A thought-provoking and beautifully written novel that explores themes of identity, community, and belonging. Harris's characters are complex and relatable, making this a compelling read.

This is a really special, cerebral book! It’s something to be savored and read slowly. While there is actually a ton of action, I found that most of the real work in the story happens in the longing and dreams of the main characters.

The story takes place after the civil war, when two previously enslaved siblings, June and Coleman, are still working and living with their former owners and are anything but free. The master has “taken” June with him to Mexico to seek riches and Coleman has stayed behind with the master’s wife and difficult, spoiled daughter.

A stranger appears with a letter from the master telling Coleman he needs to join him and June in Mexico. What ensues is a journey full of hardship and pain and desperation for a reunion with his beloved sister and finally, possibly, real freedom.

As I said there is a lot of action happening on this journey, none of it good, but we see the growth of the characters, especially Coleman and the master’s daughter Florence.

The story alternates between Coleman’s and June’s point of view. We learn of their past as well as their current state and how much they relied upon each other and how devastating it is to be separated, especially given how enslaved people were often separated from family. This book does not shy away from the historical accuracies of slavery and the horrific conditions in which Coleman and June have lived.

The writing is beautiful and the characters are well drawn and I cared about them, even Florence. There are many minor characters that come in and out of the story as well, a few I would have liked to know better. I also felt like maybe the intense action could have been integrated more into the cerebral sections of the novel. I found myself a bit surprised when suddenly LOTS was happening and then it would all go quiet again.

All in all this is an important read not just for its historical aspects, but for the memorable character study and I recommend it, as well as Harris’ first book, The Sweetness of Water, which I also enjoyed very much.

Thank you to Net Galley, Little, Brown, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.

Amity is powerfully-written story that takes place in the post-Civil-war period. Former slaves Coleman and his older sister June, though technically free now, are still working for their previous master and his family, and being treated with only a faint trace of any difference. No longer slaves, they are now "the help," belittled and despised.

Fearing a loss of his livelihood and status following the end of the war, their former master joins a group of like-minded men and takes off by wagon-train for Mexico, seeking new opportunities. He forces June to accompany him on this long and grueling trek across the desert, leaving behind his wife and daughter and June's brother Coleman. Eventually, Coleman is summoned to Mexico to help locate June, and must make his own perilous journey.

The story details the physical, social and emotional hardships our two main characters (and those who accompany them) must endure, written in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Coleman and June. The writing is very evocative. I truly felt as though I was accompanying them through their journeys and feeling the sweltering heat along with the depth of their emotions.

I'm giving this book 4.5 stars. For me, a five-star book is one that I truly hate to see end, and plan to read again. This book is beautifully crafted and certainly succeeds in its depictions of racial injustice, brutality and ignorance. It's just not something that I wish to reread.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company via NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A strange, but heartwarming story of two siblings torn apart at the end of the Civil War and their journey to find each other.

I received a temporary digital copy of Amity from NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Despite the United States outlawing enslavement, siblings June and Coleman are still very much enslaved by the Harper family. June is forced to follow her master, Mr. Harper, in search of a more prosperous life in Mexico. Coleman stays in New Orleans with Mrs. Coleman and their daughter, Florence, until Mr. Harper sends a letter and a highway man demanding Coleman's presence in Mexico so that his sister may return to Mr. Harper. Will the family survive the journey to Mexico? Will Coleman and June be reunited? Will the Harper family find the prosperity they are looking for?

Five stars for Amity - I loved Harris' characters, especially Coleman, Florence and Oliver. I was thoroughly engrossed in the Coleman's POV chapters and although June's chapters weren't as thrilling, they provided so much depth to understanding Coleman and the siblings experiences as enslaved persons.

“It never grew easier to reconcile, how beauty and horror might commingle in a single moment; to see a cityscape washed clean with the mist of the previous night’s rainfall, the streets bathed in the warmth of the morning sun, only for it all to be swept away, polluted by gunfire and the cries of soldiers as they met their end in the very moments that followed.”

This wasn’t a typical summer beach read. It wasn’t easy or comforting. It was raw, visceral, violent, and ugly, though shot through with moments of intense resilience, unconditional love, and quiet joy.

At its core, this dual-POV narrative tells the story of two recently freed siblings immediately following the end of the Civil War. June, the older sister, is forced to follow her awful ex-master, Mr. Harper, to Mexico in search of a silver mine, as he can no longer maintain his lifestyle in America without slaves. Meanwhile, Coleman, June’s little brother, stays behind with Mr. Harper’s entitled and selfish wife and daughter. After a couple years have passed, Mr. Harper sends for his family and Coleman and the three of them embark on a perilous journey to meet him in Mexico. Coleman also brings his faithful and ridiculously adorable companion along, a sweet dog named Oliver.

