Heather’s Bookshelf: 1887 The Day they turned Off the Water
Author: AE Wasserman
Released: 10/04/22
Genre: Historical Fiction Novella
“Their morning had started like any other day, but now—-how fast a day could flip.”
“1887 The Day they turned Off the Water” introduces Jake, a young farmer who finds himself in the middle of a fight when the water that supplies his land suddenly stops. He and his farm hand, Kacha, investigate the cause and soon find themselves in an altercation with a man representing Boss Carr, a lobbyist with questionable ethics.
Unfortunately, the altercation leads to the man’s death with Jake and Kacha promptly accused of murder. Sally, Jake’s wife, and her family do their best to keep their farm going when the water stops again. She’s also determined to help her husband and since the public defender does not believe he will be able to get Jake or Kacha home, she seeks assistance elsewhere. Mr. Curry, the African American newspaper editor of the local newspaper, provides Sally with information that may be of help. But Boss Carr is connected in more ways than anyone could anticipate. Will the truth endure or will the political connections of the time override justice?
Trigger Warning: violence, death, racist language, prejudice, references to assault/rape
Overall, I enjoyed this tale. The era and timeline of the story is during a period of American history full of prejudice and racism and many of the themes and language in the story reflect the time period. There are two timelines/voices- one in 1887 following mostly Sally and the second following Kacha’s grandmother and the atrocities that she faced throughout her life. I enjoyed the dichotomy of the horrors in the era with the author’s decision to surround a majority of the story on the actions of the main protagonist, a woman, and the most helpful, useful, and smartest person in the book, an African American. The things that happen to Kacha and his grandmother were exceptionally terrible. The first third of the book was a little slower, but the rest of the story moves forward at a good pace. The author did a great job in including historical aspects of law and government while also showing how it affected individuals living at that time and the importance of learning from our pasts. I also loved the ending. I don’t want to give anything away, but I’m a Sally fan.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A historical fiction novella centered around a single court case, wrapped in the consequences of Manifest Destiny and the prejudices/atrocities of the era.
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