felt a little too heavy. However, once he mentions the contemporary authors he admires, and then the framework of the narrative becomes clear at the end of book, I understood the choices the author made in Coleman's perspective. The writing style might not be for everyone, as it sometimes drags through moments of little action and then moves quickly through action sequences. But it does model the writing of 19th century literary figures, and this was a clever decision on the author's part. June's perspectives are written in third person as opposed to Coleman's first person, and you can feel June's practicality in how she narrates and what she observes, which is a nice contrast to Coleman's perspective.

Something I really appreciated about this book was the depth of the historical setting. While reading, I could tell that both the time period and the places were thoroughly researched simply by the level of detail and care that went into creating the environment. In the author's note, Harris references the materials he used and the people that helped him write this story accurately. The story does a very good job in capturing the unrest in both the antebellum South and the Mexican border in the middle of the 19th century. Particularly in Mexico, many groups of people were vying for power (or simply a place to be left alone) which resulted in a constant, all-around pressure. As Coleman and Florence travel through Mexico, they meet many people who are not wholly good nor bad, but instead have depth and nuance. Meeting these characters through Coleman, a man who seems to extend grace to everyone he meets, lets the reader form their own opinions about each one. Additionally, the descriptions of the landscape around Coleman are extremely evocative.

Overall, the prose in this book may not be for everyone but it clearly was written with a lot of care for both the setting and the characters. The bond between siblings shines through the entire story, and the nuance of many characters lends even more depth to this sweeping story.

It's 1866 in New Orleans. Two years ago, brother and sister, Coleman and June, were separated when their old master, Mr. Harper, took June away to Mexico, where he hoped to escape the new reality of the post-war South. Coleman stayed behind in Louisiana to serve the Harper family which consists of Mrs. Harper and her daughter Florence.

When an unexpected letter from Mr. Harper arrives along with a mysterious man, Coleman thinks that finally his prayers have been answered. Mr. Harper wants Coleman brought to Mexico. When disaster strikes Coleman’s and the Harper's journey, he is forced on the run with Mr. Harper's daughter, Florence. Together, they venture into the Mexican desert to find June, all the while evading two crooked brothers who'll stop at nothing to capture Coleman and Florence and collect the money they're owed. For now, Coleman and June are fighting their own battles in the desert. Can they make their way back to each other?

Amity is historical fiction AND a western. It's so unique and I was all over the place with it lol. The writing and setting pulled me in immediately, as well as the characters. I love a journey through a desert. The story kept slowing down and then picking back up. There was some crazy action, a bit surreal but interesting! Then it slowed again. Coleman talks so much! I thought I wanted a break, said no just read a few more pages. Suddenly I was at 70% and I didn't want to put the book down. I got so invested I tried to finish before bedtime.

There is a lot of blood and violence and action near the end. The dog, Oliver, has his own journey along with the other characters. You have to read this for yourself. The story is worth it. And Amity has the best of this one type of scene I've ever read. Don't skip the epilogue. It's long but important.

I loved his debut novel and was so excited to read this. I thought this book was beautiful. You will fall in love with these characters. I loved the relationship between the main character and his dog. This story will make you gasp, cry, and laugh. I loved this book a lot.

Amity (4.5 stars!!) was a little different than the books I usually read, but it piqued my interest as a Camp NetGalley pick and I’m glad I gave it a chance! Amity mostly follows Coleman, a freed slave still working for the family that owned him, as he searches for his sister June, who left with their previous master to pursue his effort to form a new life in Mexico. His story is interspersed with June’s story of what her life has been like in her time away as she struggles to get out from underneath Mr. Harper’s control in an unfamiliar country. Once the action picked up, found the book to be relatively fast-paced and both characters’ stories to be equally as compelling, so there was never a time I was dreading for one part to end to go back to the other. I think Nathan Harris did an amazing job of depicting the reality of the racism Black people faced and how, even after slavery ended, many found themselves stuck because they had no resources to start their lives over again. The side characters were also very compelling, particularly Florence and William, as they were not firmly good OR bad people and Harris had me rooting for them one minute and then hoping they’d get some sense knocked into them the next. Overall, I enjoyed Amity and would be interested in following Nathan Harris’ works in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC!

Amity, the second novel by Nathan Harris is a beautifully written story of historical fiction, telling the journey of Coleman and June, brother and sister, set in 1864. Enslaved to the Harper household, June must accompany Wyatt Harper to Mexico as he attempts to start a new life. Coleman then follows along with Mrs. Harper and her daughter Florence. Coleman’s goal is to reunite with his sister and start a new life.

This novel is very much about the journey, both physical and emotional, of Coleman, as he grows from a fearful young man to a man of courage and determination all the while staying true to his expressive nature. The writing is so descriptive and eloquent that the reader will want to savor each word even as they are experiencing a range of action from nearly drowning in the ocean to battling others in the desert. The end of the novel is perfect. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will want to read this novel, as well as readers of general literary fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.