This book is an exploration of identity and a journey to find one’s place in the world when faced with oppression, prejudice, and trauma. It provides insight into the darkest corners of the human experience and considers what should be the essential rights of all people. It’s also a tale of redemption, as people who have been faced with the worst of life fight fiercely for the genuine freedom and authentic peace and wholeness they deserve.
Some of the characters felt a little flat and started to run together which occasionally led to some reader confusion. Additionally, the pacing felt a little off, often shifting from intense action to a more meandering pace. The juxtaposition worked well in some places, offering a reprieve from the violence that pervades the faster-paced scenes. However, there were times the narrative felt like it was dragging.

And yet, the history was particularly fascinating to me. I have rarely heard anyone discuss what was happening in Mexico immediately following the Civil War. In fact, I rarely hear much about what it was like for slaves once freed, especially in the period between the Civil War and Juneteenth. The settings were vibrant and the romance subplot was sweet and redemptive in the best of ways. And my favorite part was all of the character development that June, Coleman, and a few of the side characters displayed. And Oliver is such a precious little fur baby!
It’s hard to enjoy, or even sit with, stories like this, knowing the truth of history that resonates through still today. So much of the story felt unbearably suffocating and heartbreaking. But Coleman said it well when faced with the mass trauma of the Civil War firsthand, “It became our duty to listen, to watch, to endure; to witness.”

That’s exactly how I feel about difficult historical literature. It’s our duty to engage with hard stories and painful truths. We need to listen, and validate the experiences and emotions that come from traumatic history. We need to watch, and face the darkness that humanity is capable of, while also recognizing the resilience that we each hold in our hearts. We need to endure, because reading is political. It can’t always be purely enjoyable; it’s our duty to get uncomfortable sometimes. And we need to witness, because so much of the past is still horrifically relevant today. If we can’t acknowledge that, if we don’t allow our hearts to be broken by things that may feel faraway through distance or time, then how can we possibly begin to change things for the better?

3.5 stars rounded up. Thank you so much to Little, Brown and Company via NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to Camp NetGalley Book Review Edition 2025 for the opportunity to choose an advanced eARC for my honest opinions (and to receive a Camp NetGalley badge).

This story was set during the Civil War right after slaves were given their freedom. We follow Coleman & his sister June on their travels & experiences trying to reunite with each other after spending so many years apart. June heads from Louisiana with her master to Mexico, with plans to send for the rest of his family & Coleman once he is established there. We learn of the atrocities that June goes through spending time with him. Then a few years later, Coleman and the rest of the family make their way west via water travel, when the ship is taken down and he & their master's daughter are forced to get there on foot. We experience all that they went through during their travels. The author is an excellent writer and vividly portrayed the landscapes and what these two went through to try & reunite with each other.

I couldn't put this book down, and I really tried so that the story would last longer. I tend to be cautious when reading books that involve slavery or the antebellum period, however, this touched on a part of our history that I rarely get to see in books. Set post civil war, Coleman sets off on a journey to reunite with his older sister, June, who travelled down to Mexico from Louisiana some time earlier. As the story unfolds, the true nature of this journey is revealed as both Coleman and his sister (as it is told in dual POV) must fight even harder for their freedom, happiness, and to each other.

I loved the character development in the FMC and MMC as they both had to address the traumatic life they once lived and needed to decide how they would move forward after they left it all behind. I truly appreciated seeing the Mexican exodus of formerly enslaved people as well as the journey West to freedom. The dual POV allows us to see how both Coleman and June's stories and triumphs are both significant and as well as their individual growths and changes as a result. Upon finishing the book, I had tears streaming down my face for the last chapter and epilogue. Absolutely loved this book. I truly hope it ends up as a film.

This is a work of historical fiction taking place in the American South, Mexico, and the disputed lands of Texas in the late nineteenth century. POVs alternate between siblings, Coleman and June, who are servants of the family who owned them as slaves before the Civil War freed them. Still stinging from losing to the North, the patriarch of the family takes June with him as he joins a group of other disgruntled Southerners as they travel to Mexico to establish a new mining town and get out from the under the laws of the Union. Later, Coleman and the man's wife and daughter (and the family dog) strike out to join them. The journey presents a multitude of dangers and interesting characters - criminals, Mexican soldiers, Black Seminoles, and others.

What I liked about this book included the setting and atmosphere. There is the harsh beauty of the desert, the chapparal and mesquite trees beneath the baking sun, but also the towns strung along their path south, which reminded me of being ensconced in the world of Red Dead Redemption 2. This video game takes place about 30 years later, but I could easily picture Arthur Morgan and his outlaw companions riding their horses through the territories of this book.

Also enjoyable was the character of Coleman, a former slave and current servant who is happiest lost in the pages of his books, taught himself academics and proper comportment both from the books assigned to the daughter of his employers for her education, and who has a sweet bond with the book's canine character, Oliver. Additionally, there is a side character who exhibits some nice personal growth.

What didn't work so well for me is a bit harder for me to name. I just wasn't that engaged in the plot, which meandered at times (particularly during June's page time) without a real sense of urgency or expected destination, figuratively speaking. In this way I suppose the pacing was a bit off. At the conclusion of the book I thought to myself, "Well that's nice," but it really isn't anything that I anticipate staying with me for long now that I have finished reading. I guess I appreciated the vibes more than the story. 3.5 out of 5 stars,.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company of Hatchette for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Harris’s book follows Coleman and June, ex slaves, separated after the Civil War. Coleman survives a shipwreck and kidnapping while searching for his sister. She escapes from her master and joins a guerrilla band in Mexico.

While the story tackles themes of freedom and resilience I found it often far fetched. They eventually reunite and help build a black community called in Mexico. The story was vivid in its telling but the characters felt more symbolic than fully fleshed out.

This historical novel is quite an interesting and breathtaking read. It tells the story of the struggles of the confederacy after the civil war. It is interesting because even though the slaves were free some of the plantation owners were trying to find a loophall in keeping their slaves. One of the former slaves Coleman will stop at nothing to make sure his sister returns safe and sound. Even if it means having to follow his former slave master to the silver mines of Mexico. From there he will learn the true spirit of freedom and for fighting for what is right.

This is the second stunning novel I have read by this author. The writing is beautiful, and the sad story about a family after the fall of the Confederacy, and two of their former slaves was absolutely gripping. The crazy white man decides that since he can't make enough money to keep his dysfunctional family living in the style to which they have become accustomed, he will go down to Mexico and get a silver mine. Oh, and he'll take the young woman ex-slave with him to take care of all of his needs. His plan did not end as expected. It's a complicated scenario with a lot of characters, good and bad. There is a great amount of heartache, but ultimately salvation and emancipation. It was a very emotional read for me, and I loved every bit of it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

Amity is a powerful story about what it really means to be free. After being separated for years, Coleman sets out across the desert to find his sister, June. He’s no longer enslaved but he’s still carrying the weight of his past and the question of who he wants to be now.

What made this book emotionally resonate for me is how real and layered Coleman feels as a three dimensional protagonist. People judge him for having some small privileges during slavery, like being able to read, but we also see how much he lost including his mother, his safety, and even a sense of belonging. His bond with a loyal dog named Oliver is one of the few places he feels truly seen and loved. Dog lovers will appreciate this aspect of the story.

Coleman’s journey is full of danger but it's also very emotional. He has to face hard truths not just about the world but about himself. One of my favorite quotes from Coleman's perspective is this one: "I put myself first. I did, as always, what was necessary to keep my spirit intact.”

This is a story about survival, healing, and the hard work of becoming whole. It’s a reminder that freedom isn’t given and freedom needs to be actively claimed.

This is a beautiful book. Based on a time that seems so hard to even comprehend now. Characters you love and some you downright loathe. This book has all the feels and you won’t regret reading it. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This book hit me right in the heart. Amity is a beautifully told story about two siblings navigating freedom, danger, and hope in the aftermath of the Civil War. It’s tense, emotional, and full of moments that stay with you long after the last page.

In 1864 New Orleans, emancipated but not freed, brother and sister slaves Coleman and June have been separated. June went to Mexico with her master, Mr. Harper, while Coleman was left to take care of the abandoned family. Unexpectedly, a letter arrived from Mr. Harper ordering Coleman to come to him and June in Mexico. Coleman begins his journey to find June and freedom unprepared for what he is to endure.

I was drawn to this book by the cover and the description, and I was captivated by the prose, the plot, the characters, and the history. Living in the desert Southwest, Nathan Harris's depiction of this environment ran true to me. I could feel the dust, dirt, heat, and thirst. I LOVED everything about this book.

Thank you, Little Brown and Company and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this amazing book in exchange for my honest review. Ten Stars if I could.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you are not reading Nathan Harris you are just missing out, plain and simple. In his sophomore effort, Harris brings us down to Baton Rouge a few years after the end of the Civil War, but our main characters Coleman and June, sibling slaves, were separated by their master and have yet to find out they're no longer slaves. When Coleman receives a letter summoning him to Mexico to reunite with his sister and their master, the rest of the scheme begins to unfold.

The setting, the characters, the depth of the historical accuracy...chef's kiss all around. This story was so compelling and you just feel the heat and the dust of this perilous landscape enfolding these characters. I absolutely loved this book and I think it will quickly become a top read of 2025 when it releases in September. I never read the Sweetness of Water but I am quickly adding to my TBR. Amity is an easy 5 star read.